Eastern Meadowlark

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Eastern Meadowlark.  This dapper looking bird can be seen and heard year round.  They sing from fence posts, meadows and prairies throughout the eastern half of North America.  They can also be seen year round throughout the Caribbean and Central America, as well as in parts of Mexico and northern South America.  Their summer breeding range extends into southern Ontario and Quebec.

        Males and females are similar in appearance.  They have bright yellow underparts with a bold black "V" on the breast.  They have white flanks with black streaking.  Their heads, backs and wings are brown with black streaking.  They have deep-based, long, sharply pointed bills.  Juveniles are similar to adults but more subdued and lack the black V on the breast.  The male is 9 1/2 inches long, weighs around 5 ounces and has a wingspan of 15 inches.  The female is slightly smaller in all of these areas.

        Meadowlarks are part of the "Blackbird" family which also includes Orioles, Bobolinks, Cowbirds and Grackles.  Click here -----> http://youtu.be/bsFtOHWp4NE  to see a short video of an Eastern Meadowlark singing.  Enjoy some of our favorite photos of the beautiful Eastern Meadowlark.....tweet.....tweet!!

 

Eastern Meadowlark
(Taken 12/13/12, Clay Gully Road, Myakka City FL)

Eastern Meadowlark
(Taken 4/5/13, Clay Gully Road, Myakka City FL)

Eastern Meadowlark
(Taken 1/5/14, Prairie Creek Preserve, Charlotte Co. FL)

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

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

Little Blue Heron

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Little Blue Heron.  This medium-sized heron of the southeastern United States, can also be found throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and in parts of Mexico and South America.  

        The Little Blue Heron is roughly half the size and one-sixth the mass of the Great Blue Heron.  They are 24 inches long, weigh about 12 ounces, with a wingspan of around 40 inches.  Adult males and females are similar in appearance; dark bluish-gray bodies with maroon heads and necks, gray facial skin with greenish-yellow legs and feet.  Their bills are deep-based, slightly downcurved, bluish-gray at the base with a dark tip.  In breeding plumage the facial skin and the base of the bill turns to a stunning "cobalt" blue, while the legs turn dark.  Juvenile Little Blues are all white and can easily be misidentified as a Snowy Egret.  Juveniles have a dark tipped, pale gray bill, with greenish-yellow legs and feet.  As they age, bluish-gray feathers begin to molt into their white plumage creating a splotchy appearance.

        Enjoy some of our favorite photos of the gorgeous Little Blue Heron.....tweet.....tweet!!

Little Blue Heron
(Taken 2/1/14, Bunche Beach, San Carlos Bay, Ft. Myers FL)

                                                     

Little Blue Heron (In Breeding Plumage)
(Taken 3/29/13, Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland FL)

Juvenile Little Blue Heron (all white plumage)
(Taken 11/10/13, Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin FL)

Juvenile Little Blue Heron (adult feathers coming in)
(Taken 5/4/12, Casa De Meadows pond, Englewood FL)

Little Blue Heron
(Taken 2/1/14, Bunche Beach, San Carlos Bay, Ft. Myers FL)

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

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

Vermilion Flycatcher - Our newest life bird.

        Today's featured feathered friend is the Vermilion Flycatcher, the most striking member of the flycatcher family.  In the United States, this "rare" Florida visitor can be found in the southwest, from Texas to Southern California.  They can also be found throughout Mexico and Central America, and many parts of South America.  A male has been wintering at the Orlando Wetlands Park for the past several winters.  We had a tip that he was seen there, so we ventured out on a 500-mile overnight trip to find him.   

        The male Vermilion Flycatcher has a brilliant red or red-orange head and underparts, with a dark brown back, wings and tail.  A dark eye line connects his short black bill to his nape.  The female is brownish-gray above, whitish with fine brown streaking below, and her belly, flanks and undertail coverts have a pinkish-red wash.

        We were blessed to come across three other birders who were getting good looks at him through their scopes, otherwise we may have missed him.  He was perched in a stand of small Cypress trees in an impoundment pond.  Like most flycatchers he would leave his perch, catch an insect in mid-air and return to the same perch.  The Vermilion Flycatcher becomes our 219th life bird (215th Florida bird).  These are our best photos, at a distance of over 100 yards.  Happy birding.....tweet.....tweet!!





Vermilion Flycatcher (Male)
(Taken 2/6/14, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas FL)



Vermilion Flycatcher (Male)
(Taken 2/6/14, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas FL)

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




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

Our 2nd New Bird of 2014, The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

        Today's featured feather friend is the Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher.  We spotted the bird along County Route 835 in Hendry County after a six-hour outing at STA-5 (Storm Water Treatment Area), south of Clewiston.  A rare visitor to Florida, their normal range is the central plains states and Texas.  They migrate through Mexico to winter in Central America. 

