Bald Eaglet in the Shade

I can never seem to arrive at the cemetery with any good light these days. Kids are graduating soon so I can't head out too early. Still only getting the eaglets in the shade as this one waits for the next food delivery.



In a couple of weeks I might have better lighting choices once the busy end-of-year events are completed. Will the eagles still be here by then?

Lunch at the Bald Eagle Nest

On this recent overcast day I swung through the cemetery and found Momma tearing the latest fish to eat and pass to the kids. One eaglet is up in the nest and the other is down by lunch.



Still soldiering on in the heat of a late Spring. I will check back in later. These guys all need to head out asap. They aren't even suppose to be here this time of year. All wacky this year.

Baby Barred Owls Have Made the Move

It has been a while since I spotted the baby Barred Owls around the house. In fact, I hadn't seen or heard them in the couple days before I posted about Papa Owl by the deck a few days ago. Luckily, I have nearby neighbors that report bird sightings and it seems that the babies moved to the Greenwood Wetlands not long ago and have been documenting it.

A new friend I have made is Jennifer Gwynne Oliver who has been seeing the owls at dusk and beyond. Here is one of our owls on the bridge to the wetlands.



Nice having some others reporting on the progress of the babies. They seem to be doing well. Just wished they hadn't moved off so quickly this year. Now I need to make a trip out there for myself when I can.

Surprise! The Mute Swans have a Big Family!!

On another trip to the store I headed around Lake Davis along my usual route and was stopped in my tracks as I hit the edge of the lake drive. I noticed Mute Swans, which I hadn't seen in a while. Guess they were busy as now they were now hanging with six cygnets!

One of the youngsters was sitting on Mom's back and I was saying aloud, "No way!" as I pulled over to get some shots. Last year, this pair had one baby so six was stunning, to me.



One of the cygnets seemed to be saying, "Dad, why don't I get a ride!?".



Once I came down to the bank of the lake the Swans turned around back toward me and the few others now gathering behind me. Dad was rafting (some birds and sea mammals raise a leg into the air to regulate body temperature like this) and led the family back towards us.



This let me get some close up shots of the youngsters. A lady across the street puts out seed every morning and the birds in the lake are always looking for a handout.



Who can resist trying to get cute shots of a cygnet Mute Swan on a beautiful day? Mute Swans are not native and some do not like the fact that they breed here now but...



While I was shooting away, a female Boat-tailed Grackle flew in next to me as if saying, "Hey, what about me?". I could barely get it in focus as it came so close.



The Mute Swans soon figured out that we had no food from us and began to head back out into the center of the lake. One of the other cygnets was busy trying to get onto Mom's back to join the current rider. Interesting that I recently saw a post that someone posted that swans do not carry babies on their backs. Need more proof?



Now that the other baby was on board, they left us.



Maybe it was the fact that all of the Winter ducks are gone, but I love seeing more bird life next to home. Good luck to the cygnets.

Another Week, Another Swallow-tailed Kite Shot

I thought that last week's visit by the male Swallow-tailed Kite was going to be all we would get at the banding site. Nope. He came back to the same spot again this week to preen as we took even more excellent shots. My favorite of the bunch was this one.



Could be having young ones to watch in a bit. Can't wait!

Swallow-tailed Kite

We had a very pleasant surprise at the banding site today. If you aren't checking that site for our weekly discoveries I will sum up.

Every year there are several Swallow-tailed Kites seen soaring overhead at Lake Lotus. They are more and more common in the area now and we know of breeding sites as close as Wekiwa Springs. Not long ago we had a few fly in and then got some shots of them landing over our banding table to copulate and then fly off to a pine tree nearby. We were hoping they would nest here and it appears that they did build a nest just 50 yards behind us. Problem is, you can't really get a good look at them from that angle.

Then, as we were walking the net lanes, we spotted a nice bright black and white male sitting just across the river against a beautiful blue sky. Best views of this bird at rest for me. Ever.



