A Short Visit to Fort Myers

Bill and I had an unexpected trip to Fort Myers after the couple renting our condo left early. Last year at this time we experienced a bird fall-out on Sanibel Island (http://parkersbarkers.blogspot.com/2012/04/sanibel-lighthouse-migratory-bird.html) so even before we set our suitcase down, we hurried over the causeway to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and Sanibel's Lighthouse Beach hoping to see some of the neo-tropical migrants flying north from South and Central America. There were none. Looking at the empty Gumbo Limbo Tree, I realized what an extraordinary experience we had last year. Even Metro Parkway was devoid of birds!

This is the only picture I took at Ding Darling - a Catbird. Yes, there was a tiny smattering of the usual shore birds - one White Pelican, the usual Osprey, a couple of Cormorants and several Willets - but that was it! Lighthouse Beach was even more disappointing. We had planned to spend the next day on the island but went to Harns Marsh instead.

We were greeted at Harns Marsh by a Sandhill Crane family. One adult flew away and the others quickly hid in the heavy foliage.

The marsh was beautiful with the early morning light playing on the water. We usually see large flocks of herons and egrets, coots and moorhens, but there were only a few this time. It didn't matter - this Great Egret, in breeding plumage is always fun to see.

...as was this Tri-colored Heron. Look at that bright blue beak!

He was showing off his feathered headdress. I hadn't noticed this before my sister showed pictures on her blog (http://quilterb-bethsblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-just-cant-stop-making-purses-worse.html).

His colors were wonderful!

There were several Limpkin making lots of noise.

...and the usual Red-winged Blackbirds.

A couple of Black-necked Stilts flew over the marsh.

...and the Sandhill Crane returned and posed for pictures. Our trip to Fort Myers was short. We met with our rental agent, restocked and replaced a couple of lanai chairs, visited with friends and closed the condo for the summer before heading back to Ocala.

Next week Bill and I will head back to Colorado for the summer. We plan to travel via Route 10 through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, doing some birding along the way. I hate to see the season end as I really love it here at On Top of the World - but we'll be back!

Paynes Prairie

Bill, Terri, Ray and I visited Paynes Prairie during their visit to Florida. The day was chilly and there was fog and smoke in the air - so pictures were a challenge.

Yellow-rumped Warblers are plentiful - but this one was showing his colors, so I had to snap his picture.

There were several varieties of Sparrows; this one is a Song Sparrow,

...and this one is a Savannah Sparrow. I would never have seen this little fellow with his natural camouflage - but there was another birder with a spotting scope aimed at the prairie grasses by the walkway.

There were two very large bison who came too near to the trail so this cowboy came to the rescue and tried to herd them away.

They weren't too sure they wanted to leave.

But our hero prevailed.

Brown-headed Cowbirds are nasty birds - loud and dirty - but this one was almost pretty sitting in the grass by my open car window.

We spotted this Catbird by the entrance to the La Chua Trail. These birds usually stay hidden in the bushes - so it is rare that I can get a decent picture.

This is a Red-winged Blackbird. It's either a female or a young male.

Another female Red-winged Blackbird.

And still another.

Today we are Fort Jackson in South Carolina for grandson Nathan's graduation from boot camp. Nate - we are very proud of you!

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...

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!