Greenwood Wetlands. Toad, Anyone?

I was attempting to relocate the Night Herons from the other day but they are hidden from me every visit since. Guess I will just have to see what else there is to see. There were some White Ibis feeding around the area but I was figured I have gotten enough of them already. Fortunately, there was a juvenile Wood Stork resting in the shadows.



Over on the airport side of the wetlands an Osprey was sitting atop a cypress tree and made a pass at a fish before changing its mind and flying in my direction. There is an active nest right across the highway.



Then, an entire flock of White Ibis flew in and landed a few feet in front of me.
Oh, alright.



I continued my search but today I would only find just about every other member of the heron family but not the elusive Night Herons. The bridge on the cemetery side was currently the hunting ground for a Great Blue Heron.



On the way back to the van I was watching a Great Egret. It seemed to be tracking something near the water. Maybe I could get a shot of it with a fish.



However, it surprised me. It wasn't a fish it was after but a dragonfly. Just plucked it right off the weeds.



The Wood Stork was moving along the edge of the water but paused in the dappled shadows to allow me some shots. So much duck weed floating around these days.



I was lining myself up for a portrait shot of the stork when I noticed a White Ibis off to me left. I could tell it had something large in its bill and it was heading toward the water. Ibis typically eat small prey but this was a lot bigger. When I got close enough, I could tell it was a toad.



When birds get some larger food items they often take it to the water and get them wet. Probably easier to swallow. After a few dips in the lake the toad was not putting up a struggle. Just not facing in the right direction.



Another dunking and reposition and it looks like the inevitable is near.



Gulp! One full Ibis.



I approached the bridge back to the parking lot and noticed a Tricolored Heron underneath staring intently at the flowing water.



It was still there waiting for something to float by but I never saw it attempt a stab while I was there. Didn't even acknowledge my presence.



I didn't want a White Ibis day but they had other plans. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Quick Mead Garden HIke

I had a few minutes to do a bit of birding so I drove over to Mead Garden in Winter Park to see if anything was stirring. Not much. It was way too quiet for my tastes. At least the rains have returned and the water flowing in from Lake Sue has brought back some life to the once dry creek.



Even the young Northern Cardinals were seldom seen or calling as they foraged in the shadows.



I wanted to see how much water was flowing a bit farther up the creek. As I peered over the side of the new retaining wall I found a nice surprise. A large Soft-shelled Turtle was apparently digging a nest on the creek bank.



These turtles do not come out of the water too often so it was fun to get a real close look. I always love those eyes and snout.



Farther down the creek where I found the immature Lubber Grasshoppers the last time I was here revealed that most have gone through their final molt into adulthood.



Not even the batch of Mockingbirds I enjoyed watching on my last visit were out. Instead, I had to try for a dragonfly shot. This nervous Golden-winged Skimmer would never give me a head-on view but it is pretty just the same.



Up in the butterfly garden more insects buzzed along but I was more drawn to the Gallardia blooms, some already going to seed.



No real birds to take photos of but there is always something to discover out in the wilds of Winter Park. Just have to take a little stroll.

Let There Be Lightning!

Before I was chasing birds, I was always chasing lightning. Quite natural when you grow up in Florida. I have been trying to get a good shots of lightning since high school. Those good ol' days when you think not even such powers can, ya know, kill you. Back then it was all 35mm and trying to time things right. Sometimes I got lucky.

Now we have digital and can click away without much fear of running out of film at the wrong time. There is still the fear of getting hit so I look for spots that are safer. When I can. Last year was a bust, storm-wise. The storms were lacking bolts or when they did have some to show I was usually eating dinner and had no time to get to a good vantage point. Tonight? A strong storm approached and I had 15 minutes to spare.

I grabbed the camera, tripod, and keys and rushed over to Lake Cherokee hoping to beat the downpour. I arrived with sprinkles falling and the winds gusting. I barely had time to set up the gear but I did the best I could under the conditions. I got a few strikes. But as you can see in water of this shot, the wind was blowing so hard I had to hold the camera and tripod so there is some shake in the images.



That is downtown Orlando in the background. A nice backdrop. This is where I often go to get a clear view near the house. This bolt actually pulsed three times down the same path towards the ground.



One more shot before the real rain hits. I like the darker feel to it.



Kids: Don't stand in the open with a tripod on a metal grate next to lake trying to get lightning shots. Leave that to us idiots...

Black-crowned Night Heron

Woke up to a wonderful morning and eventually climbed out of bed and decided to do a quick check of the area before the rains hit in earnest. By the time I rounded the lakes it was already starting to sprinkle. Still not too hard to venture out on foot for a bit so I picked the wetlands to see if I could relocate the Barred Owls.

No luck on the owls but I did find something a bit more interesting. A I crossed the bridge into the wetlands I saw a bird duck its head below the high grass near the lake. As I walked closer, the bird peered out from behind a cypress tree. A Black-crowned Night Heron!



In the past 20 years I have lived in this neighborhood I have maybe seen 4-5 of them here. Mostly juveniles. This was an adult in breeding plumage. Wonder if they are nesting nearby?

The search is on!

A Closer Look at the New Spoonbill

Back at work, the Alligator continued to glide across the waters of the retention pond. I was more interested in making sure I got to check if the Spoonbill I found yesterday was still present near home. Now I just had to make it home while there was still enough light.



No problem. Arrived with plenty of time let. Good news was that the Spoonbill was in the smaller pond right next to the parking lot today. The only difficult thing would be getting the camera lens in close enough to take an unobstructed shot through the green fencing that surrounds the smaller pond. So, first I test out my skills on a juvenile Boat-tailed Grackle.



Next, the poor decoy they placed here could really use some water.



