2013: Week 13 – Winter chill in Spring

March 24^th  - 30^th

       The weather actually took a turn in the wrong direction this week with temperatures dropping into the 30s on a couple of nights.  Low 60s was the order of the day for much of the week and only in the past couple of days did the north winds switch to the south and help warm temperatures back into the 70s.  The strong winds did not help make it ideal birding conditions either.  Rather than producing a hoped for fall-out, the winds served to keep many of the smaller song birds hunkered down.  But, this is Florida, and even on the worst days there are birds to be photographed.

       We began the week with a day down at Merritt Island where we planned on checking out the Hammock in hopes of warblers and then searching for shorebirds along a 10 plus mile stretch of dirt road known as Peacock’s Pocket.  As we entered into the National Wildlife Reserve, we were treated to a special view of a mother Great-horned owl and her chick welcoming the new day.  It was special to share the sunrise with these two….after all, this is what they wake up to each morning!

       

       When we made it down to the hammock ( a relatively higher area of deep humus soils and hardwood trees) and found it eerily quiet except for the sounds of the north winds rustling through the treetops.  Eventually, we found a few butterflies flitting along low to the ground in an effort to stay out of the wind.  The best view was of the Giant swallowtail, the first I’ve seen this year.  A number of Florida whites and a Zebra longwing were also seen, but precious few birds.

       

       It was obvious that we would not be finding the hoped-for warblers, and so we headed out to Peacock’s Pocket.  We found a good many avocets working the flats, apparently oblivious to the strong winds.  Indeed, as we struggled to keep our scopes upright, the avocets simply busied themselves with the task of picking up their breakfast in the shallow pools.

       One bird not so unaware of the winds was this osprey.  Rather than its usual perch high atop a tree, it was content to sit in a lower sapling and try to keep in the calmer air.  One look at its tousled head feathers indicated that it was not doing a very good job at it.

     The highlight of the morning (other than our sunrise with the owls) was finding a sand bar with a variety of Florida specialties all together.  Along a 20 foot stretch of dry land out in the lagoon were avocets, Marbled godwit, Black-necked stilt,  and Willets.  Why all these birds decided to move in together on this one sandbar only the birds will know.

    

       Later in the week, we visited Mead Gardens in Winter Park, FL.  It was another chase as the not-so-common Rufous hummingbird had been seen on numerous occasions frequenting the nectar feeder at the butterfly garden.  We did find a Yellow-throated vireo as well a female Indigo bunting (both first of the year birds), but failed in our attempt to see the hummer.  Our hopes were raised when one hummingbird did come in to feed, but alas it was the more common Ruby-throated.  The trees surrounding the butterfly garden did indeed provide us with nice looks at Black and white warblers and Northern parulas, and as we watched these birds we saw a pair of Cooper’s hawks chase off a Red-shoulder.  We later found that the Cooper’s were nesting in the area and had a nice photo-op of one of the pair near its nest.

       The other nice sighting of the day was our first Viceroy butterfly of the year.   We were grateful for the sunny skies, but once again the winds kept many of the birds at bay.  One little Carolina wren found sanctuary in among the shrubs and was briefly seen singing his “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle” song.

       Finally, a sad note.  As I was getting ready to sit down and write this week’s blog, I took a quick look out the back deck overlooking the beach and found a large sea turtle had died and had washed ashore.  It’s back was encrusted with barnicles and seaweed and was probably quite old.  This week, a humpback whale and a bottle-nose dolphin also washed ashore on the beach to our north.  State biologists took the carcasses away for necropsy to determine the cause of death.  There’s an old saying about how the sea gives and the sea takes away.  Sorry to see it, but it is nature’s way.

2013: Week 12 – St. John’s River

March 17 – 24^th

              It was a relatively cool and wet week by Florida standards for the end of winter.  Birding was generally confined to short walks on those days when Mother Nature was a little less than perfectly cooperatively, but we did manage to squeeze a couple of nice ventures into the week’s schedule.  The prime birding was on Tuesday morning on our weekly walks with the Marine Discovery Center here in New Smyrna.  We recorded 44 species and noted a slow but steady influx of the migrant warblers into our area.  The prettiest of the bunch is the Northern parula which was content to remain high in the canopy, often within the cover of the Spanish moss.  Betrayed by its song, however, we’ve begun to find the bird on virtually each and every outing….a sure sign of spring.

