Month: March 2023

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Daily Blog

March 2023

Friday, March 31, 2023
Beautiful weather, more dolphins. Yesterday one swam right under my kayak! Today there was a pod of them fishing up by the marina. I had not seen the Merganser for a couple of days, he was back today. My kayak was again dry as a bone! The wind had driven me into a few oysters, but it only scratched a little by the patch. I caught an Osprey diving and coming up with a fish! He was too fay away to figure out what the fish was though. More pet photos.

Early morning shot of a Night Heron (Back or Yellow will not be obvious for another year.)
Adult Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Adult Black Crowned Night Heron
Young female Cormorant.
Unfortunalely she has fishing line on her. I did not see it while out there, but I do not imagine I could catch her anyway.
Dolphis fishing.
Mom and her 10 ducklings, all saafe for now.
They went up a little tributary to Bear Creek and I did not follow them.
Little Blue
Male Cormorant.
Merganser
Tianna = a very nice dog who never barks, but just wags his tail.
A cat with the green eyes!
Junior Little Blue who has not got his blue feathers yet.
Ibis hiding in the mangroves.
Kingfisher in the mangroves.
Osprey flying high looking for a breakfast of fish. His feet are down indicating that he has stopped mid air looking at something in the water.
Osprey is 1/2 mile away but down he strikes.
Splash, in he goes.
Osprey floats to the surface.
The Osprey takes off with his cargo of fish.
Whatever it is it is huge for that Osprey!
I was told it is a sheepshead.

Thursday, March 30, 2023
Another nice day, a bit cooler (68°). My kayak for the past two years (since I last patched it) always had some water in it when I returned.. I used a towel to mop it up every day. Last week however a towel was not enough, I had to bail. My patch had sprung a huge leak. I sanded off the old patch and put on another (this was my fifth I think) and used another one of my kayaks for a few days. I do not like my yellow (Old Town) kayak as much for photography. It is fast, but tippy. It is very hard to get situated and still to take photos. 
Yesterday and today I used my old green kayak. Both days, when I returned, the interior was stone dry. Not one drop of water in it.! My patch is holding!! I used Ace Hardware super adhesive, then let it dry. Painted over it, then applied two coats of varnish. I hope that it will hold another two years!

It was a windy day, I got my exercise going across the bay, but I got a free ride home!
Osprey flying overhead fishing.
Willets
Mallard Duck
Juvenile Male Mallard
Mother Mallard
Five of the ten ducklings eating off of the pontoon boat with mom above.
When the ducklings saw me first the tiniest one came toward me, then the rest did. Mom was flying up and down the creek squawking, but then landed.
All ten came to greet me, little one in the front.
Mom looking down at the ducklings before jumping down to join them.
Mom leading the flock over to the rocks leading up to a lawn.
Little ones climbing the rocks (the rocks were brought in from out of State to stabilize the banks of Bear Creek).
Ducklings eating grass seeds.
One sharp quack from mom and all of the ducklings came and lined up!
Snowy on a capsized aluminum boat.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Common Grackle
Juvenile Little Blue
Great Blue Heron
Little Green Heron
Pet dog.
He caught one!
Little Blue
Monarch Butterfly in my back yard.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

A very nice day, mother Mallard Duck and her 10 babies were out and in great shape. One duckling decided to come see me (I was about 20 feet away), he paddled out about half way, the turned and half flew back to where mom was! 

Mother Mallard Duck
Mother was up on the headwall, all ten ducklings were down below waiting.
Mom came and joined them, a Yellow Crowned Night Heron dive bombed the group, (they eat the babies), but not this time.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Snowy
Juvenile Little Blue.
Egret
Cormorant
Adult Little Blue
These were observed on the way, mine are white but have not blumed yet.
A Willet
A dove
Great Blue Heron

Monday, March 27, 2023

Marian decided to come, it was a nice day, not too much sun though. I heard a dolphin and Marian saw other dolphins too far away for photos.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Cormorant just coming out of the water.
We saw momma and her 10 ducklings!
Juvenile Little Blue Heron.
Snowy
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron (or Black Crowned, time will tell)

Friday, March 24, 2023

A dolphin, some nice birds!

