Reddish Egret

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Reddish Egret, the rarest of North America's herons.  An active wader, it stalks it's prey in shallow water by frequently running.  Then, when in position to spear a fish, it uses the shadow of its wings to reduce glare on the water.  This spirited technique results in a fascinating dance.  We have witnessed the "Dance of the Reddish Egret", many times.  To view a video, click here ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IpLxr9dRVM .

        Reddish Egrets are year-round residents of the Gulf Coast states, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of Mexico.  They are long-legged, long-necked herons with shaggy reddish-brown heads and necks.  Their bodies and wings are grayish-blue and they have dark legs.  Males and females are similar in appearance, although males are slightly larger.  Adults have a distinctive pinkish bill with a black tip.  In breeding plumage the facial skin becomes bright blue and the pink bill becomes almost fluorescent.  Reddish Egrets are around 30 inches in length, weigh nearly 2 pounds and have a wingspan of about 4 feet.  An all-white version (white morph) can also be found, but they are very rare.  It too has the distinctive pink bill. 

        Reddish Egrets were hunted for their plumes in the past, which is now illegal.  It is estimated that there are only 2000 nesting pairs remaining in the U.S.   Their conservation status is Near Threatened.  Enjoy these photos of the entertaining Reddish Egret.....tweet.....tweet!!


(Taken 3/20/13, Bunche Beach, San Carlos Bay, Ft. Myers FL)

(Taken 8/1/13, Ft. Desoto Park, Tierra Verde FL)
(Pinellas County, near St. Petersburg FL)

 

(Taken 1/27/13, J. N. Ding Darling National
Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island FL)

 

(Taken 8/1/13, Ft. Desoto Park, Tierra Verde FL)
(Pinellas County, near St. Petersburg FL)



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

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

Great Blue Heron

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Great Blue Heron.  It is the largest Heron in North America and a year-round resident across most of the United States.  East of the Rocky Mountains in the northern parts of their range, they migrate south for the winter. 

        Great Blue Herons are very large, big-bodied, long-necked wading birds with massive long deep-based bills.  The average standing height is 4 1/2 feet, the average length (tip of bill to tip of tail) is 4 feet and the average wingspan is 6 feet.  Despite it's size, it's average weight is only around 5 pounds.  Males and females are similar in appearance.  They are mostly grayish overall with an orangish bill and blue facial skin and dark legs.  The head is white with a wide black crown-stripe leading to short black plumes at the back of the head.

        A subspecies known as the Great "White" Heron can be found only in south Florida and some parts of the Caribbean.  Like the name implies, it's plumage is all white.  It is similar in appearance to the Great Egret, however, it is larger and has dull yellow legs and feet, while the Great Egret has black legs and feet.  We were blessed to find one on our 2010 visit to Key West.  Click on the links for more information and enjoy these photos of the stately Great Blue Heron.....tweet.....tweet!!



Great Blue Heron
(Taken 11/8/12, D.J. Wilcox Preserve, Ft. Pierce FL)

Mating Display
(Taken 2/2/12, The Rookery, Venice FL)

Adult with chicks on the nest
(Taken 2/2/12, The Rookery, Venice FL)

(Taken 3/4/13, Siesta Key, near Sarasota FL)

 

Great White Heron
(Great Blue Heron, White Morph)
(Taken 9/21/10, Key West FL)

 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory

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

Great Egret

     Today's featured feathered friend is the Great Egret.  This large wader can be found near freshwater or saltwater habitats all across the United States.  Great Egrets are tall, long-legged wading birds with long S-curved necks and long dagger-like bills. In flight, the neck is retracted (tucked in) and the legs extend far beyond the tip of their short tail.

        Great Egrets stand nearly 3 1/2 feet tall, measure slightly more than  three feet in length,  weigh around three pounds, with a wingspan of about six feet.  Males and females are similar in appearance.  Their plumage is all white and they can be distinguished from other white egrets by a yellow bill, black legs and black feet.  In breeding plumage the bill may become darker, the lower legs lighter, the facial skin is green, and ornamental feathers (plumes) are displayed on the back.

         By the early 20th century the Great Egret was driven to near extinction in North America.  They were killed by hunters for their plumes used in the fashion industry, until it was banned around 1910.  The National Audubon Society was founded to protect birds from being killed for their feathers.  The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, one of the oldest environmental organizations in North America.

        Enjoy these photos  of the elegant Great Egret.....tweet.....tweet!!

Displaying the long S-shaped neck.
(Taken 6/12/13, The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

 

In breeding plumage with green facial skin and darker bill.
(Taken 2/14/12, Beach Road, Englewood FL)

 

Adult with chicks (note the plumes on the adult).
(Taken 5/10/12, The Rookery, Venice FL)

 

In flight with neck retracted, carrying a fish.
(Taken 12/19/12, Myakka River State Park, near Sarasota FL)

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

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

Osprey

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Osprey.  The Osprey is the second most widely distributed raptor species on earth, behind the Peregrine Falcon.  They are found in temperate and tropical regions of every continent except Antarctica.  It is sometimes referred to as a sea hawk, a fish hawk or a fish eagle.  The Osprey is the provincial bird of Nova Scotia, Canada.

