Merlin

 We often see American Kestrels around Ocala, but this is their slightly larger and less often seen falcon cousin, Merlin. I've only photographed a couple - so he was a treat, even if he was far away and on top of a phone pole.

Last week we went down to Fort Myers to open our condo and get it ready for season. We were very busy hiring a new cleaning crew and rental company, re-stocking the shelves, upgrading the electronics and fixing some minor water damage but I still managed to get to a couple of my favorite birding spots and see who was in town. A quick trip through Ding Darling and we only stopped once - to see the White Pelicans.

Six-Mile Cypress Slough was a bee-hive of activity. Lots and lots of little birds in the trees and bushes. The Black-and-white Warbler is always one of my favorites.

I've never seen so many Blue-gray Gnatcatchers! Every time I see one, I think about my daughter-in-law Cheryl. She is a birder and was the first one to point out the small gray bird to us.

We saw three Yellow-crowned Night Herons on our walk around the slough. All were hiding in the trees on the far side of one of the ponds.

But our biggest thrill was the three Bald Eagles that we spotted! This is the mature adult.

The immature all brown Bald Eagle is on the left and the adult with the white head and tail is on the right.

This is the third Eagle. You can still see some brown on his head.

 On our way back to Ocala on busy Route 75, we had a blow-out and spent the next two hours sitting on the side of the road waiting for AAA. Several other cars had the same fate at the same place. The police surmised that we ran over parts of a blown truck tire - (lots of steel belts) and that caused the problem. Four new tires later and we're back in business!

Unique Birders Trip to Blue Run Park in Dunnellon

Blue Run Park borders the beautiful, crystal clear Rainbow River just down the road in Dunnellon. Melanie Vittiow lead the OTOW birding club along the trails. The day started out clear and brisk but it quickly warmed up as we made our way around the Pond Trail, the Sandhill Loop Trail and back along the Blue Run Trail.

There were several Wood Ducks on the large murky pond. They were pretty far out, but I was able to get a couple of decent pictures. After this optimistic start our sightings quickly went downhill.

I was desperate and even took a picture of a Turkey Vulture. How can a bird that is so ugly look so beautiful in the air?

We were towards the end of the Blue Run Trail when we spotted a bush with activity. Starved for a sighting, we gingerly stepped a couple of feet onto private camping property despite the warnings that "Police will Notice" signs. There were several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers that flit around so quickly, it's almost impossible to get a decent picture. This one is good enough for identification.

Another picture that's good enough for identification - and nothing else. This is a Black and White Warbler - one of my favorite little birds. He was socializing with the Gnatcatchers.

This bird was overhead as we headed back to the parking lot. I am not sure what it is but suspect it's a first-winter Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Another unidentified bird. I think it's a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Where's Norm when I need him?

The sighting of the day was a pair of magnificent Piliated Woodpeckers. We had to go into the thick brush to get a good view - and got covered with prickly tags - but it was worth it!

One of our eagle-eyed spotters pointed out this small tree frog. Cute.

After our hike we headed to Gruffs (with a "G" not a "C") for lunch. This is a great group and Bill and I really enjoyed ourselves! Next month is the annual Christmas Bird Count.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park with the Unique Birders from OTOW

Bill and I joined the OTOW Unique Birders group for a wonderful field trip to hike the LaChua Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park south of Gainesville.

Our first stop was the icy observation platform just off Route 441 in Micanopy (mic-can-no-pee). Looking out over the prairie, we saw dozens of Sandhill Cranes both on the ground and overhead. A coyote ran in the distance.

Normally, I would have overlooked this sparrow - but we were fortunate to have a birding expert in the group who identified it as a Swamp Sparrow - our first life bird of the day.

After a short drive we arrived at the parking area and the beginning of the LaChua Trail - a 3-mile loop into the prairie. As we headed through the trees at the entrance, it looked like we were in an apple orchard - but the bright red apples were Northern Cardinals.

I saw no birds when I passed this marshy area, but again, our eagle-eyed teacher pointed out an American Bittern in the reeds.