       On Thursday, we spent the afternoon on the St. John’s River, first at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City and later at Hontoon Landing in DeLand.  We floated along on the St. John’s via a pontoon boat out of Blue Spring and found a nice variety of waders.  Center stage was shared by an elusive Purple gallinule, an equally shy Limpkin, and a nice young little blue heron still in the white plumage of its first year.  A second more mature little blue was hesitant to share the limelight with the younger bird and continually chased it off territory.

Purple gallinule

Limpkin

Juvenile Little blue heron

       While the birds are plentiful here at the spring, the star of the show is the West Indian Manatee.  The spring here at the State Park pumps in millions of gallons of fresh water at a constant 72 degrees and the manatees will congregate here to avoid the chilly and potentially lethal colder waters of the main rivers during winter.  It was a nice calm day to witness the interactions of the young manatees as they actually hugged some of the older and larger individuals.  We’ve had a pretty bad winter for these mammals here in Florida, especially on the west coast where red tide has led to the demise of more than one hundred of this already numbered species.

       After our visit to the spring, we headed over to nearby Hontoon Island where our first hummingbirds of the year normally are found.  The marina is kind enough to set up a number of nectar feeders which tend to attract a good number of these little beauties each year.  Sure enough, we were treated to our first-of-the-year Ruby-throated hummingbirds just as we had hoped for.  Each year, more and more vagrant species such as the Rufous have been showing up, so we are hopeful that we might find some new hummers here before we head north at the end of ext month.

       Finally, this week we’ve been seeing more and more Northern gannets in close to shore.  These oceanic deep  divers are usually associated with the waters far off-shore, so to see them in so close to the beach is a real treat.  This bird was photographed from the deck of our condo…..close enough for you?

Northern gannet from the deck of our condo.....

       Now that spring has officially arrived, we hope to see more and more of our migrants on their way back to New York and points north.  We’ll keep you abreast as to what shows up and when.  See you soon……

2013: Week 11 – Two Forts and a Pintail…

March 10^th – 16^th

Matanzas Owlets from 2012

       It was a busy week as we headed up to the northeast corner of the state to bird the Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach areas.  We met our traveling companions from the West Volusia Audubon at Fort Matanzas National Monument.  Later in the year, this can be a hot spot for warblers in migration and it has also served as home to a pair of Great horned owls over the past several years.  Above and beyond the birding aspects, it is of historical interest, serving as a fortress built by the Spanish in the 1740’s to thwart British attempts to seize this area of Florida.  It is now a nature preserve as well as a historical monument.  We had sightings of some early arriving warblers such as the Northern parula, Palm warbler (actually a winter resident), Black and whites, and Yellow-throated warbler.

       Along the waterfront, we watched as we waited for the ferry to carry us across the river to the fort a Snowy egret closely trailing a Little blue which had snagged a fine morsel from the shallows.  The little blue managed to ingest the meal before the snowy could convince him to give it up. 

       We continued our drive north up to Amelia Island and checked out several birding spots along the way.  Our next historical spot to visit and bird was Fort Clinch, built in 1863 and briefly occupied by the Confederates until it was abandoned and later seized by the Union army.  This seizure gave the Union control of the coasts of Florida and Georgia until the end of the war.

       Regarding the birding, we found our first of the year Oystercatcher working the water’s edge.  Other waders, terns, and sparrows as well as the omnipresent Yellow-rumped warblers were also present.  Indeed, touring the fort and exploring the grounds occupied most of our time, however.  Birds were not the only game in town as we also observed a white-tailed deer browsing on the dry beach grasses and a number of baby gators in the waters further into the surrounding forests.

       Our final destination of the three-day adventure was a trip to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine.  This is a commercial gator farm, raising the reptiles for meat and hides.  The swamp in which the gators are confined (hopefully) serves as a rookery for hundreds of nesting egrets and herons.  The trees in which the birds’s nest are surrounded by the gator infested waters and deter predators from preying upon the eggs and young chicks.  There were a few babies already in the nests such as these Roseate spoonbill chicks.  Click on the frame below to see some of these chicks in action.

       Most of the activity was concerned with nest building by Wood storks, White ibises, and Great egrets.

