Long-billed Curlew, 44/50

One of my favorites! I found this one @ Fort De Soto Park just this past weekend and the one below in Feb @ Bunche Beach, both locations on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The Long-billed Curlew is usually solitary, and uses his bill to probe deep into the mud, bringing up prey to the surface.

Extremely large, with an extraordinarily long bill. Plain buffy-brown overall, lacking dark crown-stripes of the Whimbrel.

Bald Eagle, # 38/50

This eagle flew overhead early one morning while I was watching the shore birds on Bunche Beach near Fort Meyers. I watched him for a while but he didn't return past me ~

This Juvie Bald Eagle was seen from the car on Black Point Drive @ Merritt Island.

Interesting facts:

The National Bird of the USA is easily recognizable in adult plumage by its white head and tail.  Immatures are entirely dark brown. The only eagle in Southern Florida, it is substantially larger than the Osprey, which is harasses to seize freshly caught fish. Fairly common in our region, where it is a coastal resident and breeder.

Red-shouldered Hawk, #34/50

I see Red-shouldered hawks almost daily on my ride home, as they sit atop the street lamp posts, but I have yet to get a great shot of one perched closer to (my) eye level.  I found the hawk on the bottom image @ a local gas station on my way out of Bunche Beach.  I pulled my car up left and right and around so I could get a decent image from the car, but without any distracting elements. Then he quickly flew off~

Interesting facts:

Inhabitant of moist wood-lands.  The southern Florida form is smaller and paler than northern races. The adult is brownish above, with a rufous shoulder patch and breast; the rest of the underparts are white, barred rufous.

Purple Gallinule, #28/50

This colorful creature was so close to me, he didn't seem to mind that I was watching him.  The sky was overcast which brought out the beautiful bluish-purple plumage and bright yellow legs.

Interesting facts:

Climbs to the top of taller swamp vegetation, where it roosts during the evening.   Common resident of  South Florida.

White Ibis, # 26/50

Beautiful White Ibis, images take at sunrise @ Bunche Beach, Fort Meyers, FL

An immature White Ibis

A baby White Ibis getting ready to fledge the nest.

Interesting facts:

The adult is unmistakable, being pure white with a bright red face and legs, and a long sickle-shaped bill. Common in Florida. 

This Scarlett Ibis is not part of my project, (this is a photo I took @ the Palm Beach Zoo) but I wanted to include the image for diagnostic purposes. The Scarlett Ibis is closely related to the White Ibis of South America and is a vagrant that was subject of a failed introduction attempt to southern Florida in the 1960's.

Roseate Spoonbill, #25/50

Ahhh, The  Roseate Spoonbill.  This bird,  and this image,  on this day,  began my fascination with all birds.  I've been a photographer my whole life, I planted a sunflower seed in my backyard when I was 12 for the sole purpose of taking its picture, while I waited with my Vivitar 110 camera.  Today that sunflower photo hangs in a frame. I love landscapes, I love portraiture, and then this pretty pink bird flew past my viewfinder . . . . and I'm still looking for the perfect spoonie image. I've since upgraded from that Vivitar and now use a Nikon D700, 80-400mm.

These images were taken this past January @ Green Cay, my first sighting of the spoonie all season, it was a white sky, so I added some blue around the edges in LR3.

Bottom image taken this February @ Merritt Island NWR~

And so, it is the Spoonie that I celebrate today as my #25/50.  I am mid-way through my personal Bird Identification project . . . . and I am on schedule (50 in 60 days).  

Thank you all for your encouragement and comments :-)

Anhinga, #23/50

Here we have the Anhinga, the only bird listed in the  Category, "Anhingidae - Anhingas & Darters". The top image is a male, and the female has the brown neck, or "is wearing a brown turtle neck sweater" as I like to say. The second image shows breeding colors. The Anhinga is almost always around, whether I am visiting Green Cay, Wakodohatchee, Wellington, National Everglades, this species can be found. The breeding colors are especially beautiful~

Interesting Facts:

Like cormorants, to which it is closely related, it must dry its wings intermittently in the sun after fishing forays. It often swims below the surface with only the neck and head exposed, hence another of its names, "snake-bird".

