Category Archives: Birding(Florida)

Wordless Wings on Wednesday

Posted on April 6, 2011 | 17 comments

Howdee all,

Its that Wordless day again…You know me…I have to say something…I will just say this…Sweet!

17 Comments

Posted in Birding, Birding(Florida), Blue, Blue-winged Teal

Gator and Black point Road birding,Florida

Posted on April 5, 2011 | 12 comments

Howdee all,

I found this forgotten post on this rainy, overcast North Carolina Day…I have a few Florida posts waiting to be finished..and I have been lazy about blogging…

I have been walking around Sickstas garden and getting my hands dirty. I have also been searching for the illusive Morel mushroom..hope I find some soon.

I set out my feeders and have a few new arrivals, American Goldfinch and Common Grackle..today a Ruby-throated Hummingbird 🙂 The Bluebirds are checking out the nest box…and spring has sprung..Bird Migration is happening and we are ready and waiting.

Anyway..

I want to share some clouds and birds…

~Remembering~

Merritt Island NWR

This photo from Gator Drive, Merritt Island NWRWe always enjoy birding this area of Florida..Great Egret Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Pied-billed Grebe

Snowy Egret

Tri-colored Heron AnhingaGreen Heron

Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs

These are just a few of the many birds you will encounter in this area…

A wonderful place to bird!

12 Comments

Posted in Anhinga, Belted Kingfisher, Birding(Florida), Great Blue Heron, Greater Yellowlegs, Green Heron, Lesser Yellowlegs, Merrit Island NWR, Pied-blilled Grebe, Snowy Egret

Swallow-tailed Kite

Posted on March 28, 2011 | 18 comments

Howdee all,

While staying at Wilderness RV resort in Silver Springs, Florida,we were lucky enough to experience a Swallow-tailed Kite flying over the park. Then we noticed two Kite..

And just yesterday we saw this..

Sorry for the Grainy photos…I just have a point and shoot~

Nest building material!

It was fun to watch…we stayed for a half hour then continued our walk to the nearby restaurant for Sunday morning breakfast.The nest is being built close to the river…in the tallest pine tree, in back of a row of Motorhomes…Everyone was enjoying watching them…After breakfast Jeff and I went back and there was no sign of them..

We were told that a Red-shouldered Hawk dive bombed one of the Kite.

The Hawk was then surprised as the other Kite…went after him.

The nest building stopped..I went back later in the evening and they were not at the nest building site.

I did see one of the resident Pileated Woodpeckers.

The RV park is getting empty now…The snowbirds are starting their northward journeys back home for the summer..See our Homey at the far end of the RV park…Its time for our wheels to turn too!We are headed to North Carolina..for a months stay at Sickstas and Craigys.

This morning before we began our journey north, I went to see if the Kite had returned…

And they had…

With nest building material!Nice!

18 Comments

Posted in bird, Birding(Florida), Florida, Swallow-tailed Kite

Lake Eaton Trail~Ocala National Forest

Posted on March 21, 2011 | 12 comments

Howdee all,

Its getting hot here in Florida~ So it was nice to find a hike in the forest..

Jeff and I did this short hike to Lake Eaton.

A little shade… I love the Christmas Lichen

Pretty in Pink

This Deer Moss looks like soap bubbles..

Pink lichen and Deer Moss

More Lichen…What kind?

See the heart?This was a short 2.3 mile hike

To the Lake…We saw a few Egrets and a Bald Eagle flying over the lake.. an Alligator cooling off in the water..if you look very closely 🙂

Cypress kneesMaple leaves coming out for the summer..I chased around a few of these large green Dragonflies…

Great Pond hawks~Common Green Darner?

This one below was on another…at first I thought they were mating…

Then it flew off…and on closer inspection…I realized it was having lunch….tasty!

Jeff and I are here in Ocala National Forest for a few more days…we then head our tires North~destination North Carolina…

12 Comments

Posted in Birding(Florida), Christmas Lichen, Deer Moss, Florida, Hiking (Florida), Lake Eaton Trail

Here we are~ Wilderness RV Park Estates…

Posted on March 19, 2011 | 17 comments

Howdee all,

Here we are…

We are in the Ocala National Forest for a few days or longer~haven’t decided yet how long we will stay.

I tried to find a campground in the National Forest or the nearby State Park…but it was a no go~booked solid.

So here we are…at the Wilderness RV Park and Estates~big park~ Monster park really.

Not the usual park to stay at for us…but it has a few perks..

Walk out the door to the Ocklawaha River.