He sat and preened a while as many of us got supreme photos before he headed back out to gather food and nest material for his girl up at the nest. If they are successful, we should be seeing some young birds sometime before Summer. Nice!

Papa Barred Owl

I was headed out back to get the grill fired up when I noticed a figure in the Cherry Laurel just beyond the deck. The baby Barred Owls relocated to the wetlands not long ago so I was surprised when I saw Papa Owl sitting in our backyard staring intently at...something. Not sure what, exactly, but he was so focused that I could have grabbed his tail feathers if I had wanted to. I don't agree with harassment of that sort, though. I get to hold owls and other birds often enough.

I had to go inside and get the camera and then I had to back off a lot to even get the owl in focus. Seriously, I was able to walk up to and around this guy without it caring at all.



The Barred Owl continued to stare into the opposite yard and then began clucking as it thought it found something of interest. The Sun was setting and it was more difficult to get any good lighting spots than anything else.



As I moved around in tight circles, the sound of my feet crunching the leaves below caused the Barred Owl to look down in search of what might be making the sound. Fortunately, they don't eat toes. That I know of...



Before it flew off, it gave up a big yawn. I will admit that I had to work really hard in post-processing to get anything of use from this shot. The harsh backlighting nearly killed it since my flash was not happy with me today. But I felt I had to share the moment.



Time to try and track down the young ones when I can but having a cooperative owl for a while was amazing. Since they have breed here for three years now I guess they are totally used to me.

Hike at UCF

The wife had committed to helping at the Scouting event at UCF today and talked me into tagging along with the caveat that I could go, literally, "take a hike" while she worked. I planned on just walking the campus but ended up finding the nature trail and quickly realized I was wearing the wrong footwear. Flip-flops and scrub trails are not the best mix, BTW.

It took quiet a while to find any birds so I was taking photos of flowers to ID for a long time. I might do a post about the flowers all on their own at some point as I found a ton of good plants and flowers. However, I finally heard a long-missed sound erupting from the scrub and soon found a female Eastern Towhee that I had to get closer to despite the fear of stepping on any snakes as I headed off-trail.



As I got closer to the neighborhood near the edge of the trail I began to hear the familiar sound of Chimney Swifts sweeping overhead. There was enough of a breeze to slow them a bit for a shot as they cruised over the pines.



The farther along I walked, I started finding more birds but was surprised as an Eastern Bluebird flew in to perch for a few seconds ahead of me.



High overhead, a flock of Double-crested Cormorants flew past quickly.



Besides the Bluebird, I was even more surprised to start hearing Brown-headed Nuthatches. I had to look hard but finally got a view of a juvenile calling to the adults as they gathered food to feed them.



It waits patiently...



...while an adult Brown-headed Nuthatch plucks a pine seed to work into the lunch menu.



Nearby, a Common Ground Dove dropped in to preen and take a break from foraging near the Nuthatches.



I continued to walk the trail and walked out into the open to get around the ponds and make my way back to the stadium. A police helicopter was flying in and it seemed that they were curious as to why I was there. It circled many times and I noticed volunteer staff walking toward me to see what I was up to.



I began to make gestures that I thought would signal that I was just a bird watcher and not some threat and, eventually, the helicopter landed near the ball field and the volunteers backed off. Don't know who was in it, but they did take their time to get settled in as if it might have been some VIP. My complaint is that is scared off most of the birds I was tracking.



Once the noise subsided, the Eastern Bluebirds dropped back down before heading off into the woods.



I got closer to the stadium where I had started and noticed a flock of Fish Crows exploring something on an island in a retention pond. They were not alone. A pair a Loggerhead Shrikes were defending territory from the crows and gave me some good looks as they chased the crows out of the area.



Just before I finished my walk I could hear another familiar sound in Central Florida. Sandhill Cranes were squawking in the distance and they took flight as I rounded the curve.



Back to base and we finished the day with a lunch provided by the Scouts before heading out. An unplanned hike that provided some nice birds that I had no idea were in that spot. Can't complain.