        The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher is a slender Kingbird with a very long, stiff and forked tail.  Adults are similar in appearance with pale gray heads, white underparts, salmon-pink flanks and dark gray wings.  Their distinctive long, forked tail is black on top and white on the bottom.  Males have longer tails than females, while juveniles are duller in color with shorter tails.  These birds are up to 14.5 inches in length with the tail making up over half their length.

        The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma.  Click on the links below for more information about this beautiful bird and enjoy these photos of the Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher, Life bird #216 and Florida bird #212 for us.....tweet.....tweet!!

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
(Taken 1/18/14, Hendry County Florida)

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher
(Taken 1/18/14, Hendry County Florida)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/scissor-tailed_flycatcher/id

                               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher

Our First New Life Bird of 2014, The Eurasian Wigeon

         An eventful ending to 2013 came when Cedar Waxwings showed up in our backyard on December 31st, giving us an even 200 species for the year.  The first bird seen in 2014 by Joan was a stunning male Painted Bunting, while Dan's first bird seen was a sweet Carolina Wren.

        Our first outing of the year came on January 2nd.  Acting on a tip (a "rare bird" alert), we drove south to Cape Coral in Lee County and found a male Eurasian Wigeon.  He was swimming in a pond with other ducks, exactly where he was reported to be.  It sure would be neat if that happened more often.  He is our first new "life bird" of 2014.  Click on this link to see a short video of him swimming with the other ducks -----> http://youtu.be/nWglBqGxD9A  

        The Eurasian Wigeon is a medium-sized duck from Europe and Asia, hence the name.  They are rare visitors to the United States.  When they appear in the U.S., it is usually along either coastline, however, individual birds have appeared in nearly every state.  Eurasian Wigeons are around 19 inches in length, weigh about 1.5 pounds and have a wingspan of close to 30 inches.  Males have a reddish-brown head with a buffy forehead.  Their bill (male and female) is pale bluish-gray with a small dark tip.  He has a pale gray back and flanks, a white hip patch and a pinkish breast.  The female has a warm-brown to grayish-brown head, breast and flanks, with a reddish-brown back.  Juveniles are similar to adult females, but duller.

        This year is off to a great start.  Enjoy these photos of our newest feathered friend and our 215th life bird, the Eurasian Wigeon.....tweet.....tweet!!

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

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

Tricolored Heron

        Today's featured feather friend is the Tricolored Heron.  Most of the "birders" we know simply refer to it as the "Tri".  It was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron and is a year round Florida resident.  It is also found in coastal areas of the eastern United States and Mexico, throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and in parts of northern South America.

        The Tri is a beautifully colored, medium-sized, slender, long-necked, long-legged and long-billed Heron.  It measures about 26 inches in length, weighs just under a pound and has a wingspan of around 38 inches.  Males and females are similar in appearance.  Adults have a slate blue head, neck, back and wings with reddish tones on the neck and back.  The breast and belly are snowy white with white streaking on the throat and neck.  In breeding plumage it's yellow bill turns cobalt blue, it grows purplish plumes on it's back and white plumes on the back of it's crown.  Juveniles are similar to adults, but with brownish necks.

        While hunting in shallow water, the Tri often runs with wings spread, head held low to the water, ready to stab with it's dagger-like bill.  This foraging technique (dancing) is very entertaining.  On a recent visit to Fort Desoto County Park we took several videos.  Watch the dance of the Tricolored Heron by clicking here ------> http://youtu.be/BUS9DZueMZ4  and enjoy some of our favorite photos of the gorgeous Tricolored Heron.....tweet.....tweet!!

Tricolored Heron (Adult)
(Taken 11/9/13, Sports Complex, Englewood FL)

 

Tricolored Heron (Adult)
(Taken 12/26/13, Ft. Desoto Park, St. Petersburg FL)

 

Tricolored Heron (Juvenile)
(Taken 9/8/13, Sports Complex, Englewood FL)

 

Foraging in shallow water
(Taken 11/9/13, Sports Complex, Englewood FL)



Ready to strike.....
(Taken 12/26/13, Fort Desoto Park, St. Petersburg FL)

.....Gotcha !!
(Taken 12/26/13, Ft. Desoto Park, St. Petersburg FL)

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

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

   

 

            

White-Winged Dove

        Today's featured feathered friend is the White-Winged Dove.  In the United States it is most common in Arizona, but has expanded it's range to include the southeastern states.  It is also native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

        These birds have a distinctive broad white streak at the edge of their folded wings, hence the name, "White-Winged Dove".  They are brownish overall with a dark line on the cheek, a reddish-orange eye surrounded by blue skin.  Males and females are similar in appearance.  Juveniles are similar to adults but are grayish with a dark eye.  They are about 12 inches in length, weigh around 7 ounces and have a wingspan of 20 inches.  Enjoy these photos of the White-Winged Dove, taken in our backyard.....tweet.....tweet!!

Taken 12/16/13

 

Taken 11/15/11

 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-winged_dove/id

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-winged_Dove