Day 60: February 29 – Buschman Park, Port Orange

Sunny, 80’s, winds out of the south

       We continued to check out new territory for the year today with a trip north to Port Orange and Buschman Park.  It is a small but beautiful park consisting of 30 acres surrounding a small lake.  The three quarters of a mile walk and trails around the lake are heavily used by the canine crowd, and the number of shorebirds present seems to have declined.  Still, we did manage to find a Great blue heron, a Little blue, and Tri-color, and a Great egret.   The Little blue was most anxious to be a subject for us and actually walked along the rail of the boardwalk towards us as we aimed out cameras at the bird.  When ready to shoot, the heron held a very nice pose in quite good lighting.

       The reason we came here today, however, was in search of the leading front of the migrating warblers.  In late February and early March, the Northern parulas begin to make an appearance.  The first wave is probably that of those birds which will remain here in the south and they may well be on the nest by the time their more northerly cousins come migrating through.  We were not disappointed this morning as we heard quite a number of the upward buzzy songs being sung throughout the park.  We finally managed to get one brave individual down from the canopy to see what we were up to.  The first good shot at a parula has to be in the running for the “shot-of-the-day”.

Northern parula

       We did have a little flurry of activity as we eventually left the park as well.  Near the parking lot, we had Yellow-rumps, a few Mourning doves, a Tri-colored heron, and a nice (albeit distant) Pileated woodpecker.  One last shot before we bid Buschman adieu, and then it was off to visit several more Daytona “hot-spots”.  We will revisit those areas later and relate our findings to you then.

       An update regarding our Urban eagles.  One adult bird was on the nest today while the two juvenile birds were perched nearby.  There is still no evidence we can see that they have fledged, but they seem to be moving further and further away from the nest.  First flight can’t be too far off!

Our New Smyrna Beach "Urban eagles"

Day 59: February 28th – Indian River Lagoon

68 degrees, overcast, and calm

       What is supposed to be a sunny warm day has not begun that way.  So far, it is another is a series of dreary humid and cool mornings on which to hold our weekly walks through the Indian River Lagoon Preserve.  A good crowd showed up this morning with over 20 folks interested in seeing what the park has to offer this morning.  It is surprising that out of all of these people, none are repeaters.  Will we have anything new to offer them today?

  

       Our leader Don and I split the group into two to allow for more access to the scopes down at the water’s edge.  My group spent the first 45 minutes checking out the river and was excited to find a dolphin feeding not far from the dock.  As he works the water, he is followed by a group of three Brown pelicans waiting to see what the big guy stirs up.  When the dolphin disappears, we have only to watch the pelicans and see where they fly.  When the land, you can be sure that the dolphin will soon surface. 

       At one point, a Royal tern flew in to join the buffet.  As he dove down and plucked a nice fish out of the lagoon, one of the pelicans flew at him, forcing the tern to drop its prey.  The hapless tern flew away with nothing to show for its labor.

Royal tern

      When we switched areas, Don’s group moving down to the water and we to the wooded section of the park, we were greeted by a Great blue heron leisurely walking down the concrete walkway.  The bird simply seemed ridiculously out of place as it wandered across our path, paying little heed to our presence.  What seemed like a hundred Yellow-rumped warblers flitted from oak to oak.  They rarely stayed in one spot long enough for any of us to get a really decent look at the birds, but there was an occasional “butter-butt” who tarried for enough time to let us get the binoculars on it.  At the end of our 2 hour walk, we had rung up 34 species, but the most memorable sightings of the day had to be the dolphin-pelican show and the wandering heron.

Day 57: February 26 – Callilisa Creek

Low 60’s, Breezy and Light rain

       It’s Sunday morning here in New Smyrna Beach.  The Daytona 500 is this afternoon and the NBA All-star game is this evening in Orlando.  Basically, the traffic around here is going to be miserable all day, so I’ll stick around home and check out one little retention pond along Callilisa Creek 10 minutes down the road.  The weather is not conducive to having a lot of bird activity as most have hunkered down and are awaiting the front that is on its way. 

Snowy egrets feeding on the retention pond at Callilisa Creek

       In the retention pond, there is a collection of about a dozen Snowy egrets, a couple of White ibises including one juvenile in its “calico” plumage, and one Tri-color heron.  It’s interesting to watch the egrets take a couple of steps and then stir up the bottom with one foot while watching to see what happens to pop up in front of them.  There is little territorial thing going on as well.  When one egret wanders in too close to the area where another is feeding, there are “words” and a brief skirmish follows.  Then, it’s back to stirring up the bottom and feeding on whatever appears.

