Roseate Spoonbill

     We visited Indian Mound Park early this afternoon.  Situated on Lemon Bay here in Englewood,  it's a featured stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail.  We visit here several times a month to see wading birds and dolphins.  It was low tide, so we saw lots of shorebirds.  There were Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Cormorants, Pelicans and White Ibises.  We saw some Laughing Gulls foraging with "peeps".  Peeps is a birder term used to describe any number of small shorebirds that forage in mixed flocks.  There were Willets, Least Sandpipers, Black-Bellied Plovers and Sanderlings.  However, the bird that caught our attention today was a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill.  They're called Spoonbills because of their color and their long, flat, spoon-shaped bill.  

     The Roseate Spoonbill and the American Flamingo are pink birds, the similarity ends there.  The Roseate Spoonbill is much smaller and more abundant than the Flamingo.  Scientists believe that the pink coloration is due to their diet of carotenoid-rich organisms like shrimp.  Roseate Spoonbills are resident breeders in South America and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and the Gulf Coast of the U.S.

     Males and females are similar in appearance.  Adults have a bald head, a red eye, and are pink with crimson markings on the their wings.  They have a white neck, back and breast.  Second year Spoonbills are like adults, but they are half bald with little or no crimson on their wings.  Immature birds (first year) have feathered white heads, white necks and bodies, with a pale pink wash over their wings and bellies.  Based on our field guide we believe today's Spoonbill to be a first year bird.  Enjoy these photos of the stunning Roseate Spoonbill.....tweet.....tweet!! 

Roseate Spoonbill
(Taken 10/4/12, Englewood FL)

Roseate Spoonbill
(Taken 10/4/12, Englewood FL)

 

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

http://floridabirdingtrail.com/index.php/trip/trail/Indian_Mound_Park/

White Ibis

     This evening at dusk, we witnessed a flyover by two groups of 15-20 White Ibises.  This is a nightly occurrence over our backyard.  We've also seen evening flyovers by Wood Storks and Great Egrets.

    The White Ibis is most common in Florida.  They can also be found throughout the Caribbean, on both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and as far south as Columbia and Venezuela. The non-breeding range extends further inland, reaching north to Virginia and west to eastern Texas.

     The White Ibis is a medium-sized wading bird with white plumage, a red-orange down-curved bill and long red-orange legs.  Their black wing tips are usually only visible in flight.  During breeding, their bills and legs become bright red.  Males and females are similar in appearance except, males are larger and have longer bills.  Juveniles appear brown and only the rump, underwing and underparts are white.  They attain their adult plumage, size, and weight by the end of their second year.  Enjoy these photos of the White Ibis.....tweet.....tweet!!



White Ibis
(Taken 5/4/12, Englewood FL)

White Ibis (Immature)
(Taken 7/10/12, Gasparilla Island FL)

  

White Ibis
(Breeding Plumage)
(Taken 6/23/11, Gasparilla Island FL)

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

Muscovy Ducks

     We traveled south to Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda this afternoon.  We passed by many ponds and saw lots of wading birds.  We saw Great Blues, Little Blues and Tricolored Herons  We saw a juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.  We also saw many Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets and Snowy Egrets.  We saw lots of White Ibis and Mottled Ducks.  Today, our featured feathered friend is the Muscovy Duck.  We saw a hen (female) with 14 chicks in Port Charlotte, and a hen with 8 chicks in Punta Gorda.

     Wild Muscovy Ducks are native to Mexico, Central and South America, but in the U.S., they can only be found in the southern tip of Texas.  Feral or domestic Muscovies can be found all across America.  They are abundant in Florida, particularly in residential parks.  Domestic Muscovies can transmit disease to wild waterfowl and they are prolific breeders.  If unchecked, local populations can increase dramatically in a short time.  They are considered pests or nuisances in many areas.   

    Muscovies are large ducks, with the males weighing up to 15 pounds. Females are considerably smaller, less than half the males' size.  They are predominantly black and white, with the back feathers being iridescent and glossy in males, while the females are more drab. The amount of white on the neck and head is variable.  Their bill can be yellow, pink, black, or any mixture of these.  They may have white patches or bars on the wings, which become more noticeable during flight.  Both sexes have pink or red wattles around the bill, those of the male being larger and more brightly colored.  Despite all the negative publicity they generate here in Florida, the chicks are so cute, so enjoy these photos taken on today's outing.....tweet.....tweet.