My First Good Look at New Baby Bald Eagle

As you may know, I swing through the cemetery nearly every day to at least take a peek at the Bald Eagle nest to see what is happening. This year they were so late in hatching young we thought is wasn't going to happen at all. How late? Here is Momma trying to stay cool as the days warm when, in the past, they would have headed back North by now after getting kids out of the nest. This year, they hatched young later and have to deal with the rising heat.



Bald Eagles and many other birds take this pose to regulate their body temperatures when things get hotter.



All of my stops finally paid off today as I got my first good look at one of the chicks down in the nest and popping its head above the nest. Still not convinced that there are two but I will keep checking.



Glad they finally had a successful year once again. I have been watching this pair for so many years and it is always amazing to see and hear them as they breed here in Central Florida.

Purple Martins and Spotted Sandpiper

The oldest had to attend a luncheon at church some I hauled him out and since I was waiting I remembered that the Purple Martins should be back at Baldwin Park nearby. When I first arrived there were no birds to be seen.



I wandered around a bit until I spotted a bird circling overhead. A Purple Martin for sure. She flew in quickly and I approached quietly as she went inside the apartment. As soon as I focused on the hole she bolted out straight toward me.



Not too much later, Papa flew in and surveyed his territory.



Once the lunch was finished, we headed home and I finally found a shorebird at Lake Emerald. A Solitary Sandpiper was feeding, as its name implies, alone.



In the middle of the quickly evaporating lake, a Tricolored Heron pants to regulate its temperature in the warming afternoon.



Nice to have a couple of new birds for the year.

Treetop Baby Barred Owl

Oh, shadows. How you vex me. With the waving branches in the breeze it was hard to get a good bit of light of baby Barred Owl high in the treetop.



Where is number 2? Somewhere, but not visible today.

Momma and Baby Barred Owl

I could hear the baby Barred Owls calling. Time to search them out. Luckily, I got a good shot of one of the chicks a little lower for once.



Almost missed by me (I get distracted by the young ones) I noticed movements to my right and saw Momma Barred Owl not too far away.



Just another morning in the yard.

Some Activity at the Eagle Nest

Despite the cloudy day I still have to make my usual rounds, right. I found Momma Bald Eagle out of the nest and down in the nest there was some movement so I have to try to get a shot of the kids. Took a bit, but one of the chicks was beginning to test its wings. If you look hard you can see the arch of the wings just above the nest



Once I got to the other side of the tree I got a better view of Momma now staring intently for signs of either a foe or seeing if Dad was on the way back with lunch.



Frustrating to get any good angles but it shouldn't be long before I can see the eaglets face to face.

New Red-headed Woodpecker!

Made another check on the Bald Eagle nest but still can't get any views of the chicks yet. Just Momma sitting there as tiny heads moved back and forth.



Trying for a new angle, I drove to the other side of the tree when a flash of black and white flew past me. I have seen that flight pattern and coloration before but never here. I pulled closer and the bird flew to a farther pine tree but my guess was now confirmed. It was a Red-headed Woodpecker!



Red-headed Woodpeckers do breed out at Wekiwa Springs and we started seeing them at Mead Garden and now here. Seem to be spreading South.



Which is fine by me! Red-headed Woodpeckers fun birds to watch.



Lurking below was a Yellow-shafted Flicker, another woodpecker that has been breeding here for years.



I hope this isn't the last time I see our new bird species in the cemetery.

Nest Building Red-bellied Woodpecker

There should be some other babies in the yards soon. Besides the Northern Cardinals and Barred Owls which have already left the nest, Red-bellied Woodpecker chicks could be here soon as Papa digs out a hole in the branch of a tree next to our house.



He was so busy that he paid me no attention. Red-bellied Woodpecker get their name from the reddish patch on their belly which is seldom seen. You can see a bit of it in the image above.



They also love peanuts that I put out from time to time.