     The best sight of this dreary day is down by the gravel beach along Callilisa Creek.  A lone juvenile Spotted sandpiper is working his way up and down the 10 foot beach front.  When the bird reaches one end, he promptly does a 180 degree turn and starts back in the opposite direction.  Each time he has his back to me, I take another step towards him and let him make shorten the distance between us as he looks for another morsel, oblivious to my presence.  By the time he is ready to move on, I wonder if he ever really did know that I was there and only 20 feet away from him.  The bird leaves and it is time for me to do likewise.  Even on a dark dreary rainy day, there is always something to watch in the natural world, and I’ll be out each and every day of this year to see what Mother Nature has to offer.

Juvenile Spotted sandpiper (note no residual spotting on rear flanks)

Day 56: February 25 - A Chase to Merritt Island

Sunny, windy and cool with temps in the low 60’s

       Reports of a Florida rarity, the Cinnamon teal, have surfaced on the Florida rare birds network aptly named “Bird-brains”.  The bird, normally strictly a resident of the western half of the country, this bird has for some reason known only to the teal ended up sharing the waters of Merritt Island with a large number of Blue-winged teal, Pintail ducks, Northern shovelers, and White pelicans. 

       While we had pretty specific directions as to where the duck was located, it took us along with more than a dozen other birders quite a while to locate it.  Teal are  small in stature and being the one and only in a group of perhaps a thousand other larger ducks, it is easily hidden among the rest of the crowd.  Still, we eventually managed to pick it out of the crowd, get it into the field of the scopes and afford views to all hoping to see it.  Now, the downside……the bird is small, it is very distant, it is tucked in with many other ducks….in other words, no pictures of the Cinnamon will be found on this blog today unless you care to play “Where’s Waldo” and can find it in this photo.  I know I can’t.

         So, today’s photo of the day goes to a bird quite a bit larger and easier to photograph.  A hapless Coot appears to have been hit by a car and ended up on the side of the road.  Not letting this delicacy go to waste, a Turkey vulture was busy making a meal of the coot when we happened upon the scene.  It was interesting to see the vulture protecting its prize from several other TVs which we hovering nearby.  One aggressive individual actually moved in and made an attempt to liberate the coot from its rightful owner.  A short but nasty confrontation ensued with the vulture which had originally laid claim to the bounty coming away the winner.

Turkey vulture "food fight"

                 So, while not exactly a photo of a rare visitor from the west, it did make for an interesting image to record and share with our readers.

Day 55: February 24 - Back to Circle B-Bar Preserve

Sunny, very warm (88) with a mild breeze

       Back on the grounds of the Circle Bar-B Preserve in Lakeland to explore the western side of the preserve.  We found that the trail around this area is much better shaded, and that’s a welcome factor given that the temperatures today are forecast to peak out around 90 degrees.  The dike along which the trail runs is paralleled on each side by shallow sloughs, mostly covered with duckweed.  Beyond the water on the left, broad expanses of grasslands and marsh extend for perhaps a quarter of a mile.  A number of cypress trees, live oaks, and pines make for fine cover for many of the smaller birds, while tall dead snags provided perfect perches for larger species like hawks, vultures, and of all things…roseate spoonbills.

     It's quite a hike around the preserve, but rather than trying to make good time, we saunter along in a fashion that will allow us to spot most of the wildlife that is found along these dikes and impoundments.  Yesterday's hike took several hours and today's is promising more of the same.  So, on we go.

       While not quite as busy as the west or left side of the dike, the east side still provided us with some nice shows.  A juvenile Black-crowned night heron was perched about 10 feet above the water and remained so motionless as to be almost undetected until one of our number happened to scan the area with the binoculars. 

       We enjoyed watching a pair of Pied-billed grebes as they swam beneath the duckweed, leaving a trail easily visible on the surface while being completely submerged.  I simply followed the wake through the viewfinder of my Nikon and prepared to shoot when the little guy surfaced.

      Back on the other side, the sun was providing excellent lighting for shooting and the birds were more than cooperative as well.  An American bittern posed no more than 20 feet from the dike while camera shutters were ticking off like machine-gun fire.

     The spoonbills continued to fly in to the tall bare trees, and even the more elusive Limpkin made use of the snags for perching.  Occasionally, a Bald eagle would fly over and the entire assembly would burst into precautionary flight.