       As the egrets staked out their territory, more than one squabble broke out as the birds took exception to other members of their species getting too interested in what they considered “their” turf.  The increases coloration of plumages, legs, and lores signal an increase in the hormones driving the mating process, and these increased levels are observed in a bit more aggressive behavior than we see at other times of the year.

       The final day of the week produced a new “Life-bird” for Sharon and I as we continued our pursuit of the White-cheeked pintail we had failed to find two weeks ago.  We were rewarded for our efforts this time however with some nice close-up looks and photo-ops.  We know that some of these birds normally found in the West Indies and not common to Florida can be escapees, but this bird was not banded and had really clean plumage.  We are assuming that it was blown off course by a storm such as Sandy and ended up here in Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, our nation’s first installment in the now wide network of such preserves.

       The upcoming week will include a trip down the St. John’s River in search of more visitors passing through on their way north.  Look for our next posting next week end. 

2013: Week 10 – Birding the wetlands

March 3^rd – 9^th

       We had several very windy but productive days this past week as we concentrated on the wetland areas near Volusia County.  Our first venue was Princess Place Preserve located in Palm Coast, about an hours drive north of our winter digs.  With friends visiting from New York, we felt the need to introduce them to some new birding sites as well as revisiting old reliable areas to bolster their Year-lists.  Princess Place can usually be counted on for a number of warbler species, Marsh wrens, both Sora and King rails, and terns and waders.  The wind was certainly a factor as most of the smaller birds were hunkered down and difficult to locate.  The rails were more cooperative even if only vocally.  It’s great to hear these elusive birds, but even better to photograph them…..not the case today.  Another normally secretive bird, the Hermit thrush, was more obliging and stayed out in the open long enough to give us good looks and a few good photos.

       Our first armadillo of the season also made an appearance, an must in any blog dealing with the wildlife of Florida.

       On the trip home, we stopped to walk the trail at High Bridge Park in Ormond Beach.  The wind had abated by this time and some of the smaller songbirds were much more active and more vocal.  This little Blue-gray gnatcatcher came in close to check us out long enough to give us all good shots.  These little guys have been quite abundant of late and it’s always good to see one of Mother Nature’s real works of art in the realm of cuteness!

       Our next journey found us at the Viera Wetlands and Duda Ranch in the town of Viera.  The ride over to check out the adjacent “Click Ponds” was great.  We didn’t expect to get a whole lot over there, but we found the north pond full to the brim with White pelicans attempting to stay down out of the heavy winds. 

       Hugging the shoreline, we observed another of nature’s best-dressed birds, the Black-necked stilt.  The stilts were joined by both Lesser and Greater yellowlegs, American wigeon, Blue-winged teal, Forster’s terns, and Pied-billed grebes.

       Our first Swallow-tailed kites, a sure sign of spring (which is after all only two weeks away) was observed flying over the preserve and was photographed even if he only gave us a passing view.  This bird is certainly one of the most graceful fliers of the animal kingdom and is an eagerly awaited migrant in mid-March here in Central Florida.

       Our final trip of the week was out to Orlando Wetlands with our friends from Halifax River 

Audubon and proved to be one of the best outings of the year to date.  Early on, we encountered the elusive Black-bellied whistling duck.  The pair we observed flew into a shallow pool and were soon joined by a White ibis.  The ducks were more than willing to share their space with the ibis.

       Next on the list of uncommon birds was the Purple gallinule.  We actually found a half dozen of these iridescent beauties, each appearing to display slightly different colors depending on the angle of the sun’s rays hitting their plumage. 

       Continuing along the dirt roadway, we ran into limpkins, Caspian terns, soras, and King rails.  The calls of the limpkins pierced the otherwise quiet setting.  The goal was to relocate the Vermillion flycatcher seen earlier this year since our New York guests had never seen one.  After all, this bird should be somewhere around the Baja at this time of year, and here he (or more correctly they since two have been sighted here this year) has proven to be a “Life-bird” for many of the visitors to Orlando Wetlands since February.  We had to work for it, but eventually one of the birds was located and although somewhat distant, was cooperative in that it flew back and forth between the same several perches.  By keeping the scoped trained on any one of these, we were able to get fine looks of this rare beauty.

       Next week, we will head north to Amelia Island and see what these locales have to offer.  Check back next weekend to see how we make out!