Allan alerted me to a dolphin across the fairwa!y
Osprey
Cormorant
Little Green
Juvenile Little Blue, no blue feathers yet!
Crow
Anhinga
Anhinga coming out of the water.
Male Mallard
Juvenile Male Mallard
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Adult Little Blue Heron
Merganser
Great Blue Heron

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Sunny and warmer, only a light breeze. Tee shirt weather today!!
I saw Osprey, the Kingfisher, and several other birds, but no pictures. Someone said that there was a manatee behind me, but I did not see it.

Great Blue Heron in the mangroves.
Scott out fishing, he said the Great Blue above was having better luck, the Heron caught one, he did not.
Two Juvenile Mallard Ducks.
Merganser
Interesting name of this boat.
Cormorant drying his feathers.
Little Green Heron
Juvenile Night Heron, may grow up to be a Black Crowned,
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
This Little Blue was startled by a duck quacking loudly..
This is his normal look.
This white ibis is showing all the characteristics of breeding season. The bill and legs are bright red and there is a bright red gular sac (or wattle) at his chin. His bill is also blacker at the end. This sac is only visible for 10 days or so in mating season so it was a pretty lucky find.

Monday March 20, 2023

Sunny and windy. A flock of Merganser was awaiting me, and two up the creek. I saw and heard an Oyster Catcher but he flew away long before I got there. Low tide made me go a much longer route and the wind made me work harder! I worked up a sweat even though it was only 50° (wind chill 45°) when I started, it is 62°  now. Tomorrow is supposed to be near 80°.

Almost totally clear and cold.
Brown Pelican
A flock of 15 Mergansers, but some may have been Loons!.
Incoming Ibis, Junior on the left.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Sanderling
Kingfisher
Male and female Mallard
Not my usual, but I did not know until I got this downloaded that I had taken a photo of a Black Crowned Night Heron! He was under mangroves in the dark.
Male Cormorant
Cormorant taking a bath!
Female Cormorant.
Little Green
The difference in size between the Great Blue Heron and the Snowy!
Great Blue
Osprey on the wing.
Royal Tern

Friday, March 17, 2023

Again, sunny and windy and cool in the morning. Alan saw a dolphin, Scott saw a manatee, but I did not see either. Scott called me a chronicler of the birds which was nice.

Osprey first thing this morning.
Little Green Heron
Female Cormorant
Male Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Juvenile Little Blue Heron - too young for his blue feathers.
Adult Male and two juvenile male Mallards
Osprey with breakfast of fish!
Egret in the top of a tall tree.
Apollo was playing with this ball, tossing it, then running after it! Playing catch with himself! He brought it out when he came over to see me, but dropped it into the water. I went over and retrieved it for him and threw it up on the land.
Merganser
The beak of the Merganser is really flat!

Thursday, March 16, 2023
Sunny but windy today. Most of the birds seem to be tucked in keeping out of the cold (60°) wind.

Female Cormorant.
Male Cormorant
Juvenile Cormorant.
Willet
Kingfisher
Snowy
Wind disturbs Snowy's hairdo.
Blue Jay at the feder.
Female Mallard Duck
Male Mallard Duck
Osprey
Great Blue Heron

Monday March 13, 2023

Pretty cloudy today but warm 75°. Windy too, 7 to 11 mph winds. Marian and I got our exercise getting back to my house!

Osprey on a cloudy day flying by.
Snowy in the wind and clouds
Snowy when the sun peeked out for a second.
Snowy walked in front of an Egret, the Egret poked a little at the intrusion but let it pass.
Egret
Beautiful long feathers across the back and down.
Juvenile Little Blue Heron
Juvenile Little Blue with a morsel for breakfast!
Two ducks and two Mergansers stayed together, the two Mergansers swam withtheir heads underwater for the most part looking for fish.

Sunday March 12,2023
Another fine day.
I was asked if I would sell my photos, the answer is YES, JUST TELL ME WHICH PHOTO AND HOW LARGE.
I found this this morning, it is the same as what I found earlier, just reinforcement:
“There’s not much difference between the birds beyond their name; the word “dove” has Nordic origins, while “pigeon” comes from French. Both birds belong to the Columbidae family and are often categorized by size, but the use of the terms is often subjective.”

