New Feeder, Same Birds

Time for a new feeder experiment. Got a few shots from the original feeder. Still dove-filled.



So let's get that new feeder in place. Survey says...doves...



Maybe there is hope. In the bad afternoon light I do see that a Titmouse stopped by.



Spring migration is not far off so I may just have to wait another month for a change of birds.

Shiny Dove

Since I have to stare at so many dove images I might as well pick one that is a little more interesting.

I always like seeing the iridescence that shines from the necks of males when the sun hits them right.



Maybe a new feeder will change my luck and will bring in some new species.

Some Surprise BirdCam Shots in a New Location

A while ago I noticed a nice little bird out by the frog-themed tray feeder. An Indigo Bunting. That was what promted me to try the BirdCam over there in the first place. Hoped to get it. No luck as the dove dominate.

Then I noticed the Bunting by the kitchen window. So, I moved the cam over there. More doves. However, today a dove seems like someone else approaches.



I waded through the 598 shots from the day. Dove, dove, dove, two doves, dove...boring. Wait! Is there some speck on this image? Need to zoom in.



Amazing! That speck turns out to be the Bunting! Success! Not where I wanted it but the doves wouldn't budge and the Bunting gave up after a few more frames and moved back into the bushes.



The doves did leave later in the day making room for a couple other species. Like the Blue Jays.



Then the quick stop by one of our resident Carolina Wrens.



Still, these dove images are all looking the same.

Hunting for a White-faced Ibis

Sit back for a longer-than-usual post but tons of photos...

Visitors to Orlando Wetlands Park near the city Christmas found a White-faced Ibis the other day. I grabbed my one shot to get out there today and found many exciting things to photograph. One the drive in down Wheeler Road I caught a glimpse of a bird in the trees. I ground to a halt and hit reverse, scrambling for the camera as I did so.

A nice light-morph Red-shouldered Hawk! Awesome view from the car window.



Once I parked, I headed down the berm paths toward the Ibis location. Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers were criss-crossing back and forth as they always do this time of year. As the sun warmed the air, Turkey Vultures took flight right over the trees and into my view.



Some even relaxed on the snags as I passed.



Looking beyond the vultures I could just make out a circling mass far, far overhead. Every now and then their feathers would catch the sunlight. White Pelicans!



I walked on toward the reported Ibis spot, scanning every bird I could out there in the very windy, lily pad covered water. No luck yet. However, a huge flock of birds up ahead. Blackbird? Maybe. But why were they flocking into the Wax Myrtles and back out again?

By the time I got closer, the flock broke up a bit and I could tell they were smaller than Blackbirds. They were thousands of Tree Swallows!



They were gathering in this spot, circling around and then swooping into the trees. It seemed to me that they were eating the fruits of the Wax Myrtles. I thought these guys ate bugs exclusively.



With the large flock just over my head I felt I could reach out and grab one at any time. It was difficult to get any single bird in the view finder. Thats what cropping is for, I guess.



Suddenly, the birds would break off from the trees and dip down to get drinks of water from the surrounding ponds. They would then fan out across the park. After a short while they would begin to regroup again.



I like this interesting shot. Note the bird in the left center flying with its head rotated all the way around!



Then it was back to the foraging. Over and over. I could have stood there all day long. However, I needed to get back to Orlando. This flock transfixed me so much that I had to force myself to keep checking the time. I stopped shooting after almost 300 images.



Oh, yeah. I finally got home and checked my images that I took of a couple of ibis way out near the tree line. One of them turned out to be what I was really after today. The White-faced Ibis.



Success with a new Life Bird and a morning filled with awe.

Another Day at the Frog Tray

I will reposition the BirdCam soon but here are a couple of dove shots to get them out of the way. A typical day has me sifting through 5-600 images. 95% of them are Mourning Doves. Every now and then one comes out pretty.



Other times we might get an action shot. Sneak attack!



Rarely, the doves clear out for a little while and allow other birds to swoop in for a quick moment like the Northern Cardinals.



Back to sifting through images...

New BirdCam Bird

Finally! Something other than doves!

One of our resident Blue Jays managed to grab a quick bite when the Mourning Doves weren't looking.



May have to move the BirdCam. I don't think too many other things are getting a chance over here.

Watching for Eagles

Took the boys through the cemetery after school to check on the old Bald Eagle nest. Not disappointed.



Will need to stop by from time to time to see if we have more babies this year. The old tree is still hanging in there after years of abuse. Finger's are crossed for a healthy brood.

House Finch and Robin

No, not a new crime fighting team. Just a couple visitors today.

Should be time for the House Finches to start appearing in larger numbers and this male is a welcome sight. It has been difficult to find them the past month or so.



Out back, a Robin eyes the birdbath. Sure, now that I moved the BirdCam.

New Birdcam Angle

I was hoping to capture some Robin images as they were flocking down to the bird bath but, alas, they did not return. Instead, I got my usual visitors.

One of the many Gray Squirrels...



...and, of course, a Mourning Dove.



Oh, well.

Robins and Waxwings

Yet another wave of Robins came through this morning. As usual, they raided the Laurel and Camphor trees and dropped down to get a drink.



A couple even managed to grab a quick bath.



Even better, they brought down some Waxwings, one of my favorite Winter visitors.



Maybe I can get some BirdCam shots at the birdbath.

Sparrows and Blackbirds

Had to make yet another trip to Largo and what would a trip over there be without watching the feeders for any interesting birds? We can always count on the House Sparrows. Today, besides just feeding near the feeder, they also stopped by the patio bench to grab a drink from an overturned flower pot.

Maybe it is just me but these sparrows on the coast are more colorful than the ones I see closer to home. Especially the females.



The males are also a bit brighter than the inland birds.



I could never find what was spooking the birds from time to time but every now and then they would all take off. Sometimes they would wait in the nearby plants and then return to feeding.



Another species that has been stopping by has been Red-winged Blackbirds. These females also appear much brighter than others I am use to.



Beautiful plumage!



Always interesting.

American Goldfinches Fade Away

Fewer and fewer Goldfinches are being seen. Hardly any caught on the cam. Are they leaving so soon?



Hope not.

Black Skimmer Feeding Near Dark

One of the more interesting sights we discovered while watching the Spoonbills was the sudden appearance of a gliding form between the mangrove banks. A Black Skimmer was feeding just before nightfall above the swallow waters.

Here, it makes a grab at the water's surface. A miss.



You can get the full view of this image by dragging it to your desktop and then you can probably tell that this grab was a success. There is a tiny fish in the bird's bill!



Once a run through this section of water was completed, the Skimmer would make a wide circle back to its starting point and would fly right towards us again and again.



I usually only seem to encounter Skimmers while they are resting and have always wanted to get a shot of them feeding because it is such a unique technique.



Could have used better light but it was fun to watch and shoot, anyway.



I also liked the trails it left on the water as it skimmed along.



A very exciting end to a nice stroll at Black Point. Never seems to disappoint me no matter when I visit.