      

       

2013: Week 9 – Missed the chase

       February 24^th – March 2^nd

       Began the week with a change of plans.  Originally, we had decided to make the trip south to the nation’s first national wildlife refuge, Pelican Island.  Numerous sightings of a White-cheeked pintail at the main pond of the refuge was hard to resist.  So we got up early Sunday morning, packed our provisions for the day and got ready to depart.  One last check on the web and the rare bird bird alert for the state was the bearer of bad news, however.  The bird had finally apparently departed from the area, and driving for 2 ½ hours looked less inviting that it had the night before.  Time to shift gears and make new plans.

       We had reports of a new year bird, the Cinnamon teal, just to the south of our wintering quarters.  Merritt Island is always productive and we had not visited the “Peacock’s Pocket” area this year.  Targets included the teal, male Painted bunting (have had good views of the female, but the male has eluded us thus far), and of course the teal.  By day’s end when the storms began to roll across the flatlands, we had all our targets plus 58 more species.

       Tuesday rewarded us with a new Year-bird which was actually a yard-bird.  More than likely driven over to the seashore by the heavy winds of yesterday’s and last night’s storms, an exhausted Chuck-wills-widow was found lying in the grass of our condo.  The condo manager, Julius, saved the bird from the impending doom of a horde of Fish crows which were descending upon the night-jar.  Florida Fish and Wildlife arranged for a pick-up point to meet Julius and transfer the bird to the local rehab unit.  The last we heard, the Chuck-wills-widow was doing well and expected to survive its ordeal.

       On Wednesday, we again headed out on a chase after that White-cheeked pintail was once again reported as having returned to its haunts in Pelican Island.  We already had a trip planned for the Marl Bed Flats area which is south of us and therefore in the right direction, so we figured we’d just continue in that direction after our morning trip and hopefully score the pintail.

       The morning trip was not the most productive, but it did introduce us to an area we had not previously birded.  The hammock was one of the most beautiful we’ve visited and promises to be a real find later in the migration season.  We had nice looks at Palm, Yellowrumps, Black and Whites and best of all, Northern parulas.  We had hoped to find some shorebirds out on the prairie as it is often quite wet and muddy.  Well, it was indeed wet and muddy with more than one of our number sinking in over our not-so-waterproof footwear.  Between the mud, the cow-pies (the fields are used for cattle grazing) and the large ant hills, it was like walking through a mine field.  To our dismay, we failed to find much more than several snipe which took flight in the distance and some distant meadowlarks.  Our leader David found a Kestrel perched on the periphery of the fields which had some of the most striking plumage colorations we’ve seen this year.  Beautiful bird!

       The sighting of the day in my opinion, however, was a Dusky pygmy rattlesnake which was coiled up along the trailside.  It blended in so well that had it not been spotted by one of our number, the chances were very good that we would have passed right by or worse, right over the snake.  After several minutes of observations and photos, we left the snake as we found it and moved on.

       The afternoon trip down to Pelican Island turned out to be a bit longer than we had anticipated and regretfully it was all for naught.  The pond where the White-cheeked pintail had been seen was occupied by a nice collection of Gadwall, Shovelers, Blue-winged teal, Lesser scaup and a lone Pied-billed grebe, but there was absolutely no sign of the duck we were after.  Re chases…..some you win and some you lose.  We did find this beautiful wildflower to photograph, however.  It is a Butterfly pea which hugged the ground and added to the palette provided by the other more common species.  Not quite the prize we had hoped for, but beautiful all the same.

2013: Week 8 – Cassin’s kingbird!

February 17^th - 23^rd

       The beginning of the week proved to be tough for birding by Florida standards.  The winds were strong out of the north which brought the evening temperatures down to the near freezing point.   The strong winds kept the insects and the birds down and made for some challenging birding.  As the week progressed, however, we found the temperatures and winds moderating and with the more favorable conditions, birding also picked up.

       We had three major ventures out into the field this week.  The first was a chase for a reported Cassin’s kingbird, a western bird which wandered over to the “Sunshine State” for whatever reason.  It was just one of those “couldn’t be better” situations where the exact telephone pole where the bird was seen earlier this week was the one he was perched on when we arrived.  As chases go, it wasn’t all that challenging to begin with as the location was only about an hour and a half away.  Nonetheless, the bird gave us all we could ask for as far as good views and nice lighting for photos.