Wood Stork, # 22/50

I am almost half way into my project, to identify 50 birds in 60 days. The majority of the images were all taken in the past twelve months, this is an effort on my part to identify them, and my blog keeps me focused on the project.  I have also started a flickr group, Wings Over Florida, which is growing and will be a resource guide of amazing images of Florida Birds, for those that need help with identification and those that just would like to enjoy viewing.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1946322@N22/

The top image was taken @ the Wild Bird Center in the Florida Keys, the middle image was taken @ Wakodohatchee Wetlands, and the bottom, at my favorite pull off on Alligator Alley.

Interesting Facts:

The large size, naked all-dark head, long, slightly decurved bill and white plumage, make this species easily identifiable.

Osprey, 21/50

I had an excellent view of this Osprey and his fresh catch. In the first image he had just returned from the water and landed on the branch, in the second image, the first squirts of blood from the fish can be seen.  These images were taken at Delnor-Wiggins Pass  State Park in Naples, where their nest can also be viewed from the sand,  in a roped off area with a sign indicating "osprey nest".

Interesting facts:

Virtually cosmopolitan, being absent only from the tundra and the antarctic. Eagle sized, the head and neck are largely white.  When soaring, the Osprey kinks the wings at the "wrist", rendering it unmistakable in flight. Nests are huge and added to every year. The  Florida race is entirely white-headed and wholly white below.

Turkey Vulture, # 20/50

The top image was taken on Snake Road in the Everglades, and the bottom one was taken in Loxahatchee NWR.  Everything is beautiful :-)

Interesting Facts:
Large size, bare reddish head and silver gray and black under wings are diagnostic.  It soars in a broad V and seldom flaps its wings.  This is one of nature's sanitarians, feeding on carrion, especially roadkills.  At dawn, these birds spread their wings to absorb solar heat.

Black Vulture, #19/50

This image was taken last weekend at Dinner Island Ranch. We were on the look out for Caracara's, but instead . . . . . this fellow got his picture taken.  I am working on my Level I Wings Over Florida Certificate, and this is Bird ID # 19 of my first 50.

Dinner Island Ranch is over 21,000 acres, and we went during hunting season, maybe that's why we saw basically NO other wildlife on our 2 hour drive around . . . . I don't know if I will ever return to this spot for bird photography.

Interesting Facts:

Common in Florida. Smaller than the Turkey Vulture. The head is black. Usually seen soaring in tight circles.

American Avocet, # 15/50

These images were taken @ Merritt Island NWR, January 2012. These Avocets flew in, ate quickly, and only stayed for a very short while.

Interesting Facts:

A largely white and black shorebird with a sharply upturned bill. Feeds by sweeping the bill from side to side.  A common winter visitor to southern Florida, although some also remain throughout summer.

Brown Pelican, #14/50

These images were taken on the  West Coast of Florida, on a chilly day in January.  I stayed around for a while watching them dive, and tried to capture images of them "diving" - I love the one I get!

Interesting facts:

The Brown Pelican is a tourists' favorite, and can be easily identified by it's large size, brown color and huge grayish bill. It can dive from great heights, its entire body disappearing below the surface. Small groups fly with synchronous wingbeats, interspersed with large glides. Common along both coasts of Florida.

Limpkin, #12/50

The top image was taken @ Wellington  Environmental Preserve, the middle image was taken @ a Recreation pull off boat ramp off Alligator Alley, and the bottom was taken @ Merritt Island.

Interesting Facts:  A large bird with long legs and a bill that is slightly decurved, is brown with large white spotting. Secretive, it occurs discontinuously from the south-east USA, and common in South Florida. Known as the "crying bird", it is often tame when encountered.

Great Egret, #11/50

The first two images, taken @ Wellington Environmental Preserve, the Great Egret was trying to find balance. It was an overcast and gray day, and for the few seconds that the Egret was tip toeing on that branch, the sun came out. The close up image with breeding colors,  was take at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, the bottom two nests were taken at Alligator Farm rookery.