     The warblers were still sparse today with Parulas, Yellow-rumps, and once in a great while a Palm.  But this will change…and soon!  It will be well worth another trip in another month or so to see what this marvelous preserve can serve up for us later in the spring.

Day 54: February 23 – Circle Bar-B Preserve, Lakeland, FL

Mostly sunny, breezy and warm (Low 80’s)

       Our birding travels take us to the Circle Bar-B Preserve in Lakeland, Florida today.  We are making the trip with members of the Halifax Audubon Society with whom we have made quite a few other ventures.  In the middle of the state, the preserve is represented by oak hammock, freshwater marsh, hardwood swamp and the lakeshore habitats.  The preserve covers 1267 acres and has one of the finest assemblages of bird species in the state.

Hardwood swamplands in Circle Bar-B Preserve

     This morning, we found some of those birds that are more uncommon and difficult to find in other parts of the country.  The Purple gallinule, limpkin, Sandhill crane and Black-bellied whistling duck were all here in relative abundance.  This being the beginning of the breeding season for many of these species, we found many of the birds were courting, in breeding plumage, mating or actually already  tending to eggs on the nest. 

Snowy egret

      We had two Red-shouldered hawks calling loudly across the wetlands, and I commented that we saw the same behavior with two red-shoulders last week at Lake Woodruff.  I no sooner noted that than the male flew to the female and coupled as they had at Woodruff.  Again, I was reminded in no uncertain terms that right now is "that time of the year".

Red-shouldered hawks about to mate

       We continued around the main impoundment and had a number of songbirds darting from tree to tree….Yellow-throated warbler, my first Northern parula of the year, a Blue-gray gnatcatcher and a Blue-headed vireo.  Others in the group also spotted a Prairie warbler and Common yellowthroat.  It’s great to see that the warblers and others are making an appearance as the spring migration north begins.

       We watched as a Great blue heron hunted among the tall grasses of the marsh.  Suddenly, the bird came up with a large rodent-like mammal.  It was later determined by one of our biologist birding experts that the prey was in fact a muskrat..  I’m never too surprised to see what these birds will take as prey having watched them take other rodents, snakes, fish, frogs, and small birds.  Basically, if it moves, it’s fair game.

Great blue heron with "lunch"

      One more sign of spring was the wonderful view of a parent Sandhill crane caring for two eggs on its nest.  At first, she simply sat, brooding the eggs.  But fortunately for those of us with cameras, she rose and tended to the eggs, moving and rolling them into a new position before returning to her original posture.

  We’ll be out again tomorrow on this special preserve and will of course report back to our readers regarding our new finds.  

Day 53: February 22 -The Sugar Mill at DeLeon Springs

Partly sunny, low 70s, calm winds

DeLeon Springs State Park

       We travelled over to the town of DeLeon Springs to enjoy the breakfast at the Sugar Mill ruins at the State Park.  It’s a well known attraction where within the ruins, a restaurant has been established.  At each table, there is a griddle built right into the table where for $4.95, you get all the batter you want to make as many of your own pancakes as you can consume.  There is always a pretty long wait to get a table as you can imagine.  The upside of this is that the Old Mill Restaurant is located right along the springs which Ponce DeLeon may have visited as a potential site of the “Fountain of Youth”.  

      Such a pristine environment attracts a variety of wildlife.  There is a Eco-tour which sails down the river formed by the springs, but today we were here for the breakfast and will have to visit again to drift down the river.  The birds around the old mill today were somewhat limited, but the boat-tailed grackles were tough to ignore.  In addition to their raucous calls, chattering, and clicking, the birds sport one of the most iridescent coats of feathers in the avain world.  Catch the bird in the right light and you will be dazzled by the blues, greens, and purples literally glowing in their plumage.

       They were joined to day by the omnipresent Coots which at this time of year can be found in virtually every body of fresh water.  You can spend hours just watching their interactions with one another and (for those so inclined) waiting for a hungry Bald eagle to take advantage of the little water birds.  Today, no eagles, but rather an enjoyable peaceful hour waiting at the water’s edge for our fine repast.  Next time we visit the springs, it will be more about the birds.

