Wordless Wednesday

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph.  As ever, enjoy!

Large Bird Bonanza

Cattle Egrets

A Little Blue Heron

Cattle Egrets, A Little Blue Heron, and American White Ibis all have been visitors to the development where I live here within the last week.  We have had plenty of rain in recent days so the rainfall collection basins are now somewhat wet with between several inches and a foot of water in them.  These basins usually are dry and have a lot of grass and a few native weeds within them.  The basins are now attracting various large wading birds.

I had one Cattle Egret surprise me by perching in a large bush in my neighbor’s front yard a couple of weeks ago.    The flock of Cattle Egrets in flight were flying fairly close to the nearby cattle ranch that borders this development.  The Ibises have been here on my street at the rainfall collection basin several times in recent weeks.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

American White Ibises

A Cattle Egret

I’m Crazy Over Ibises

The American White Ibis is a fabulously interesting large, white and pink and black bird.  The pink parts are its bill and legs.  The black parts are the tips of its wings and the smudge-looking tip of its bill.  Everything else is white other than the eyes.  They are so charming it is incredible.  The Ibises here have been here a few times recently in the late afternoon.  They have been hunting for insects along the lawns around and in the rainfall retention basins.  Since we have had heavy rains lately, the basins do have a little water in them.  Ibises are wading birds that live in coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico mostly.

One Ibis cracked me up.  It strolled along the front lawn of one of my neighbors.  The finny sight was the Ibis walking along right around a concrete lawn statue of a Gnome!  How fun is that ?

I took these pictures from the street in front of my house on June 12, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!  I want to close by wishing all dads a Happy Father’s Day!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

The Eastern Bluebird is the focus of today’s post.  I took these pictures last week in my back yard.  To enjoy the all-Bluebird extravaganza, please click on each thumbnail image.

The Return of the Ibises

The small flock of American White Ibises has returned to feed in the lush lawn of the rainfall retention basin across the street from my home.  These beautiful big wading birds have been here several times.   The Ibises mostly live in both coastal and inland wetlands.  The area where I live is about twenty five miles from several river wetland areas, and about sixty miles from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Ibises were browsing along the edge of the partially filled basin.  There are lots of worms and grubs plus larger insects in and around the basin.  The storm water is channeled from the street to these neighborhood basins in order to replenish the Florida Aquifer and to minimize potential minor flooding during heavy storms.  The Ibises flew in for about an hour and then one by one, flew off to other areas.  My neighbors and I really enjoy seeing the Ibises.  I took these pictures on June 7, 2013 and June 8, 2013 from the street and from my driveway.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

An Eastern Towhee

This Eastern Towhee was perched in a low native shrub just off the roadway.  It was partially obscured by tall grass.  This bird was likely trying to find some tasty seeds to eat.  The Towhee was seen in the same area near where I spotted the colony of Red-headed Woodpeckers.

Eastern Towhees are black, brown, orange, and white.  The females have more brown than black.  These birds have either dark yellow or orange eyes.   The Eastern Towhees largely eat fruit, nuts and seeds but will also eat insects once in a while.  I took these pictures on June 2, 2013 along a roadway just outside of the development here where I now live.  The day was cloudy and I took the photographs late in the afternoon.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Florida Woodpecker Wednesday

Red-headed Woodpecker

I am totally thrilled to have found a colony of woodpeckers just outside the gates of the development where I now live.  I took these pictures from the street of an area of huge, ancient Pines.  Some of these trees are mere shells of trunks and limbs.  These trees have become a home to Red-headed Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and possibly, some Hairy Woodpeckers.

I am including a picture I snapped of what likely is a Hairy Woodpecker in flight (very small light-colored woodpecker flying from dead tree).   Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures.  The trees where these woodpeckers live are on private fenced-in property, and are a long way from the street.  I took some of these pictures during the first week of May, 2013, and also on June 2, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Hairy Woodpecker?

Hawks

The neighborhood Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen again yesterday in the early evening hours.  It was getting a drink out of the neighbor’s bird bath when my husband and I stepped outside onto the front porch (we were on the way to the car to go take some pictures elsewhere).  Seeing us, it flew over to one of the large Pine trees on the side of the rainfall water retention pond across the street.  After a few moments, it flew off to another part of the neighborhood.  I think it had been hunting for lizards, small birds, mice, or small squirrels without success here.

I also saw yet another hawk sitting on a light pole in a parking lot at the edge of our development.  With so many small critters around, it is likely that the birds of prey here, do pretty well.  I took these pictures last evening, June 2, 2013 at around 6:00-6:30PM.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Blue Skies and Blue Jays

There are two types of Blue Jays found here in Florida.  One is the Eastern Blue Jay and the other is the Scrub Jay.  So far, I have only seen the Eastern Blue Jays here where I live.

A new pair of Blue Jays has recently been seen flitting about in the leaves of the Oaks, and grabbing the tiny caterpillars around the acorns and leaves.   The Jays also often will walk around on the ground searching for food.  Eastern Blue Jays eat insects, berries and fruits and seeds.

I recently took pictures of an Eastern Blue Jay in a small forested area on the ranch adjoining this housing development (and owned by the developer here).  I took those pictures from the roadway area on May 17, 2013.   The rest of the pictures were taken from my front yard here at the house on May 25, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Female Northern Cardinals

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!