Merkanser
Merkanser with breakfast of fish.
Little Green
Female Anhinga
Willet
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Mallard Duck
Cormorant
Turkey Vulture, not the cockroch, the vulture may be the last survivor, they can eat anything.
Osprey

Friday March 10, 2023

And the great weather keeps on rolling along.  Interesting confrontation between a Little Blue and two Snowy, they wanted the perch the Little Blue had.
I saw a manatee, but no photo, he popped up twice but too quickly.

 

Snowy (to the right) wanted the perch the Little Blue had
The Snowy chased the Little Blue off.
Snowy all fluffed up making himself look bigger!
The little Blue moved onto shore.
When the Snowy pestered the Little Blue again, this time the Little Blue stood his ground!
A juvenile Little Blue Heron, no blue feathers until he molts.
Oyster Catcher
Willet
Osprey flying by
Dove
Cormorant
Little Merganser
Blue Jay
Little Green Heron
Turkey Vulture.

Thursday March 9, 2023
More great days kayaking. Lots of Great Blue Herons and Cormorants!

Osprey
Osprey on the wing.
Great Blue Heron
A fisherman and his paddle powered kayak.
Yellow crowned Night Heron, his right foot is up (resting) and is poking through his feathers! He would not be resting if I was bothering him.
There were 8 Cormorants around!
I love the Cormorant's blue eyes!
This Cormorant caught a huge fish! Two other Cormorants came over and tried to get it away and for themselves! It was lost in the process.
Little Green Heron
Snowy
Little Blue Heron
Adult Ibis
Juvenile Ibis
Merganser
Mallard Duck

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Another great day, I spotted three racoons, they pushed a Great Blue Heron aside while a Osprey looked down from his perch, they were directly under him!

Mom and two juvenile racoons!
Osprey interested in the racoons!
Great Blue running away from racoons1
Brown Pelican
One of five Great Blue Herons on the island, I saw 12 in all this morning!
Juvenile Great Blue Heron
Merganser
Oyster Catcher
Oyster Catcher on the wing.
Female Cormorant
Male Cormorant
Little Green Heron
Mallard Duck
Little Blue Heron
Tricolor Heron
Snowy
Osprey
Coconut palms

Monday, March 6, 2023
Another great day.

Ibis
Willet
Great Blue Heron
Male Cormorant
Female Cormorant
Merganser

Sunday March 5, 2023
Another nice day, lots of clouds, but still bright through the scattered ones. The humidity is down a bit. I got a photo of an Osprey with his breakfast flying by!

Osprey with HUGE fish!
Three Willets this morning.
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron with breakfast. of fish.
Mallard Duck
Juvenile male Mallard Duck.
Little Blue Heron
Snowy
Little Green Heron
Kingfisher
Great Blue Heron
Blue Jay
Female Mallord on one side and male on the other side walking back and forth.
Grakle
Osprey

March 4, 2023
Met an attorney on the Lady Pearl, nice guy, listened to my ramblings.
A nice day in the 70’s. Sun in and out of fluffy white clouds. No manatees or dolphin today.
Remember to click above for more info on each bird.

A Willet. Not too many sightings this year of this guy.
Osprey
Brown Pelican on the wing.
Male and two female Mallard Ducks.
Male Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Juvenile Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron next to abandoned nest.
Egret
A windy day, Scott's flag flying!
Little Blue Heron
Little Blue finding little bugs for breakfast.
Merganser
Ibis

March 2, 2023
Above I have added “Descriptions of Birds” where you can get more information on the birds I photograph.
Marian joined me today, we had a nice paddle, beautiful weather!. The sunrise was great! I went to get my camera and missed getting a photo though.

We saw a Great Blue Heron in the old nest that had been abandoned three years ago! It was poking around, adjusting a stick here and there!!!!  🙂

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue in the abamdoned nest from 3 years ago!
Picking up and arranging the branches!
Two Osprey
Osprey on the wing.
Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Duck
Juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron
The Lady Pearl that I went out on a 4th of July.
Brown Pelican

March 1, 2023
Another tee shirt day, partly fluffy white clouds passing by. 70° nice.

Just before sunrise, light breeze light fog.
Great Blue Heron
Anhinga drying feathers.
Cormorant
Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Juvemile Yellow Crowned Night Heron
Osprey