Florida 2019

Earlier this year, my wife and I visited Delray Beach, Florida, located near Ft. Lauderdale. I spent much of my time at Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach, Florida and at Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray, Florida.

The timing was almost perfect because it was during the mating and nesting period, and many birds had already hatched their eggs. The following photos are just a few of the hundreds taken in one week, but they're my favorites and I hope they'll be yours as well.

 The stars of the Wakodahatchee Wetlands (WW) were the baby Egrets. One can't look at these chicks and not think of their dinosaur ancestors (or my cousin Elmer from Smackover, Arkansas). They're totally dependent upon their mom and pop for food and protection, much like millennials.

This rather ugly chick is a Wood Stork, and when you look at the mom you know immediately where the chick gets its looks.

But Mother Nature works her wonders by giving the Wood Stork grace and beauty when in flight, as the next photos will prove.

There were many Wood Storks at WW and watching them fly in groups was like a choreographed ballet.

The following photos were taken at Green Cay Wetlands (GCW):

This is the Roseate Spoonbill. (Gee, I wonder why they're called Spoonbill?)

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Spoonbill is not related to the Pink Flamingo. Their color is due to the food they eat, normally crustaceans like shrimp, mollusks, snails and Twinkies.

Trivia note: The pink eyes of the Spoonbill get pinker as they age.

This is an adult breeding Cormorant. Note the beautiful aquamarine eyes. The cormorant is a diving bird and is often confused with the Anhinga (next photos).

The GCW birds are very used to being close to people and often, like this one, perch on the rails of the boardwalk within a few feet of passersby.





The following photos are of the Anhinga bird, also a fish-eating bird that dives for its dinner. The long, snake-like neck is why the Anhinga is also called Snake Bird, because when swimming, only the neck is visible and looks like a snake.

This pair of Anhinga birds are immature, hence the beige necks. They did a dance as I took photos, probably mistaking me for a talent scout for a TV show.

Anhingas have pointy beaks, unlike the Cormorant which has a curved beak at the end. This feature makes it easier to identify the difference between the two.

This Anhinga had a bit of an attitude, I think, engaging me in a "stare-down." Need I say that he won and then flew away triumphantly?

 I saved the best for last. This is a male Painted Bunting, often considered the most beautiful bird in the world. We don't have the pleasure of seeing this bird in Wisconsin because it hates cold weather and does not like paying high taxes.

                                                                                                

 Several Buntings were at the feeders, but I wanted to photograph one in a more natural setting.

                                             I had to wait a long time to finally get my wish.

Bald Eagles 2019

On the weekend of January 25-27 my wife and I made our yearly visit to North Davenport,  Iowa, to take photos of American Bald Eagles congregating at Lock and Dam #14. It was cold and snowy when we arrived and I thought this lessened the chance for great eagle pics, but that cloudy Friday turned out to be the best day.

Fifteen or so eagles flew in and out of the area, perching in nearby trees or simply flying over the water with an occasional attempt to snag a fish. If one eagle caught a fish, others took note and hastily flew to try to steal the fish away from the hunter. This produced a flurry of activity and the photographers were snapping shots like crazy. I took 500 photos that Friday.

This eagle was about to eat a fish lunch but noticed that uninvited company had arrived.

Eagles, like my Uncle Alvin, do not like sharing, so, also like Uncle Alvin, the eagle gulped down its food as quickly as possible.

 

 The inevitable spat erupted, but the larger eagle held her fish tightly in one talon while sparring with the other eagle. I say "her" because the female eagle is usually larger than the male.

 The fight continued with both birds carefully avoiding injury, after all, it's only a stupid fish.

Guess who the winner was.

        Another eagle (below) later settled on a solitary branch that gave our diner the privacy that made sharing the meal with another eagle almost impossible. By the way, I think this fish was prepared in the French style, with a meuniere butter sauce that made fish guts taste like, well, fish guts.

A close-up reveals the gusto with which the eagle devoured the meal.

Eagles announce their landing with a chirping sound, as though to 

let other eagles know that  they mean no harm.

This eagle flew through the wooded area with a fish held by her talons as she expertly avoided brushing the branches.

 Look closely at this photo and you'll see that this eagle's eyes are covered with a grayish membrane called a "nictitan" that can be used to prevent branches from injuring the eyes. It moves across the eye to protect, moisten and lubricate the eye's surface.

Nothing is more intriguing to me than watching an eagle snare a fish that she spotted from high above the water. This eagle only needed one talon to make the catch.

Eagles use a piercing screech when they need to warn other eagles of territorial rights.

Sunday was blue skies and tolerable weather but not many eagles.

Then I noticed two eagles that I believe were nesting pairs because they peacefully flew in tandem and with a precision that suggested practice.