       

       The following day, we joined the Halifax River Audubon Club for our “first-of-the-year” trip to Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area, a 30,000 plus acre preserve near Christmas, Florida.  Bordering 19 miles of the St. John’s River, the varied habitat is home to some fine avian species such as the Bachman’s sparrow and King rail.  We found nesting Bald eagles, limpkin, Black and white warblers, and American bittern among many other species.

       But the sight of the day was an estimated 500 white pelicans soaring high (very high) overhead.  

     In spite of their very large size (wing spans of up to 10 feet!), the birds were mere specks until viewed through the scopes and binoculars.  As we watched the White giants sail overhead, Black vultures were found feeding on the carcass of a dead gator…..beauty and the beast?

        On our way home from Tosohatchee, we detoured over to Merritt Island NWR and found two active nests of Great horned owls.  We made note last week of the onset of nesting activity as we move on into spring.  We’ll make sure to keep tabs on these two nests and see how their families progress.

 

       Our final outing of the week was a pontoon trip over to a sand bar at the confluence of Ponce Inlet, the Indian River and the Halifax.  The bar is known as a gathering spot for plovers and we were pleased to find our first of the year Piping and Wilson’s plovers.  They were joined by a lone Whimbrel (also first of the year) and although too distant to allow for decent pics, we enjoyed watching their activity through the scope.  Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this viewing on the bar was the paucity of Semi-palmated plovers.  It’s rare indeed to find so many more Piping plovers that semi-palms.

 

       As we sailed homeward, we stopped by the "bird island" near the marina where the boat is docked to grab a few shots of the present occupants, Brown pelicans.  Within the month, these birds will be joined by nesting Cattle egrets, Snowies, Little blues and who knows what else. 

       As spring approaches, the number of butterflies appearing on our outings has also begun to rise.  Out at Tosohatchee, the blooming thistles were attracting Palamedes swallowtails and out at the Sugar Mill Preserve in New Smyrna, we had our first Long-tailed skippers of the year.  

Palamedes swallowtails

       With the end of the month approaching and our year list at 176, we’ll have several friends from up north joining us in the upcoming weeks to help add to our totals.  We’re looking forward to our visitors from the north as the avian flocks will begin to come up from the south on their jouney north. 

2013 – Week 7: Spring is in the Air

February 10 – 16^th

       While it is still mid-February and although today began with a chiily 50 degrees (chilly by central Florida standards at any rate), the signs of spring are beginning to pop up all around us as the avian world is beginning to don their finest ensembles and suddenly taking notice of the opposite sex.  Of course, this is the week of Valentine’s Day, so what else should we expect?  Pairs are showing up all over the place…..Sandhill cranes, Red-breasted mergansers, and more.

       Some of these southern birds have actually gotten a head start and have already built their nests, mated and are now rearing young.  One of the most successful Bald eagle nests is located about 40 minutes north of our winter quarters.  In the town of Holly Hill at Centennial Park, a pair of eagles are presently tending to not one, not two, but a rarely heard of three chicks.  Granted, all three are not progressing at quite the same rate.  The eldest (presumably) is now often seen “branching”…..holding onto the side of the nest while flapping wildly in an attempt to get the “feel” of flying.  This is generally a precursor to fledging.

       Bird number 2 is quite obvious with head sticking up searching the skies for mom or dad to return to the nest with the next tender morsel, while the runt of the litter is rarely seen except on the occasion of the parent’s return. 

       Triplets are a rarity in the eagle world.  Last year in the state of Maine, out of 385 nests, only one produced the threesome.  So, this is a real thrill to begin the breeding season here in the sunshine state with such fanfare.

       Other species are just getting started.  We found this Great blue heron at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge in DeLeon Springs just beginning to build her nest.  We never did see her mate, so she may just be practicing for the real deal.

        Later in the week, we visited Viera Wetlands off exit 191 on I-95.  The place was abuzz with egrets, herons, and Anhingas on the nest, building nests, and/or trying to impress a prospective mate with elaborate rituals and plumages. 

       Most impressive among this group was a pair of Anhingas that “danced” and swooned, swaying back and forth and intertwining their necks around one another.  The color of the eyes was such a brilliant green that it was most striking even without the scope or bins.  These photos have not been enhanced in any way.  The color you see is what we saw (if indeed the photos do the colors justice). 

       It will be exciting to see how the season progresses as more and more of the Florida “love-birds” get into the act.  It only gets better from here!