     

Day 52: February 21 – Indian River Lagoon revisited

       Mid 70’s, sunny, 5 mph breeze

       It’s Tuesday with Don at the Indian River Lagoon Reserve once again.  We had a nice crowd of about 18 people today.  Some are experienced birders, some novices and some brand new to the “sport”.  Whatever the level of expertise, it’s always good to have more eyes checking out the canopy, the ground level and the lagoon.  We started with a good number of species, but it was more of the same we’ve been seeing each week……Downey woodpeckers, tons of Yellow-rumped warblers, and the Brown thrasher we’ve now seen on two consecutive weeks.

 

       We found the lagoon to be at max tide. Rarely have we found the water higher than today, and the bottom line is that this means fewer than normal birds present in these waters.  A lone Hooded merg, another solo Red-breasted merganser, a single Great blue heron and so on. 

       We do have some excellent birders with us, however.  While most of us are checking out the lagoon for any different species, Alan checks out a song he is pretty sure is the Orange-crowned warbler.  He asks me if hey are found on the preserve and I have to admit that I’ve never seen one here before.  Leader Don say that he has had one earlier this year, however. So, we walk back and check out the area where Alan says he thought he might have had the bird.  Before long, we are on the bird, and sure enough, it is a new species for the day and new bird for my “year-list”.  As Alan says, “if you can’t say for sure that is any other warbler, chances are, it may well be an Orange-crown.  The bird refuses to stay in one spot long enough to give us the “gallery shot”.  

Orange-crowned warbler

       But, it is good enough to confirm that the bird is without question the Orange-crowned warbler we were hoping for.  Another rewarding sighting just when we thought that today would be a day of the usual cast of characters.  You just never know…….

Day 51: February 20 – Lighthouse Point Park

Windy, cool (61 degrees) but sunny

       It’s a windy day and probably not the best day to go visit the jetty on the north side of Ponce Inlet, but we throw caution to the wind (so to speak) and head up Route 1.  Sharon remembered a small park just off Route 1 south of Rose’s Bay on Sleepy Hollow Road.  We pulled in and found it to be very active with those notorious LBJ’s flitting from tree to tree high in the canopy.  We did manage to get firm id’s on several Yellow-rump warblers, a Downey woodpecker, a Carolina wren and a Tufted titmouse.  The trail down to the shore of the bay is “real Florida” appearing as it was just pulled from the cover of a Florida nature magazine.

       We have to remind each other that our actual destination is the jetty across the Indian River (actually up here, it is the Halifax River).  We set out and after a short stop at BoonDocks restaurant, we arrive at the park.  It is chilly and it is windy, but the sun provides some great lighting for viewing the Red-breasted mergansers which are feeding along the shallow bottom next to the jetty.  It’s nice to get so close to these birds for a good photo.  The wind is driving the surf into some pretty rough water, but the mergs are smart enough to stay on the leeward side of the jetty and are thus protected from the chop. 

Red-breasted merganser takes flight

       The only birds in the water on the windward side of the long rock jetty are a pair of Brown pelicans.  They often get blown in close to the boulders, but then take flight and move further away to begin feeding once again.  It was interesting to note that these pelicans most often feed by plunge-diving into the surf.  These birds were feeding like their much larger white cousings which swim along gathering and straining large amounts of water in their pouched bills.

       I noticed a number of shore birds lining the water’s edge along the beach north of the jetty.  After walking closer to the birds, I found Royal and Forster’s terns side-by-side which made for a nice size comparison.

Royal tern (front left) with smaller Forster's terns

       So, in spite of the weather conditions not being the most appropriate for a walk on the pier, we made the most of it and Mother Nature did not disappoint us. 

Day 50: February 19 – The Great Back-yard Bird Count

Mostly sunny skies, warm and calm

     Every year, the Ornithology Lab at Cornell University conducts the Great Back Yard Bird Count.  People from all over the country are asked to go out for any time over the course of a three day period and find, name and count all the species they can find in their own “back yard”.  Well, during this time of year, my back yard happens to be the Atlantic Ocean.

Our "Back Yard" 

         Pretty nice digs in which to conduct a birding survey, so how could I pass this up?  I decided to spend a couple of hours this morning walking around our condominium property and see what was to be found.  Sometimes, there is just so much more than you “see” on a day-to-day basis.  This morning, I was really looking and counting and the birds were very obliging. 

     I had a feeling that this would be a pretty nice count when I started by walking by the condo swimming pool and found two Palm warblers on the deck.  No swimmers had made it down yet, so the birds had the place to themselves.  I shot a couple of images off and then headed down to the beach.  

