Florida Scrub-Jay.....My, look how big you've grown. (Part 3)

        Our look at juvenile/immature birds concludes with the Florida Scrub-Jay.  We are often asked, "what was your spark bird"?  A spark bird is the species most responsible for someone becoming a birder.  For us, the spark bird was the Florida Scrub-Jay.  A pair of Scrub-Jays moved into our neighborhood in August of 2011 and we watched them raise four babies in 2012.  He are some of our favorite photos of the babies growing up.  Enjoy.

I'm youth, I'm joy, I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg. 

 (James M. Barrie) 

Photo #1 - Mom and Dad (3/28/12)

        Our current pair of Scrub-Jays.  Dad is on the left, Mom (with leg bands) is on the right.  We looked at hundreds of photos of them together, on a feeder, on a birdbath or perched on an overhead wire.  We suspected that the banded one was the female.  She seemed "slightly" smaller in the photos and to the naked eye. 

Photo #2 - The kiss.  (3/24/12)

              In March 2012, the courtship began.  We noticed that the unbanded Scrub-Jay would offer a seed to the banded one, beak-to-beak, resembling a kiss (photo #2).  This is part of the males mating ritual, the female does not feed the male.   
        They built a nest, Mom laid eggs, Mom and Dad both incubate the eggs, and on May 10th 2012  we had four baby Scrub-Jays bouncing around our backyard.

Photo #3 - Baby Scrub-Jays  (5/13/12) 

        Researchers say that Scrub-Jays will hatch their eggs in 17 days, and the young will fledge (leave the nest) in another 17 days.  If that is true, the fledglings in photo #3 are about three weeks old and have been out of the nest at least three days.

Photo #4 - Two of the babies begging Dad for food.  (5/19/12)

  

Photo #5 - Mom is close by.  (5/21/12)

     Everywhere Mom and Dad go, the babies follow.  The babies are inseparable.  In photos where you see less than four babies, the others are close by.  

Photo #6 - A teachable moment.  (5/22/12)

        Training day.  Dad shows one of the babies how to bathe.  We love the baby's expression and body language in this photo.    

Photo #7 - Playtime at the feeder.  (5/28/12)

Photo #8 - Enjoying a leaf bath.  (6/4/12)

Photo #9 - Trying to figure out how to remove peanuts from the ring.  (6/4/12)

Photo #10 - Mom (far right) and three of the babies.  (6/15/12)

        Every day for the next three months Mom and Dad brought the babies to the yard.  When the babies were not begging for food and attention, they were busy learning life.  We have over a dozen feeders in our yard, and the babies explored all of them as if they were playground equipment.  One of our favorite things to do during their visits was to spray a misty stream of water onto the shrubs and small trees with the garden hose.  The babies loved it, taking turns diving into the spray and taking leaf baths.  They would vocalize with beautiful Scrub-Jay squawks and chatter, as if they were laughing. Usually, either Mom or Dad joined in, the other keeping watch for predators from a high perch. 

Photo #11 - Mom in the middle, surrounded by all four babies.  (8/17/12)

    By mid-August, the babies had grown into immature Scrub-Jays.  Their gray feathers gradually became a stunning Azure Blue.  In this photo the babies are almost four months old with only a few gray feathers visible.  Soon after this photo was taken, when the "family" visited the yard, only Mom could be identified, because of her bands.  By November, the daily visits turned into 2 or 3 visits per week and sometimes not all the Scrub-Jays were seen.  The last time we saw the entire family (all 6) together was on March 1st, 2013.

Photo #12 - Two of the babies.....all grown up.   (3/17/13)  

      In photo #12, here are two of the babies, all grown up.  They are around 11 months old.  Compare this photo with the peanut ring photo (photo #9) above.
        Now, they are on their own.  Usually one will stay with Mom and Dad as a "helper" to assist them with the next brood.  Mom and Dad had no babies (that we know of) in 2013 or 2014, and had only one this year (2015).
  
        The Florida Scrub-Jay is "endemic" to Florida.  Meaning, Florida is the only place on earth where they can be found.  Since the 1950s, the Scrub-Jay population and habitat has decreased dramatically.  Suitable scrub habitat has been cleared away, making room for citrus groves and housing developments.  As a result, the species is classified as "Vulnerable to Extinction".  But they continue to thrive in our backyard, and we are truly blessed and excited to have them here. 

        The Florida Scrub-Jay has more personality than any songbird we have ever seen.  Their behavior can best be described as "entertaining".  While other songbirds live their lives doing the same things day-in and day-out, Scrub-Jays actually appear to enjoy it.  We hope you enjoy the story of our backyard family, our "spark bird", the beautiful and fun Florida Scrub-Jay.....tweet.....tweet!!     