Muscovy Ducks
(Mom with 14 chicks)
(Taken 10/2/12, Port Charlotte FL)



Muscovy Ducks
(Mom with 8 chicks, one hidden)
(Taken 10/2/12, Punta Gorda FL)

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

    

House Sparrow

     Welcome to October!  The temperatures will be dropping soon, which will make our outings much more pleasant.  This morning our regular visitors were in the backyard.  We also had a visit from several House Sparrows.  

     House Sparrows are European natives.  Their intentional or accidental introductions to Australia, Africa and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird on earth.  The first of many successful introductions to North America occurred when birds from England were released in New York City in 1852.  They are "old world" sparrows and are not at all related to North American Sparrows.  

     The male House Sparrow has a black bill, a black "bib" on his throat and a gray crown.  His back and wings are streaked with rich browns.  The female has a brown crown with a buffy eyebrow, a thin dark eyeline and a pale bill.  Her wings and back are similar to the male but, more subdued.  Enjoy today's photos of the House Sparrow.....tweet.....tweet!!

House Sparrow (Male)
(Taken 1/10/12, Our Backyard)

 

House Sparrow (Female)
(Taken 12/15/11, Our Backyard)

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

Bald Eagle

     We made a visit to Casa De Meadows again today.  Joan spotted something along the shoreline of the pond.  She described what she saw as something as big as a  brown Bear Cub.  She hopped out of the car to get a closer look when it took flight, it was a Bald Eagle.  It flew across the pond to the opposite side of the development.  We drove over to that side and spotted the Eagle perched on a limb in a pine tree.  We both hopped out and started taking photos and videos.  The Eagle stared at us for about 30 seconds then, flew back to the other side.  While in flight, the Eagle was met in mid-air by another Eagle, and together they flew out of sight.  What a treat, if only for a moment.

     Today's Eagle photo shows what we believe to be a "third year" bird, based on our field guide.  It still has streaky brown feathers on its head and dark tips on its tail.  It also has spotty white feathers on its breast and wings.  We also believe that this particular Eagle is a female.  Female Bald Eagles can be up to 25 percent larger than males.  This bird is about twice as far away as an Eagle we spotted in July yet, it's much larger.  Enjoy these Bald Eagle photos.....tweet.....tweet!!  

Bald Eagle
(Taken 9/30/12, Englewood FL)



Bald Eagle
(Taken 7/22/12, Port Charlotte FL)


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

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Prairie Warbler

     We made a quick visit to Cedar Point Environmental Park today.  We've had great success here over the past few weeks.  We saw a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, a Red-Eyed Vireo and two Blue Jays.  Next, we drove over to one of our favorite birding spots in Englewood, Casa De Meadows.  It's a very nice community with a beautiful large pond, located off of San Casa Road.  We've seen an incredible assortment of birds here over the past year.  They include:

Herons:  Great Blue, Little Blue, Green, Tricolored.  Egrets:  Great and Snowy. 
White Ibis, Wood Storks, Anhingas, Double-Crested Cormorants, Gulls,
Ospreys, Hawks, Pied-Billed Grebes, Mottled Ducks, Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, Belted Kingfishers, Common Gallinules, American Coots,
Spotted and Least Sandpipers, Killdeers, Red-Winged Blackbirds,
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Boat-Tailed Grackles, Eastern Phoebes,
Warblers:  Palm, Prairie, Yellow-Throated.  Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Mockingbirds

     Our featured feathered friend today is the Prairie Warbler.  They are a small warbler (4 3/4 inches) with a yellow face and underparts, a black eyeline and a yellow crescent under the eye.  They have black streaks on their flanks and a dark spot on the side of their neck.  Males and females are similar except, the female is more subdued with less streaking on her flanks.  Prairie Warblers are full-time Florida residents yet, we rarely see them.  What a nice treat today!  Gotta love warblers.....tweet.....tweet!!  

Prairie Warbler
(Taken 9/29/12, Englewood FL)

 

Prairie Warbler
(Taken 10/11/11, Our Backyard)

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