       

Week 6: Central Florida

February 3^rd – 9^th

       The week began with the two of us joining our old birding buddies from the West Volusia Audubon for a day-long excursion to Orlando Wetlands Park in the town of Christmas, Florida (that’s right….Christmas!)  The park is comprised of 1,650 acres of hardwood hammocks, marshes and lakes.  The site is one of the most renown for King rails and Soras and we had plenty of both!  Not that they were easy to see by any stretch of the imagination, but the certainly did want to be heard.  Limpkins were also in good supply but unlike the rails, these birds did not make themselves hard to view and photograph.  One pair was engaged in either a territorial dispute or an amorous exchange.  Whichever it was, it made for an entertaining interlude.  This one flew by as the other two were engaged with one another.

       Our target of the day was the Vermillion flycatcher, a bird more common to the southwestern United States and points south.  Two brilliantly adorned males have been gracing the grounds of Orlando wetlands for the past two years, however, and provided us with great looks through the scopes.  Sorry, too distant for a decent shot with the camera, however.

       The Purple gallinule was also found in several locations as we hiked the park and for many in the group this was a “life bird”.   At one point, we actually had the Common and the Purple gallinules in the same field of our scopes.

Royal tern

       The second half of our week was spent south and west of our home base of New Smyrna Beach.  We spent Wednesday checking our Sebastian Inlet in the hopes of finding a Razorbill reported last week.  We struck out on the target but had nice looks at such common finds as the Black skimmers, Royal and Sandwich terns, Ruddy turnstones, and Brown pelicans.

       Further south, at Fort Pierce, we had more of the same along the jetties on the beach.

Sandwich tern

       Thursday, we travelled west to Kissimmee Prairie, the largest contiguous true prairie in the state of Florida. 

Kissimmee Prairie

         As we entered the preserve, we were greeted by Eastern meadowlarks…..many meadowlarks.  You could not travel more than 50 yards without hearing a new individual, and most were easily seen as they perched high in the palmettos or on fence lines.

       We tallied a good number of species here, but the highlight of the day was watching a Crested caracara fly into a palm with a large Cottonmouth in its talons.  We watched as the bird made quick work of skillfully peeling the flesh from the body of the snake.  When finished with his meal, the caracara dropped the skeleton to the ground where we retrieved it for examination.  Absolutely incredible that this bird could so totally strip the snake of its flesh and leave the skeleton totally intact.  Only the head was left untouched.  We noticed that the caracara seemed to be tending to a wound on one of its talons, but the site biologist assured us that other than a “limp” for a few days, the bird would be fine.

       The following day, we headed over to Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area and Joe Overstreet Landing where we hoped to find the Florida specialty the Snail kite.  We traveled down to the boat launch on the edge of Lake Jackson and within the first 10 minutes had our first kite fly by.  We watched as the kite flew over the aquatic vegetation in search of apple snails in much the same manner as the Northern harrier hunts for it prey over the open fields.  On several occasions, the kite dipped down and emerged with a large snail as its prize.  Most of the snails found here in Lake Jackson are exotic and are larger than the native variety, but the local ranger told us that the kites have been quick to adapt and seem to be making the best of this new staple to the diet.

     

      At the same site, we were treated to fine looks at our first Parula of the year, early even by Florida standards.  As we watched, a Red-shouldered hawk scolded us from his nearby perch and a fine Little blue heron flew by in front of us.

       At Joe Overstreet, we had what has to be considered classic Florida birding.  Where else can you be seated at a picnic bench at water’s edge and be simultaneously viewing a Long-billed curlew, Wilson’s snipe, Bald eagle, two Crested caracaras, Common gallinule, Little blue heron, yet another Snail kite, glossy and white ibises, Great blue heron, Boat-tailed grackles, Ring-billed gulls, and Black vultures…..again, all at the same time!  You just have to love Florida birding.

Juvenile Long-billed curlew and Wilson's snipe

       As we headed back home, we stopped to grab a photo of another phenomenon necessary for the prairies of Florida….fire. 

       The fire seen here in this parting shot is of a prescribed burn and is, hopefully, totally under control.  The prairies must burn in order to keep them from becoming forested, and with natural fires becoming less frequent, these burns are a necessary solution to the problem.  ]

      Quite a week, eh?  Let’s see what the next 7 days brings.