My, look how big you've grown. (Part 2)

        A look at juvenile/immature birds continues with the Northern Mockingbird and the Purple Gallinule.  We would like to share some of our favorite photos of young birds and what they will look like when they grow up.  Enjoy.

“Early summer days are a jubilee time for birds.  In the fields, around the house, in the barn, in the woods, in the swamp - everywhere love and songs and nests and eggs.” 

(E. B. White)

        NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD:  Most songbirds sing to claim a territory or to attract a mate. Mockingbirds typically sing from February though August.  We have observed them singing in our backyard as early as mid-January.  A male Mockingbird can have a repertoire of 200 songs throughout his lifetime.  In our backyard they can easily mimic the calls of Blue Jays, Florida Scrub-Jays, Eastern Phoebes, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Northern Cardinals and many more. If you like to "bird by ear", you need to pay close attention when Mockingbirds are nearby.  They even sing past midnight on well-lit nights.  The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of Florida and 4 other states.

        Mockingbirds have 2 or 3 broods of young in a breeding cycle, with as many as 6 hatchlings per brood.  Baby Mockingbirds are naked, blind and helpless.  Both parents feed and care for the hatchlings.  In as few as 15 days, they fledge (leave the nest) and become independent.  Immature Mockingbirds are similar in appearance to adults, but with streaks on the back and distinguishing spots and streaks on the breast.  

Northern Mockingbird (Fledgling)

Northern Mockingbird (Immature)

        When fully grown, Mockingbirds are a medium-sized songbird (10 inches) with long legs and a long tail.  Males and females are similar in appearance.  They are gray to grayish-brown above and white below.  They have two white wingbars on each wing, creating a beautiful white patch in flight. The outer tail feathers are also white.

Northern Mockingbird (Adult)

        PURPLE GALLINULE:  A medium-sized member of the rail family, the Purple Gallinule swims like a duck and walks like a chicken.  It has long, thick yellow legs with very long toes which makes it easy for them to walk across floating vegetation, such as lily pads.  It is also an excellent climber as you can see in these photos.

     When hatched, the chicks are covered with black down and leave the nest with their parents within a day.  Juveniles will be flying at around 10 weeks old.  Immature birds have brownish upperparts with a greenish wash, with a lighter colored face and underparts.  Their bill is brown and yellow.

Purple Gallinule (Immature)

        As adults, Purple Gallinules are beautifully colored birds.  Males and females are similar in appearance, males are slightly larger.  The head, neck and underparts are dark purple. The back and wings are iridescent green and brown, the underside of the tail is bright white.  The bill resembles a piece of candy corn, a bright red base with a yellow tip.  Adults also have a pale blue frontal shield on their forehead.

Purple Gallinule (Adult)

        Be sure to check back for part 3.....tweet.....tweet!! 

My, look how big you've grown. (Part 1)

        The first week in August marks the halfway point of summer. In Florida, birds begin their breeding cycles by late winter, continuing into spring and early summer. This summer we are spotting baby birds everywhere, many in our own backyard. We would like to share some of our favorite photos of young birds and what they will look like when they grow up.  Enjoy.

        I'm youth, I'm joy, I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg. 

 (James M. Barrie) 

       CRESTED CARACARA:  The Florida subspecies is known as "Audubon's Crested Caracara". A member of the Falcon family, they are present year round and can be found mainly inland around Lake Okeechobee.  We have seen them in open pastures and along roadsides feasting on their favorite food..."roadkill".  We love taking photos of ANY bird on a fence post, we were extremely blessed to get both the young and adult posing on posts.  The juvenile is brownish overall with a dark brown crown and has a thick bill with a pinkish or horn-colored base.

CRESTED CARACARA  (IMMATURE)

        When full grown, it becomes a striking raptor.  Adult males and females are similar in appearance. They are black overall, with a black crown and nape.  The neck and breast are white with dark barring.  The adult's bill has a blueish tip and an orange base.  Notice two things about this adult. First, the yellow spot on the breast.  This is the bird's "crop" protruding through the feathers, an indication that it just had a full meal. Second, the bands on the legs.  The band on the right leg is larger and has an antenna attached, visible near the talons of the right foot.  This is a GPS device that tracks the bird's movements.  Crested Caracaras in Florida are a federally threatened subspecies, so it's very important to know where they are.