        Ospreys are long-winged hawks with short slender bodies.  They are dark brown above and white below.  Ospreys have small white heads with a broad brown eye stripe.  Their yellow eyes are large and piercing.  Their narrow wings are mostly white with a prominent dark patch at the wrists.  They average between 21 and 24 inches in length, between four and six pounds in weight and their wingspan averages between five and six feet.  In breeding pairs, females are visibly larger than males.  Juveniles have white spots on the back and buffy shading on the breast with reddish-orange eyes.

        The Osprey's diet is almost exclusively live fish and they are very skilled anglers.  They can spot a fish from heights of over 100 feet above the surface of the water.  Once they have selected a target, they will hover for a moment and then dive feet first into the water to snatch the fish.  They are not fussy eaters and will take any fish, usually between 10 and 14 inches long and weighing less than 12 ounces.

        Click on the links below to learn more about this fascinating raptor and enjoy these photo of the Osprey.....tweet.....tweet!!


Posing in a tree.
(Taken 6/30/12, Sports Complex, Englewood FL)

Adults at the nest. (male left, female on right)
(Taken 2/27/13, Oyster Creek Regional Park, Englewood FL)

 

Juveniles on the nest.
(Taken 4/24/12, Sanibel Island FL)

 

Up close and personal
(Taken 1/2/13, Parrish Park, Titusville FL)

Flying away with it's catch.
(Taken 1/1/13, The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)



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

 

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

Loggerhead Shrike

     Today's featured feathered friend is the Loggerhead Shrike.  Although they lack the size, strong feet and talons of a raptor, this striking songbird has a raptor-like attitude.  They capture and consume lizards, mice and smaller birds as a part of their diet.  They impale their prey on thorns or barbed-wire fences, ripping them apart with their thick, hooked bill. 

     Loggerhead Shrikes are 9 inches in length with a 13 inch wingspan, weighing only 1.5 ounces.  They have gray heads and backs,  white underparts, with black wings and tails.  They have a white patch on each wing and their outer tail feathers are white.   A black face mask gives them a distinctive "bandit" look.  Adult females are slightly darker than males.  Juveniles are similar to adults but are a paler gray.  Their coloring is similar to that of the Northern Mockingbird and the Northern Shrike.

     Of the 31 Shrike species worldwide, the Loggerhead is the only one endemic to North America, meaning, they can't be found anywhere else on earth.  Enjoy these photos of the feisty Loggerhead Shrike.....tweet.....tweet!! 

 

(Taken 2/10/13, Ft. Desoto Park, St. Petersburg FL)

 

(Taken 5/1/13, The Celery Fields, Sarasota FL)

 

(Taken 11/8/12, Bluefield Ranch Natural Area, St. Lucie County FL)

 

 

(Taken 12/13/12, Laurel FL)

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

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

Great Crested Flycatcher

     Today's featured feathered friend is the Great Crested Flycatcher.  It is among the most abundant of the flycatcher species, which includes Pewees, Phoebes and Kingbirds.

     Males and females are similar in appearance.  This medium-sized flycatcher has a slim body, a large head with a big bushy crest and a large bill.  It has warm brown upperparts, a gray lower face, throat, and upper breast with a bright yellow belly.  They measure about eight inches in length, weigh almost 1.5 ounces and have a wingspan of around 13 inches.  They also have two narrow white wing bars on each wing.

     Like most flycatchers, their diet is predominantly insects, but they also eat fruits and berries.  They usually hunt at tree top levels (the canopy).  They will perch on a limb, fly out to catch an insect in mid-air and then return to the same perch.  They are rarely found on the ground.

     On it's summer range, they can be seen from the east coast to the Rocky Mountains and in the southern parts of several Canadian provinces.  In the winter, they migrate south to Mexico, Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean and the northernmost parts of South America.

     Enjoy these photos of the Great Crested Flycatcher.....tweet.....tweet!!  

 

Great Crested Flycatcher
(Taken 4/19/13, Coquina Baywalk at Leffis Key Preserve)\
(Anna Maria Island FL)

 

Great Crested Flycatcher
(Taken 3/21/12, in our neighborhood)

 

Great Crested Flycatcher
(4/28/13, Our Backyard)

 

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

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

Carolina Wren - A Little Bird with A Big Voice

     Today's featured feathered friend is the Carolina Wren, the state bird of South Carolina.  They are heard in our backyard almost every day, but they are rarely seen.  This shy bird is only 5/1/2 inches in length and weighs just over half an ounce.  What it lacks in size, it makes up for in voice, delivering an amazing number of decibels.  It's loud, teakettle-teakettle-teakettle call, can be heard all across the eastern half of the United States.  Although females also vocalize, only the male sings the loud song.

     Carolina Wrens are small, chunky birds with a round body and a long tail that is often cocked upward.  They are bright reddish-brown above and warm buffy-orange below.  They have a long white eyebrow stripe, a white chin and throat, with a long, slender, down-curved bill.  Males and females are similar in appearance. 

     Carolina Wrens do not migrate.  As a result, their numbers decline dramatically during severe winters.  However, they are prolific breeders and with as many as three broods per year, their numbers return to normal levels rather quickly.
     Enjoy these photos, all taken in our backyard.....tweet.....tweet!!

  

 

 

 

 

 

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

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