All set. Over toward the Spoonbill. It eyed me for a second but seemed to feel safe enough. Plus, I was on the far side of the fence. I managed to get the lens in enough to gets some good shots of this cute juvenile Roseate Spoonbill.



Juveniles retain the feathers on their heads for a while. Before too long this bird will mature and it will go bald, showing a greenish scalp.



I admired it for a few minutes longer and then headed back home. It has been 5 years since the last Spoonbill stopped by during a rainstorm. Now we have had two in as many weeks.

Another Spoonbill Surprise

What would a Sunday morning be without a lake check? Our banding is off for the Summer so, why not? Over at Lake Lancaster where the Spotted Sandpiper was yesterday was an Osprey standing in the water. They are a fish eating bird so no chance it ate that tiny bird.



Closer to shore, a juvenile Little Blue Heron searches for a meal.



For some reason, I was getting a feeling I should head over to the church and see if anything was in the retention ponds after the rain. The smaller pond next to the parking lot was full of Wood Ducks but not much else.



Over at the larger pond I spotted the usual suspects. Herons, Mallards, Common Gallinule. Plus, a splash of pink on the grass. A Roseate Spoonbill! The second individual in the past couple of weeks!! It never changed this position, though.



Perhaps it will still be around tomorrow for a better angle.

Playing the Shape Game

I had to work today but took a few seconds to swing by a retention pond near the office beforehand. We had just had a bunch of rain in the area so the water levels are finally getting back to a more normal height. I didn't see any interesting birds except for an American Coot still hanging around.

Then, at the far end of the pond near the creek entrance, I spotted a shape I know all too well. Really? Here? Well, it is Florida. A 6-foot American Alligator was cruising the dark waters near the shore.



On the way home, I swung around Lake Lancaster and got to play the Shape Game again. A small speck flashed across the lake and was headed to a sandbar in the center of the lake. I could tell by the shape that this was my Spotted Sandpiper. Binoculars and a distant shot confirm it.



Won't be much shore left for this shorebird for long. Nice to find it this late in the season.

Mead Garden Mockingbirds

I had a little time to kill so I headed over to Mead Garden. It had been to long since my last visit. OK. Maybe only a couple weeks, but I used to go there every morning before the hurricanes of 2004 wrecked the place. I was hoping to find something of interest. Perhaps some lingering migrants. Most of my time was spent with the locals.

As soon as I arrived I started hearing a sound that I dod not recognize. I pinned down the are where the calls were coming from but still could not find the bird. Eventually, the flock came together in a different tree. Turned out to be Brown-headed Cowbirds. They are seen here from time to time. The first I ever saw was being fed by a warbler after an egg was hatched in its nest, unwittingly.



Not much else was moving besides some high-flying Parulas so I moved toward the boardwalk. Something made a crashing move through the underbrush and I finally found the source. A rabbit was trying to nibble the grasses before I spooked it.



Down near the creek I found the vegetation looking much more healthy after the recent rains. I also found a LOT of Lubber Grasshoppers, most in their pre-molt into adults.



I was happy to see that the ginger plants were blooming. Then I noticed a lot more grasshoppers just as happy.



Along what is left of the boardwalk I only found more overgrown plants and something made a very strange call. I could never find that call-maker but I was soon surrounded by this year's brood of Northern Mockingbirds. They quickly grabbed my attention. Especially when they would sit up in the Elderberry branches right in front of me.



The feather patterns easily identify these birds as juvenile but so does the brown iris staring back at me.



The young birds were greedily gulping down berries as the adults stayed lower and foraged for insects and the occasional fruit.



I finally made my way to the end of the walk and came into the butterfly garden where Titmice and Cardinals fed. However, another Mockingbird surprised me by picking up a Lubber. Lubbers have very few predators so it was heartening to find something eating them as the Lubbers can easily overrun some areas.



This juvenile thrashed the grasshopper into smaller pieces and swallowed the legs while I was shooting. Hopefully, the others will join in.



So, no real finds, otherwise, but this was the biggest brood of Mockingbirds I have seen in years here. A good sign for their flock.

Memorial Day Ruby

We had the pleasure to spend some time for Memorial Day with some family out the Oviedo way. Problem was, it was going to rain almost all day long. What's a birdwatcher to do? Stare out at the rain and hope something shows up, of course.

Mainly, it was a Cardinal and Titmouse kind of day. Along the way, some Mourning Doves and woodpeckers would join in. Then. my brother-in-law mentioned that there was a hummingbird feeder on the other side of the back porch. Really? Time to shift gears. It didn't take long for a Ruby-throated Hummingbird to make an appearance through the rain drops.



I first saw her coming to the feeder cautiously. I soon managed to prop the screen door open for some clear shots. Love the rain drops on her bill.



I was told there were a couple of females that came to the feeder so I was pleasantly surprised by the sighting of a male. He would zip through faster than the female but once headed to a tree to do a little deeper bathing on the leaves.



Most of my shots of the male were with its head buried in the feeder ports. Finally, I got a pretty good flight shot. Sweet. Even a bit of ruby showing in the dim light.



Once the rain began to lighten up, a few more birds came out to play. A family of Carolina Wrens skipped along the fence line. The adult on the left has an awful lot of white spots, more than I have seen before. On the right is a more drab juvenile.



There were several Common Ground Doves coming and going during the day. I typically find them in locations more to the East heading toward the coast. A nice find here in the suburbs. As one fed near a feeder I decided to slip out back and hoped for a closer look. To my surprise, this bird did not seem to mind me if I walked slowly. Eventually, I began shooting.



Every Ground Dove I have ever been around before takes flight at the slightest approach. This one didn't seem to care and I got my best shot ever of one of these birds.



Not bad for a soggy Monday. Just wish Lois could have been there with us today. Get well, Lois. We miss your laugh!