CRESTED CARACARA  (ADULT)

           TRICOLORED HERON:  This species formerly known as the "Louisiana Heron" is a year-round resident of Florida.  It has a long neck and legs, and a very long tapered bill.  The head, neck, back and wings are blue with reddish feathers along the lower neck and back.  The belly is pure white.  The neck and throat are white streaked.  Tricolored Herons are very entertaining.  While foraging, they sometimes run around in the water with outstretched wings.  This casts a shadow on the water to help them find their food.

        The immature Tricolored Heron has more of a rusty-brown overall appearance.

TRICOLORED HERON  (IMMATURE)

        When full grown, it becomes a gorgeous wading bird.  Adult males and females are similar in appearance.  This adult is on the hunt. 

TRICOLORED HERON  (ADULT)

              Be sure to check back for part 2.....tweet.....tweet!! 

Swallowtail Butterflies in our Backyard

        We have enjoyed 89 different species of birds in our backyard since moving to Florida.  But Florida is rich in it's butterfly population as well.  We have worked hard (especially Joan) trying to make our yard as butterfly friendly as possible and the results have been very successful.
        Today we feature some of Florida's Swallowtail butterflies that have visited our backyard.  Swallowtail butterflies are colorful members of the family Papilionidae which consists of more than 550 species, including the largest butterflies on earth.  Unlike most butterflies, Swallowtails flutter their wings while feeding, making it ideal for those "open wing" photo opportunities.

        First up is the Spicebush Swallowtail.  They reside in the eastern U.S and have a wingspan of between 3 to 4 inches.  The name comes from it's host plant the Spicebush.  The Spicebush Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Mississippi.

SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL

        Next is the Zebra Swallowtail.   The distinctive black and white striped-pattern, wing shape and very long tails make the Zebra Swallowtail easy to identify.  This species is native to the eastern U.S. and has a wingspan of between 2 1/2 to 4 inches.  It uses a variety of Pawpaws as host plants.  The Zebra Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Tennessee.

ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL

        Next is the Black Swallowtail.  This species is distributed across much of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.  Slightly smaller than the Spicebush and Zebra, it's wingspan ranges from 2.7 to 3.3 inches.  The Black Swallowtail uses a large variety of host plants.  The Black Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Oklahoma.

BLACK SWALLOWTAIL

        Last, but not least, is the Giant Swallowtail.  Widely distributed, the Giant Swallowtail can be found in North and South America.  With a wingspan of between 4 to 6.3 inches, it is the largest butterfly in the United States and Canada.  This species uses a wide variety of nectaring host plants.

GIANT SWALLOWTAIL

        Click on a photo to see it in a larger frame.  Thanks for tuning in....tweet.....tweet!!

Birds of a Feather - Bird Together (Part Two)

        Continuing forward....our mission was to get Doug and Ann 150 birds on their Florida list.  The weather during the second half of their visit was even hotter and drier than the first, it was a brutal April in Florida this year.

        We enjoyed a beach and birding day at Fort De Soto Park in St. Petersburg.  This park has some of the best beaches in the world, not to mention it is the #23 birding hotspot in the United States.  The Celery Fields in Sarasota offered up great views of Limpkins, a Least Bittern and a Sora.  The Venice Rookery allows birders close-up photo opportunities of nesting egrets and herons.  We scored many shorebirds and waders on visits to Siesta and Longboat Keys.

        Storms along the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration produce a phenomenon known as a "fallout".  That is when migrating birds become grounded by rain and unfavorable winds.  In all, Doug and Ann ended up with 145 species, including 75 "life birds".  They would have easily made it to 150 had there been a single storm.  Here are some photos of the second half of their visit.  We had a fantastic time, we can't wait to do it again.....tweet.....tweet!!

Ann & Doug
Holding their Cardinal level certificates (50 species = level 1)
from the Great Florida Birding Trail.  They fell five short
of reaching level 2 (150 species = level 2)

Swallow-Tailed Kites
(Winchester Blvd. Ponds, Englewood FL)

Least Bittern
(The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

Green Heron
(The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

Prairie Warbler (Male)
(Felts Preserve, Palmetto FL)

Mute Swan
(Longboat Key FL, near Sarasota)

Limpkin
(The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

SORA
(The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

Loggerhead Shrikes (Juveniles)
They are just way too cute.
(The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

Indigo Bunting (Male)
(Felts Preserve, Palmetto FL)

Anhinga chicks on the nest.
(Venice Rookery, Venice FL)

Birds of a Feather - Bird Together (Part One)

        On April 1st, my brother Doug and his wife Ann came to visit us in Englewood.  The four of us set out on what seemed like a non-stop birding trip.  We did manage to take a few days off to rest and to get out of the intense heat of a hot Florida spring.  Our goal was to find 150 species during their visit.  April is the most active part of spring migration, 150 should be easily reached.