       The waterfront was alive with walkers and waders….both avian and human.  I expected to find the “usual” birds hanging out…..Sanderlings, Willets, and Turnstones.  You can always count on these guys as well as pelicans, gulls, and terns flying overhead.  Picking their way along the beach today, however, I also had Semi-palmated plovers, Black-bellied plovers, Western sandpipers, Dunlin, and Snowy egrets.  There were not as many terns as I had expected or hoped for, but one lonely Royal made and appearance to help bolster the count.   

Sanderling (foreground) with Dunlin

     
       Out on the water, a string of 43 Brown pelicans flew by as six Northern gannets plied the deeper waters further out to sea, diving like missiles from high above the surface and plunging into the water to secure their catch.  A single osprey patrolled the shallows, and I know that before long, he’ll be joined by others.

Plunging Northern gannet

   

     In front of the building along the roadway, I found two Loggerhead shrikes.  They perched on the wires and periodically would dive down onto the condo lawn to grab some poor unsuspecting bug.  Several House sparrows watched from the same overhead wire.  By the end of my walk, I had 21 species to report to Cornell and had in fact added two more birds to my year list.  Nice way to begin our Sunday.

Day 49: February 18 - Blue Heron Preserve - Titusville

Partly sunny, 76 degrees, calm

       Many of the finest nature preserves in Florida are the by-product of water treatment facilities.  Blue Heron Preserve on Route 50 in Titusville is such a preserve.  We drove down to the site this morning hoping to find a bird or two we have only seen a few times this year, but we really did not count on seeing any new year birds.  We’ve been here on many occasions in the past and know that while it is a well designed and well maintained habitat for wading birds and ducks, it oftens has little new to offer.  Or so we thought……

         All to often, we find that we (or admittedly “I”) go into places like this with not the best attitude regarding prospects of spectacular and exciting new species.  We did in fact come across several really fine views of birds we have not seen all that often this year, and even better, we had two new first-of-the-year birds. 

Marsh wren

       Our first noteworthy find was a Marsh wren.  We came up to an area of the fen where we noticed quite a few American robins flying back and forth from the trees on the right to shrubs on the marsh-side of the dike.  Berries in the trees were the attraction and they were like a magnet as the robins zipped back and forth in a feeding frenzy.  As I watched the thrushes, my eye was caught by something far less active and much smaller.   I began to scan the sedges and reeds of the marsh wherever I saw movement.  Finally, my binoculars field of view fell upon a tiny wren, one of the finest views of a marsh wren I have had in some time.  The bird was working the edge of the vegetation and I was lucky enough to get off several open shots before the wren disappeared back under cover.  I’ve only had a few times in the past few years where I was lucky enough to get such a clear photo.  So, my premonitions of a normal day I the field were dispelled. 

Great blue heron - our personal escort

       As we continued around the sanctuary, we were escorted by the preserves namesake, the Great blue heron.  It was amusing to watch this heron lead us around each and every turn of the looping drive on the dikes.  We would approach, the bird would actually wait and pose once we arrived at his post, and then he would take flight and move down the road to our next destination.  We followed throughout the rest of our morning as if having our own personal guide.

Swamp sparrow

      

       Towards the end of the loop, Sharon noticed a small brown bird crossing back and forth across the dirt road from the marsh to the opposite wooded fringes.  They never called, but were inquisitive regarding our vehicle and gave us open views.  We captured our first images of the Swamp sparrow we’ve had this year and the bird was certainly dressed for the occasion.

       As we drove down the final stretch, we tallied the final count and found that we had seen almost 30 species and more than a half dozen gators on our relatively short excursion around the preserve.  Guess I should learn not to assume that we won’t have that much luck before we actually get on a site.  Never again! (right?)

Day 48: February 17 – Denizens of the Dump

Temperature mid-60’s, calm, light rain

       One of the less glamorous locations for birders to ply their trace are the sanitary landfills that dot our landscape.  Trash provides “tasty repasts” for many birds looking for an easy treat.  By far, the most commonly found species at these banquets are the gulls, vultures, blackbirds, and crows.  Occasionally, rarities among the gull population such as Glaucous, Iceland, or California will show up unexpectedly among the throng.  Finding these rare gulls in the crown of thousands of other gulls is the proverbial “needle in the haystack” challenge.  We scanned the masses for well over an hour and came up with a short glimpse of a pale whitish specimen of large proportions.  We conjectured that it was most probably a Glaucous all the way from the Arctic, but before we could really get a definitive look or even a faintest chance of an image being captured, one of the trucks servicing the dump roared by and scattered the entire assemblage.  We’ll never know for sure……

Gulls at Tomoka Landfill

       We did manage good looks at our national symbol, the Bald eagle.  Quite a few were seen and heard on and surrounding the hill locally referred to a “Mount Trashmore”.  It seems somewhat disheartening to have the bird that serves as the emblem of American pride and power scavenging the trash of humans.  Doesn’t seem to do the bird justice.  But, here he is.  I selected a more regal pose for the picture of the eagles at the dump that I’ll use for the blog today.  They deserves at least that much.