I was thrilled to see it step out in the open so I was able to get quite a few decent pictures.

The stripes on its neck are his camouflage as he "hides" in the reeds by standing still with his head pointed to the sky.

Overhead, we saw more Sandhill Cranes. While I was distracted photographing some of the shore birds, Bill said he saw a couple of Whooping Cranes fly over. I said, yea, right, sure you did.

The Sandhill Cranes landed in another marshy area beyond the viewing area. We could see lots and lots of cranes - including...

Whooping Cranes!!

These beautiful birds stand almost a foot taller than their Sandhill Crane cousins.

Both of the birds were banded identifying them as either part of the resident population or migrants. As of Sept. 2010, there were 25 non-migratory and 119 migratory Whooping Cranes in Florida during the winter. What a trill to see two of the just over 400 birds currently in the wild.

There were lots of other eye treats as we walked the trail. The sun was shinning and the day warmed nicely. This Eastern Phoebe was also enjoying the sun.

I saw a bird hovering in the air and assumed it was a Belted Kingfisher as I've seen them hover over water before diving straight down to catch a fish - but Norm, our teacher, correctly identified it as an American Kestrel.

The area we were hiking has an interesting history. Before 1892, the area was covered with water. The huge Alachua Lake was was a tourist attraction and supported a thriving steamboat business. One day the entire lake just disappeared - into a giant sink hole. Today, water still flows into the hole and the lake has been replaced with over 16,000 acres of freshwater marsh and wet prairie. There are over 270 species of birds (including this cute Cattle Egret) bison, cracker horses and cattle, alligators and hundreds of Sandhill Cranes. The preserve includes the Prairie and some of the surrounding uplands for a total of nearly 22,000 acres.

Yes, I said bison! These young Plains Bison walked right in front of us - down the trail.

and wild horses! Horses were introduced to Florida in the mid-1500's to heard cattle.

So nice to see the shore birds! Along with this White Ibis, we saw several Glossy Ibis, the ever-present Coots, Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Common Moorhen, Tricolored Heron and Pied-billed Grebe. Someone said they saw a Wood Duck - but I missed it.

This Great Blue Heron was entertaining as he tried to figure out just how he was going to eat the huge fish he caught.

There were lots of hawks. This apparently is a young Red-Shouldered Hawk.

More Cattle Egret. I usually can't get close enough - or they refuse to stand still - for decent images.

This Tricolored Heron was intent on his mission to catch a fish (or two, or three) for breakfast.

I'm not sure what kind of turtle this is. He wasn't very big - maybe 6 inches across.

This is the kind of wet swampy area where I hoped to see a Purple Gallinule, but found Ibis and Moorhens instead.

...and Alligators! There were hundreds of American Alligators lining the banks - more and more as the day warmed.

Back at the entrance to the trail, several small birds played in the trees including this Black-and-white Warbler.

I also saw this bird, which I thought was a Northern Parula - or maybe a Magnolia Warbler or Blue-headed Vireo. I'm waiting for verification from our resident expert, Norm. (Norm has confirmed that my mystery bird is a Blue-headed Vireo.)

This car was in front of us as we caravaned to the next stop.

Next stop was the University of Florida's beef farm where a large flock of Sandhill Cranes joined the cattle. It looks like they are captive - but they are not.

We had already seen hundreds of Sandhill Cranes back at Paynes Prairie. The reason for our visit was the small white goose in with the much larger cranes - a Ross' Goose and another life bird.

My pictures aren't very good - and those of you that are regular readers know I hate having ugly man-made structures like this barbed-wire fence in my pictures - but that's what I had to work with and for a bird that is rarely seen in this neck of the woods, I'll make an exception!

After a wonderful morning of birding - and a total of 51 different species, we gathered at the 43rd Street Deli for lunch and friendship. Bill and I really enjoyed the company of this "Unique" group of bird enthusiasts and will definitely join them on more field trips in the future.