Where we plan to rent a kayak and check out the river this week~Watch out Gators!

We chose a spot looking into the forest and away from most of the Motorhomes.

It was foggy this morning

Wilderness rv park_025

There is a heated pool~which we have used already..and Jacuzzi..another luxury. We have used the exercise room..and I plan on using it on days we aren’t hiking.

Need to loose that 10 pounds that menopause, bad eating habits and lack of exercise has kept on..

There are a few nice water features in the park~though, I have only seen one Great Egret in the water…We have seen and heard other birds from the park..

Yesterday in the evening I saw a Swallow-tailed Kite fly overhead.

At dusk we heard Barred Owls hooting up a storm..

And as I write this post at almost 2pm…an Eastern Screech Owl was calling..

I will take a walk now to the river and see what I can see…

We will hang out here for what’s left of the day~heated pool~Jacuzzi~maybe a little more exercise~Watch the Big Moon Rise…and listen to the Owls again.

Hope you all enjoy the Big MOON!

And if you haven’t already seen my

~Featured Bird Blogger of the Week~

Go Check see who it is… Smile

17 Comments

Posted in Birding(Florida), birds, Camgrounds, Florida, Wilderness RV resort. Florida

Barred Owls ~ Florida

Posted on March 16, 2011 | 19 comments

Look…Way up there….Shhhh…..sleepingSorry~didn’t mean to wake you Go Back to sleep…

I will whisper…

Howdee all~

Jeff and I saw these Barred Owls while Birding at Emeralda Marsh in Leesburg,Florida.

We are now near Ocala, Florida…working our way north to be in North Carolina by April.

Happy Spring and Happy Birding!

All photos taken with my big point and shoot

19 Comments

Posted in Barred Owl, Birding(Florida), birds, Emeralda Marsh

~Goodbye Emerald Eyes~

Posted on March 15, 2011 | 12 comments

Howdee all,

We leave this RV park today and I must say Goodbye to my Peacock friends…

I was so fascinated by the males that I didn’t take any photos of the Peahens..sorry girls.

The Peafowl like hanging out high in the trees..

Check out this video of a Male Displaying~He’s so handsome…but the girls could care less…

A young maleLook at the beautiful fluff on his rump..Goodbye Handsome…Keep strutting your stuff..

Enchant those peahens..

like you have enchanted me..…

Haiku –

Peacock Feather

Drops from a rainbow
Changed to an emerald eye
On Indian bird.
Paul Holmes

Here we are..until tomorrow

Posted on March 6, 2011 | 15 comments

Howdee all,

Jeff and I are now in Mims, Florida. We arrived last week to have new awnings put on. After ten years the fabric was old and had many holes and rips.

We stayed with the same color scheme….just a bit different as it has a tweed look to it…

Here Homey sits on our campsite at Seasons in the Sun…

Our favorite RV park so far when staying in Titusville area…its not too…sterile..meaning….they left some nice trees in most of the areas..there are two areas of the campground we don’t like because it is pretty much all pavement and few trees…Here is a sunset view over the campground and tennis courts.

There is a Barred Owl in the park…I hear it at night…(sigh) I love it..…We enjoyed our visit south…but its time to work our way north again…

Jeff and I on the beach on Hutchinson Island.

Where we had great views of the Magnificent Frigatebird…

A bit far for my point and shoot…

We also were lucky to be in the right place at the right time to catch the space shuttle Discovery’s Last launch

While staying at Jensen Beach we were close to my cousin and her family…Her daughter cut my hair shorter than I have had in quite a while..and I am liking it…

She did a lovely job with the cut and color…

My hair dries so quick now..usually it takes hours…..Thanks Ashley!

We leave this RV park tomorrow and Tuesday we have more work done on Homey…

Don’t know how long that will take…but after, we plan on heading toward Ocala..

and norther..

15 Comments

Posted in Birding(Florida), Florida, Florida (beach), Magnificent Frigatebird, Seasons in the Sun RV park, Space shuttle Discovery

Friday Feathers~Common Moorhen

Posted on March 4, 2011 | 9 comments

Howdee all,

Common Moorhen..

The Common Moorhen has long toes that makes it possible to walk on soft mud and floating vegetation. The toes have no lobes or webbing to help in swimming, but the moorhen is a good swimmer anyway. via All about Birds

One of the most common water birds I see here in Florida….Coot being the most common..Some of these photos were taken at Green Cay..Green Cay is One of my favorite places to bird when we stay in Palm beach area…I love the bright green algae and duck weed…the ability to get close to birds at Green Cay makes my point and shoot camera happy!