       After spending a couple of hours in the landfill, we decided to check out a more pristine environment, the shore of the Indian River at Kennedy Fishing Park in Edgewater.  Here we found resplendent Snowy egrets also feeding on the by-products of human activity.  Here, however, it was a kind gentleman who was confined to a wheelchair feeding his “adopted” snowy extra bait from his fishing exploits.  The bird was most appreciative as were we photographers.  A much more refined way to end the day’s outing to be sure.

Snowy egret

Day 47: February 16 – Spruce Creek Park

A beautiful sunny and warm day, calm winds

       It’s the 47^th day of the year, and so far,  I have visited 44 different sites to bird and photograph images of the natural world.  Sharon and I made note of the fact that in spite of being here in Florida for over three months last year, there were some spots that we love to bird that we never got to.  We’ll try to make this year different.

The marsh at Spruce Creek Park as seen from the Observation Tower

       Spruce Creek Park lies on the shore of Rose’s Bay in Port Orange.  It’s 1637 acres are traversed by a 536 foot boardwalk and more than 3 miles of trails through pine forest.  A well-constructed 15 foot observation tower overlooks the wide expanse of marsh.  With such diverse habitat, you never know what you’ll come across.  It’s one of those places where you have to go back time and again, because each time you visit, you’ll find something new. 

       I began today’s walk at the fishing pier which juts out through the marsh.  I had hoped for Marsh wren or rails, but it was admittedly pretty quiet this morning.  I did enjoy watching a Tricolor heron stalk the edge of the marsh grasses in search of breakfast. 

Pine warbler

      From there, I wandered over to the boardwalk and spent some time watching the fiddler crabs, herons, egrets, a belted kingfisher and ospreys.  I have had luck in the past looking for warblers at the boardwalks end where it enters the forest.  At first, I only heard woodpeckers….Pileated and Downy.  But then, the musical trill of a Pine warbler was heard not too far ahead.  The most common warblers at this time of year are the ubiquitous Yellow-rumps and Palm warblers.  Pine warblers will be here in greater abundance within the month, but it was certainly nice to get such good looks at several this morning.  The more I walked into the forest, the more Pine warblers singing I heard.  Staking out territory already?  Looking for a mate?  Or just practicing for the upcoming breeding season?  Whatever it was, it helped to make a thoroughly enjoyable stroll through the park even more fulfilling.

Day 46: February 15 – What’s in a Name?

Partly cloudy but clearing, 78 degrees, winds 5-12 mph

       It’s a beautiful morning for a walk on the beach and there are quite a few shore birds taking advantage of the calm seas.  As is so often the case with these birds, there are several mixed flocks.  A group of Royal terns has a laughing gull smack dab in the middle of their gathering as a little Sanderling runs through the entire pack.  Several turnstones are working the shoreline and are oblivious to pedestrian traffic no more than a dozen feet away.  As I watched the hustle and bustle of all this activity,  it dawned on me how many of these birds are appropriately named.  So many of the birds we watch and photograph have names that make little if any sense.  The Ring-necked duck, for example, has a radiant white ring around the base of its bill as well as the tip.  Try to find a ring around its neck and you’ll be hard pressed.  There is one there, in fact, but it is so faint as to be all but indistinguishable.  Red-bellied woodpeckers have none but a whisper of a pink smudge on the belly.  There is rarely any purple seen on a Purple finch.

       These shorebirds, however, have names that actually make sense.  Take the Ruddy turnstone.  I watched and photographed them this morning walking along the shallows where the waves moved back and forth across the beach as they turned stones and shells to see if any little worms or crustaceans were hiding beneath.

  I passed by a large gull with a black back named a Greater black-backed gull

       Another gull is mostly white with a yellow bill.  Around the tip of this gull’s bill is a ring of black.  The gull’s name….the Ring-billed gull.

       Isn’t it great when the name of an animal actually describes the physical characteristics of that animal?  Ah, if it were only the rule and not the exception.