Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Click Ponds: Part I & II

 Saturday afternoon's dreary and dismal weather was a stark contrast to Monday's sunny, blue skies. I went to the Click Ponds, located adjacent to the wetlands, on both of these days. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary on Saturday, but I did enjoy the variety of birds I was able to see.  I spotted two Common-ground Doves in a tree near the entrance. These doves are a bit more interesting than their Mourning counterparts; they have bright chestnut primaries that are visible when in flight. They are also the smallest of the dove family.  The trees and bushes to the right of the ponds were loads with birds. There were large numbers of Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers and probably quite a few others that I missed. Boat-tailed Grackles and Robins were also abundant throughout the area.

Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird
Click Ponds

I also saw two juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds who appeared to be under the guidance of an adult RWBB.

American Robin
Click Ponds

The visiting Robins were on mission to consume every berry in the area and a Green Heron was fishing from some old pipes.

Green Heron
Click Ponds

While I was sitting in my parked car observing some Hooded Mergansers, a Wilson's Snipe flew right in front of my car. It then proceed to loop around me again, land in the reeds right in front of me, and, strangest of all, just stare at me. This is the second one I've seen in the past week.

Wilson's Snipe
Click Ponds

Monday I spotted this American Bittern who was relatively out in the open, for a Bittern anyway.

American Bittern
Click Ponds

Female Boat-tailed Grackle
Click Ponds

As I was watching some Boat-tailed Grackles dance around I noticed a small Sora hiding in the reeds. This is the first time I have seen one here. I wasn't able to get a decent photo as the Sora was doing its best to stay concealed.

Hiding Sora
Click Ponds

This Palm Warbler appears to be developing its breeding plumage noted by the rufous cap that is developing.

Palm Warbler
Click Ponds

This young Mockingbird was waiting at the exit to wish us farewell.

Northern Mockingbird
Click Ponds


20 comments:

  1. Wonderful bird pictures.....i like your work very much tammy.

    Greetings, Joop

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  2. Oh what a pretty birds to see, nearly all of them are new to me. Fantastic photography.

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  3. YAY you saw your Sora! and I love the Wilson's snipe - i haven't seen one of those~

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  4. WOW!! me gustan las fotos y las especies de aves que nos muestras.
    Saludos!!

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  5. Found your blog today Tammy; amazing photo's!

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  6. Charming photos and narration. That Robin made for a pretty nice photographic setting, as did the Bittern, but I think my favorite today is the spacey snipe.

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  7. fabulous shots! whether it is the 'common' robin or the elusive bittern, you present such great images!

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  8. Great shots this Tammy, I spec like number two in your collection.

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  9. Excellent shots Tammy, really like the Bittern peeping through the reeds :-)

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  10. Beautiful images Tammy, I feel like I am revisiting Florida through your lens.

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  11. Beautiful shots of all those great birds!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Mette

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  12. The bittern is a special site to see. I love the green heron.

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  13. I love the snipe photo, but the heron is fantastic, too! They're all great shots, Tammy!

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  14. Absolutely stunning photography Tammy, especially the American Robin, Green Heron, Bittern and the Grackle! Superb.

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  15. Hello Tammy,
    Nice to see all different birds which I have never seen before.
    Great how you've caught them in your shots. Wonderful that Green Heron and
    Boat tailed Grackle.

    Greetings, Marco

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  16. Tammy, vives en el paraíso; siempre encuentras algo bello que fotografiar.
    Enhorabuena.
    Saludos.

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  17. Hi Tammy, great pictures and interesting Blog.. I love nature.. Saludos españoles..

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  18. Bellas aves todas, desde el Mirlo hasta el Ruiseñor. Grandes disparos.

    Saludos.

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  19. Hey, are they named the Click Ponds because you can just stand there and "click" away? Wonderful photos and the lighting is great. The shot of the green heron is so perfect it looks like a diorama from a museum! Great work!

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  20. p.S. I also really love the shot of the robin and the snipe!

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I greatly appreciate your comments!