Hawk

The other day while we were driving past our local shopping center I caught a glimpse of a long tailed bird out of the corner of my eye. Bill was stopped at a red light and we both tried to figure out what it was. He thought maybe it was a kid's kite but I said no one would fly a kite over a grocery store! The Swallow-tailed Kites are due back any day from their winter in South America and other areas south - had they finally arrived? Or were we seeing something else - another exotic rarity? Bill was taking pictures out of the driver's window when the light changed. He drove across traffic and into the parking area to get a better look - but it had disappeared.

Looking at his pictures, we realized it was just the resident grocery store Osprey carrying a long streamer for his nest. They build their large nest on top of a light post in the parking lot - same place every year - and raise their chicks.

The flying field has been closed all week for runway repairs so several mornings this week we have been on the road at o'dark-thirty, arriving at some of our favorite birding sites at dawn. Today's pictures were taken at Six-Mile Cypress Slough, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Harns Marsh.

The Gray Catbird is more often heard than seen, hiding in thick shrubs if anything moves nearby. They are smart birds and can mimic other birds' calls, but the thing I like most about them is they do not let parasitic cowbirds leave eggs in their nests for the catbirds to raise. I wish the endangered Summer Tanagers were as smart! My Florida bird book says the Chippewa Indians named the Gray Catbird "Bird That Cries With Grief" because of its raspy call.

I've been trying to get a picture of this bird all winter! This is a Carolina Wren and their loud, melodic songs taunt me each time we go to Corkscrew. They sing year-round and can have as many as 3 dozen different song types. The image isn't the best and really doesn't show his warm brown back and bright yellow chest. It was still dusk and the light was not good - so I'll keep trying.

One of my favorite warblers - and the easiest to identify - a Black and White Warbler. It's not difficult to see how they got their name.

I know I promised no more pictures of the Great Egrets, but this one, taken at Six Mile Cypress, was so pretty I couldn't resist.

Another stumper. I think it's a Northern Parula but would happily be corrected by someone who knows more than I.

One of our favorites! There were several Painted Buntings on this trip to Corkscrew. This, of course, is the very colorful male.

If you look closely, you can see he has a band on his leg. Isn't he beautiful?

A Savannah Sparrow. This picture, as well as the next ones, were taken at Harns Marsh.

We haven't seen many Roseate Spoonbills this year - just a couple here and there - so I was delighted to be able to photograph these beauties in such a gorgeous setting.

You can click on any of these images for a larger view.

It was still a little foggy over the marsh - but taking that into consideration, I am pleased with the pictures.

My sister has been putting me to shame with her beautiful pictures of the great variety of ducks and geese in upstate New York. These Blue-winged are not as magnificent as her Oldsquaws and Mergansers - but it's what we have!

Our unusual cold weather has adversely affected the birds, fish and animals, killing many - much to the glee and delight of our huge buzzard population. The Ding Darling resident American Crocodile was recently found dead, her body washed up on the bank of the lagoon. I never did get to see her. She was old and apparently could not handle the freeze. Sadder still, our endangered Wood Storks will not nest this year, hurting their already diminished population. On a positive note, the cold also killed some of the invasive species like the Monitor Lizards on Sanibel and huge Pythons that have been flourishing in the Everglades. Guess there is a reason for everything.

Our condo in Fort Myers is finally on the market, but I am not optimistic it will sell quickly. I've packed up most of the items we will take to Ocala on Monday when we settle on our new house. Since people can arrive to look at the condo on a minute's notice - I have to keep it spotless and have all of our personal items stowed in drawers and cabinets. It's only been a couple of days - but it's already getting old - wipe the counters, close the lid, mop the floor, close the lid, clean the kitchen, hide the dirty clothes, close the lid, etc. etc. It's like living in a model home. Hopefully, it's worth it.

Tomorrow we are meeting Pamela, Orlando, Gabriel and Sebastian at Epcot and I can't wait to see my kids and grandkidlets. Later this year, we were planning to take our older grandson to Sea World to see Shamu - but I guess that's out now.

Gotta go - the Realtor called - they are showing the condo - gotta close the lids...