~Florida's Birds~

[bridget1964]

Originally Posted by MaggyNoLia

I caught this Pied-billed Grebe swimming by in front of me. I was too late to catch it under the water. I was watching the Anhinga pester the turtle. You can see it's little feet a paddlin' and there's a little fish swimming by too. I have no idea what the fish are...

I love pied-billed grebes! Great shot!The fish looks like a perch.

[bridget1964]

Originally Posted by Sage

Some of the birds I see in southwest Florida are migrants so you may see them in your area later too. Others are residents. Many are endangered.

Attachment 22163 In our yard, shot through screen

Attachment 22164 ditto

Attachment 22165 at Ding Darling yesterday where we met a twenty-year birder, seeing his very first Wood Stork

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), seen only in limited area of FL or TX. National bird of Mexico.

I saw my first and only wood stork while attending a wedding in Tampa about 6 years ago. The wedding was at a country club and I saw a stork casually walking around outside. I was frantic because I was way more interested in the bird than the wedding! By the time I was able to run outside, it was gone.

Very cool photos, Sage! I too love the second photo with his feet sticking out in front of him! I don't think I've ever seen a wading bird resting on the ground before!

[bridget1964]

Originally Posted by Sage

Attachment 22167 Snowy Egret - Egretta thula

Attachment 22168 Gull - not sure which

Attachment 22169 Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea or Reddish Egret

Attachment 22170 Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias

Sage,
The gull is a laughing gull in non-breeding, winter plumage. The little blue heron is a little blue heron. The great blue heron is really a tricolored heron. Gorgeous shots! The herons are my favorites!

[Sage]

Excellent anhinga shots, Maggy! And cute little grebe!

[Sage]

Originally Posted by bridget1964

Sage,
The gull is a laughing gull in non-breeding, winter plumage. The little blue heron is a little blue heron. The great blue heron is really a tricolored heron. Gorgeous shots! The herons are my favorites!

Laughing Gulls are very common down here but this one not having a dark head confused me. I always look for the light front of the neck for the tri-colored and totally forgot about the belly! Despite having many resources at hand, and photographing birds almost exclusively, I am not a "birder", so appreciate corrections to my bad IDs! Stick around for my next batch!

[Sage]

Turkey Vultures on roof of house

Red-shouldered Hawk screaming for mate

Great Egret in mangroves

Loggerhead Shrike

whoops! tried to delete repost of Snowy Egret but it won't go away!

[havalotta]

Maggy... your Anhinga photos are soooo cool!
How exciting having him right in front of you toying with the turtle....Do you think it was trying to figure out a way to pluck it out for a feast?
What a nice surprise to see photographs of them UNDER the water. That eyeball staring up at you is cute and awesome all at the same time!
Love it. Were the pied-billed grebes in a salt or fresh water? I don't think the fish would be a perch if it was salt.....

[havalotta]

Ohhhh Sage
Your photographic skills have improved soooo much since we first met.
What kind of camera did you say you have that takes such a shot? I'm toying around with the idea of going back to an SLR which I think are more capable of taking low light shots but MUCH larger or a handy smaller lighter compact with a decent zoom.

[Sage]

Panasonic Lumix FZ-35. All the newer point-and-shoot in this range have great zoom capabilities and many features, but they do not do well with whites, blacks, reds or pinks. They usually require photoshopping to bring out better detail. I cannot handle a dslr though. Before getting a dslr, use your camera as if it had no automatic settings.

[havalotta]

Ahhhh I'm familiar with it....An 18x 10 M.P. Same power as my fuji film has!