Loggerhead Shrike

Loggerhead Shrikes use their hooked bills to capture and kills their prey, which are most often insects, lizards,  mice, and sometimes even other birds.

Learning the Ropes

Sandhill Crane Chick
Melbourne, Fl

I came across a family of 4 Sandhill Cranes this past week and enjoyed watching them work together as they foraged for bugs, mainly grubs, just off a popular shopping mart. Sandhill Cranes chicks initially feed by pecking the food from their parents bill.  They soon learn how to feed on their own. Their parents, however, continue to assist with feeding and protecting them for nearly a year.

The adult Cranes were foraging deep in the ground as the chicks watched intently for their share of the grubs.

This guy got a little worn out from all the hard work!

Time to Reflect

Here are a few of my favorite moments of reflection at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge last week.

Female Northern Shoveler
MINWR

Roseate Spoonbill
MINWR

Willet
MINWR

Say What???

I took a mid morning stroll through the wetlands yesterday with my now 2-year old. We didn't cover a very large area, but we did enjoy the interesting birds and behaviors we observed, particularly this pair of terns.

Caspian Terns
Viera Wetlands

Caspian Terns
Viera Wetlands

We came upon these terns as they stood in the road engaging in what appeared to be a heated discussion. These terns produce some interesting loud, harsh croaking sounds.

Amidst the discussion, this tern regurgitated something...

While Caspian Terns are known to provide for their offspring for extended periods, I don't believe that was this tern's intention. Caspian Terns typically feed their young whole fish. Both birds seemed perplexed by the strange object excreted by the tern.

The second tern tried to get a better look.

There was some discussion about what sort of things this tern has been consuming....meatballs???

He decided to plead the fifth...

Blue-winged Teal
Viera Wetlands

The Blue-Winged Teal and Limpkin were both so kind to pose for us.

Limpkin
Viera Wetlands

Northern Mockingbird
Viera Wetlands

The caterpillars don't stand much of a chance against the hungry birds!

Great Blue Herons
Viera Wetlands

This adolescent GBH appeared to be letting mom know it was time for lunch!

Growing Like Weeds

The Great Blue Heron chicks are approximately one month old. It is amazing to see how quickly they grow!  The chicks typically fledge around 2 months old, so they have to grow quickly to reach heights of 3 to 4 feet in a  two month period!

Great Blue Heron chicks
Viera Wetlands

These are the youngest two of the group, and may be closer to 3 weeks old. Those wings still have a ways to go to reach a 6 foot wing span!

This chick is the oldest one of the bunch. Quite a difference a week or two can make in the length of the wingspan.

Great Horned Owl Chicks

A little over a month ago I noticed two ears protuding from an Osprey's nest in a tall Pine tree. I knew instantly it was my favorite raptor, the Great Horned Owl, residing in the enormous nest that had been built by an Osprey. Great Horned Owls are known for taking over nests rather than building their own. I quickly turned around and drove past the nest a second time, this time seeing the owl clearly. I was super excited to discover this owl nesting along the main highway I travel regularly to work. I have been viewing the nest regularly and on this past Monday noticed the adult was not in her position. I thought it was possible that there were no successful hatchlings and she left, as that was the case of the nesting GHOs on my street last year. On Wednesday,  though, two white, fuzzy heads were visible! I stopped  by on my way to MINWR on Saturday and took a few photographs. It was early morning when I photographed these chicks high up in the Pine; they sure are adorable!

Great Horned Owl Chicks

Great Horned Owl Chicks

Great Horned Owl

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 3/17/12

Very little wind and bright blue skies made for a great morning at the Merritt Island NWR. It has been a little over a month since I visited and there seemed to be fewer visiting birds. Shore birds were the most abundant birds at the refugee today. I observed one or more of the following varieties: Willet, Dunlin, Killdeer, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, and Wilson's Snipe.

Willet
MINWR

Greater Yellowlegs
MINWR

Killdeer
MINWR

 The variety of ducks was minimal. I saw numerous Blue-winged Teals and Northern Shovelers as well as one Mottled Duck. There were several Coots throughout the area. I saw a few pairs of nesting Ospreys, but no other raptors. There were a few Roseate Spoonbills; I had a opportunity to observe one foraging right near the shore. 

Roseate Spoonbill
MINWR

I saw several Great Blue, Tricolored, and Little Blue Herons as well as one Green Heron. I also saw 1 Great Egret, 2 Snowy Egrets, and 1 Reddish Egret. White Ibises, Boat-tailed Grackles, Mourning Doves, Savannah Sparrows, and a Pine Warbler sum up the day!

Great Blue Heron
MINWR

Featherless Friday

Since I have been without any feathered friends this week, I thought I'd share an interesting creature I've photographed. I found this Treefrog resting on my car, and he didn't seem to mind the camera so I snapped a few photos. He seemed quite mellow and I was happy he didn't decide to jump on me. I didn't happen to notice how dirty my car was till I viewed the photos!

I believe this is a Cuban Treefrog, an invasive species to Florida. Florida is home to 27 species of frogs, as well as 3 invasive species. I do not  regularly find these around the yard, which from what I've read is a good thing. Cuban Treefrogs are known to be big eaters, consuming large numbers of insects, native frogs, lizards, and even small snakes.

Reference: UF Wildlife- Johnson Lab

Birding Fun

Here is some additional birding fun from last weekend.  This beautiful Fish Crow seemed more than happy to strike a pose.

Fish Crow
Click Ponds

 The Fish Crow is one of two Crows found here in Florida. The Fish Crow is smaller than the American Crow with shorter legs as well as a shorter bill. It also has longer wings and a longer tail.

Fish Crow
Click Ponds

This Tricolored Heron is developing its breeding plumage. During breeding season, the heron's bill becomes  deep blue with a black tip. The heron also displays buff-colored plumes from the back of its head and crimson red legs, which were just developing for this heron.

Tricolored Heron
Click Ponds

Catching a fish and eating it on the go was quite a task for this Cormorant as his fish repeatedly got away from him.

Double-crested Cormorant
Viera Wetlands

Well, this next scene is not really birding fun, it is more like birding terror. I'm happy to report there was no loss of life for any Coot. It sure had me on the edge of my seat, as well as wondering  why over the past few weeks this scene seems to be playing out each time I visit the ponds or wetlands...

The part I found quite strange was, after the gator passed, the Coots began to closely follow gator, all the way to the shore. I would be running, if not flying, the opposite direction...

This group of Coots at the wetlands seemed to be a little more on the concerned side as they conducted an evacuation drill, or maybe there really was a gator on the prowl. Most of the large flock of Coots was lined up wing to wing on the shore.  The Coots often fall prey to the gators here as well as some of the raptors that patrol the wetlands, such as Bald Eagles and Crested Caracara.

American Coots

The Blue-winged Teal found the whole ordeal amusing, but he wasn't getting in the water either!

Blue-winged Teal
Viera Wetlands