        We traveled across the state to Palm Beach County on April 4th, hoping to see American Flamingos.  Along the way we spotted a Crested Caracara in Glades County.  We stopped for a picnic lunch in Clewiston, located along the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee in Hendry County.  We arrived at STA-2 (Storm Water Treatment Area) and joined a large group of birders.  After a long and successful day of birding, we scored 63 total species including six Flamingos.  Other highlights were American White Pelicans, American Avocets, Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Snail Kites and Peregrine Falcons. 

         Between April 1st and April 9th, we took Doug and Ann to some of our favorite local hotspots.  We visited several locations in Cape Coral, Pinecraft Park and Lake Osprey in Sarasota, Laurel Landfill in Nokomis, the Punta Gorda Airport and Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area.  In all, during the first nine days of their visit, Doug and Ann spotted 111 different species, including 52 new life birds.  Enjoy some of the photos from the first half of their visit.....stay tuned for part two.....tweet....tweet!!

Doug <-------> Dan, The Birding Brothers.  
(Taken 4/1/15, Blind Pass Beach, Englewood FL)

Purple Gallinule walking across lily pads.
(Taken 4/2/15, Lake Osprey, Sarasota FL)

Joan with Ann, Doug and Peanut
(Taken 4/4/15, southern tip of Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston FL)

American Flamingos, at least 500 yards away.
(Taken 4/4/15, STA-2 Palm Beach County FL)

With a group of birders at STA-2.
(Taken 4/4/15)

Red-Headed Woodpecker
A new Charlotte County bird for us, a life bird for Doug and Ann.
(Taken 4/5/15, Tippecanoe Mitigation Park, Port Charlotte FL.)

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
(Spotted by Doug)
(Taken 4/9/15, Babcock-Webb WMA, near Punta Gorda FL)

Burrowing Owl
(Taken 4/9/15, Cape Coral FL)

   

Whimbrel (Life Bird #264)

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Whimbrel.  Over the past several winters, Whimbrels have been reported from Fort Myers to Clearwater and many places in between, including right here on Lemon Bay, in Englewood.  We tried several times to find one, but we dipped (failed to find our target bird).  Last Wednesday, we ventured north to Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County and there it was. 

        Whimbrels are large shorebirds with long, down-curved bills.  They have a distinct head pattern, with dark-and-light alternating stripes.  The rest of the plumage is plain mottled-brown overall and does not change seasonally.  The bill is solid black in summer and has a pinkish or reddish base during winter.  The average Whimbrel is 17 inches long (tip of bill to tip of tail), weighs slightly less than a pound and has a wingspan of 33 inches.

        Whimbrels are the most widespread of migrating shorebirds, nesting in the Arctic across North America and Eurasia, they winter on the shorelines of six continents.  Some Whimbrels make nonstop flights of 2,500 miles.  Enjoy some of our Whimbrel photos, our most recent life bird.....tweet.....tweet!!

Up close and personal.

Wading with a smaller Willet and a larger Marbled Godwit.
(Taken 3/11/15, Fort De Soto Park, St. Petersburgh FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whimbrel/id


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whimbrel

Turkey Vulture

       Today's featured feathered friend is the Turkey Vulture.  The most abundant vulture species of the Americas.  They can be seen as far north as southern Canada in breeding season, to the southern most parts of South America. 

        It appears to be a large black bird with white trailing edges on it's wings.  In reality it is brown with silvery flight feathers.  It has a featherless reddish head with a pale bill and pinkish legs.  There are five subspecies, each differing in size.  Birds in northern areas are larger than those in the south.  The average Turkey Vulture is 28 inches in length, weighs around 3 1/2 pounds and has a wingspan of about 5 1/2 feet.  Males and females are identical in appearance.  Like most raptors, the female is (slightly) larger than the male.  Juveniles are similar to adults but have a darker plumage with a gray head and dark bill.

        Turkey Vultures are interesting to watch in flight.  They hold their wings in a distinctive "V" pattern making them pretty easy to identify.  They circle overhead gliding on rising thermals "wobbling" from side to side like an unbalanced wheel.  

        Click on the links below for more information and enjoy some of our favorite photos of the Turkey Vulture.....tweet.....tweet!!

Turkey Vulture
(Taken 11/6/13, The Celery Fields, Sarasota)

Soaring over our backyard.
(Taken 12/20/13)

Perched on a fensepost.
(Taken 12/27/12, Clay Gully Road, Manatee County FL)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/turkey_vulture/ID

                                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_vulture