Ibises at Ding Darling

Today’s post features a number of photographs I took of White-eyed Ibises, both juveniles and adults, at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida.  I took these pictures from the roadway and from an observation tower.

Laughing Gulls and a Great Egret joined the Ibises at times and perhaps were interested in  trying to grab the good food from them.  There was a feeding frenzy going on with hundreds of wading and sea birds there in the lagoon.  These birds were feeding on snails, and other small salt marsh aquatic creatures during the out-going tidal change. I took these pictures on Jan. 29, 2013.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

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Herons at Ding Darling

Tricolored Heron

Little Blue Herons

Tri-colored Heron

Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron were among the gorgeous large birds that I saw last week at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida.

These herons like this protected shallow Mangrove salt water marsh and lagoon.  These herons eat shrimp, fish, and other smaller (largely aquatic) animals.  I took these pictures on Jan. 29, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Tricolored Heron

Tricolored Heron

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Birding at Ding Darling

The fabulous Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on beautiful Sanibel Island, Florida, is today’s topic. Among the many stunningly beautiful birds I saw on Wednesday, June 29, 2013, were White Pelicans; Brown Pelicans; American White Ibises; Great Egrets,; Reddish Egrets; Tri-color Herons; Little Blue Herons, Pied-billed Grebes, Cormorants, several types of Sea Gulls; Osprey; and the most beautifully pink Roseate Spoonbills!

An enormous feeding frenzy happened during the change of tides outward to sea from the lagoon and Mangrove marshes.  The exposed sandbars and channel bottoms offered tasty shrimp and other aquatic delights for the hungry throng of birds!  It was a cloudy and windy morning when I took these pictures at about 8:00.

I highly recommend that you visit this spectacular protected wildlife-rich place.  There are easy, level hiking trails, and a four mile car drive through the heart of the refuge.  I recommend both.  There are several observation towers and plenty to see.  There is a modest charge for hiking and for you to drive your own car and tour through the refuge (We used our National Parks pass).   Check ahead with the refuge for open hours and more information.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Pine Warbler

This Pine Warbler is a newcomer to the neighborhood.  Although I took the photograph while the little yellow, black and white bird was in the leafy branches of an Oak Tree, the bird was just feet from two towering older Pine Trees.  Pine Trees are the preferred home for these beautiful small birds.  Pine Warblers eat insects, seeds, small berries and some fruits.  I took these pictures on January 7, 2013 late in the afternoon.

Woodpecker Wednesday: Yellow Bellied Sap Suckers

This pair of juvenile Yellow Bellied Sap Suckers  were flitting about in the Holly Tree across the street from my home yesterday, January 7, 2014.  The pair of older juvenile woodpeckers also flew over to a nearby Pine Tree and were clinging to the trunk with their long sharp claws.  I also had spotted one of the Sap Suckers clinging to the hefty trunk of an Oak nearby before seeing the pair fly over to the holly.

Yellow Bellied Sap Suckers peck into trees such as Pines and Sycamores and Oaks and drink the sugar-rich sap.  They also will eat insects found in the bark of the trees on occasion.  The juveniles have a rather brownish tinge to their backs on top of the black and white barred coloring.  This brown disappears as they grow into adults.  The adults have a small red patch with the adult males also having a red throat.  I took these pictures early in the morning and it was 31 degrees F. out.  So the birds and I were pretty cold!  Please click the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

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

It’s An Almost Wordless Wednesday

I took these pictures on various days during the past week.  I shot the photographs in Marion County, Florida in the neighborhood and development where I now live.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!