Our Last Week in Florida

I sure am going to miss these cute little guys when we leave later this week to return to Colorado!

Birding has been good the last week as the summer birds return.

These are the first Eastern Kingbirds I've ever seen in the back. We see them everyday now.

Eastern Kingbird sitting atop a thistle and hiding behind the growing wildflowers and weeds.

A small flock was migrating through on Easter morning with several Blue Grosbeaks. Delightful eye candy!

They were pretty far out in the back.

The Savannah Sparrows are regular visitors.

Another not-so-regular visitor is this Great-crested Flycatcher.

Ah-h-h. Aren't my love birds cute? Don't you just wonder what they are saying to each other?

Florida Fox Squirrel

I never tire of seeing the Florida Fox Squirrels at our feeders. They enjoy the sunflower seeds that have dropped. This is the one with the short tail.

Another regular...

We see lots of Red-bellied Woodpeckers but not many of the smaller Downy Woodpeckers.

The red on his head indicates it is a mature male.

Birding in Shalom Park

 Another beautiful sunny day means another nice walk in the park - this time Shalom Park adjacent to On Top Of the World (OTOW). We were greeted with the sounds of birds everywhere and butterflies flitting among the flowers and bushes.

We usually hear the Carolina Wrens loud song - but only occasionally do we actually see one. They are small jittery birds that blend in with their surroundings. I was just lucky today.

I love this picture - the bright red Cardinal against the muted colors in the background. The mature trees in the park are wonderful with lots of hanging moss.

Another bird that prefers camouflage; this Eastern Phoebe is hiding in the tree.

She may have tried to hide, but this female Cardinal stands out almost as much as her mate.

She finally gave up and came out to pose for me. I think the females are every bit as beautiful as the males.

This shot of a Red-bellied Woodpecker really shows the beautiful pattern on his back and wings.

Yesterday I had a picture of another Yellow-rumped Warbler that showed the bright yellow patch on his back. Today's picture shows the yellow spot on his side.

One of my favorites: a Tufted Titmouse. It's not hard to see how he got his name.

This is one of two Great Blue Heron nests in Shalom Park - both in the same tree. We've been watching them for a couple of weeks. The eggs have hatched and when we look through the binoculars we can see little white heads popping up. We'll check back every couple of days.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yes Virginia, there is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It's one of those names that people think they are making up to be funny and I didn't believe in them until the other day when one was pointed out to us while strolling along the boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary with friends, Tom and Cathy.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are about the same size as the more common Red-bellied Woodpeckers. They are called sapsuckers because they drill holes in trees to drink the sap. This one is a female. The males have a red chin. Her belly looks more yellowish in person.

Meow. Catbirds really do sound like cats. There is just a small spot of red under his tail.

This Red-bellied Woodpecker has found a tasty berry.

I just love the Cardinals. We don't have them in Colorado, so it's a treat when I see one. This colorful male was playing in the butterfly garden at the entrance to Corkscrew.

Bill, Cathy and Tom strolling along the boardwalk. Whether they want to go or not, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a must trip for all of our visitors.

Another must see are the adorable Burrowing Owls on Cape Coral.


We enjoyed our visit with Cathy and Tom and sure hope they come again - soon!