Juvenile Glossy Ibis

According to Sibley a juvenile Glossy Ibis will be in this color phase, with the white on the top of the head and under the neck, from July until November. This is the first individual I've noticed with such a pattern at Green Cay. We have multitudes of Glossy Ibis at the wetlands and I've seen plenty of first year ibis but none with this pattern. It was quite a sight and certainly worth seeing a second time. Unfortunately after locating the bird it decided to fly away. I hope it returns before November and still retains this excellent coloration.

All photos taken by Marty Kaye at Green Cay.

Matador and Keen

The photo essay over at Matador Travel called Living the KEEN Life includes a picture of my dog and I in Central Florida. I thought it was cute and thought I would share.

Green Cay Bird Count

Photo taken by Bill Kominsky at Green Cay.

On yesterday's bird count we had the following species:

Black-bellied Whistling Duck - 7 (including 2 juveniles)
Mottled Duck - 16
Anhinga - 10
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 2
Great Egret - 1
Tricolored Heron - 12
Green Heron - 2
Snowy Egret - 4
Little Blue Heron - 6
Yellow-crowned Night Heron - 1 (juvenile)
Glossy Ibis - 9
White Ibis - 16
Roseate Spoonbill - 7
Wood Stork - 6
Black Vulture - 1
Osprey - 1
Common Moorhen - 70
Black-necked Stilt - 19
Mourning Dove - 1
Common Nighthawk - 1
Chimney Swift - 6
Fish Crow - 1
Purple Martin - 16
Northern Mockingbird - 2
Northern Cardinal - 1
Boat-tailed Grackle - 10
Red-winged Blackbird - 6

Not bad for only 1 mile of birding, spanning about an hour of time. This is a typical bird count at the wetlands sometimes we can have as many as 35 species in the summer. Of course all that is going to change once migration starts. Shorebirds arriving any day now. I just hope the water levels will stay down.

Kaufman Field Guides

If you like free giveaways, helping conservation issues, and becoming a part of a larger birding community you should consider joining the 10,000 Birds Conservation Club. I was lucky enough to be one of their winners in a Kaufman Field Guide Seires giveaway many months ago. I wanted to finally get around to thanking 10,000 Birds and also Kenn Kaufman for such a treat. The books are amazing. I've been putting the Mammals guide to good use. On my recent trip out West I was able to identify Antelope Ground Squirrels from chimpmunks. This is something I would've had a harder time doing without these great guides. Now I even have a mammal list going thanks to Kenn.

The Butterfly guide has been a prize possession of mine since it came out so I was able to give my new copy away to a budding naturalist that lives in Oregon. I hope she's putting it to great use out there. And I opted to keep both the Bird guide and the Spanish edition bird guide. I'm in the process of producing a Spanish bird checklist for our nature center. With a large migrant community close by I want to reach out to this section of the community that is easily overlooked. I have the Kaufmans and 10,000 Birds to thank for all of these opportunities. Also I would be remise if also didn't thank Wren from Wrenaissance Reflections for giving me an opportunity to join such a great organization. Thanks everyone, Green Cay Nature Center and myself have much to gain from your generosity.

Little Blue Heron Up-close

On my bird count today I had 6 Little Blue Herons including one Juvenile. Juvenvile Little Blue Herons have an all white phase. The one today was molting into the blue plumage, an in-between phase called pied or calico. The juvie was too far away to digiscope but I did manage to get up-close and personal with one of the adults.

Little Blue Herons are not our most frequent visitor. Usually you see one or two while walking at the Green Cay Wetlands but sometimes you do get lucky like today and see quite a few.

This patient stand-and-wait predator may easily be overlooked by their lack of movement but you should look closely for this resident species. They never fail to capture your attention with their blue and reddish tinted feathers and dull yellow eye. That ever faithful gaze is both intense and calculated as they hunt.

I'm ready for the shorebirds to return soon and then the other migrants in the fall. But until that happens it's been nice getting to know some of the resident species and having the time to soak in the details this summer.

Killdeer Season

Running in and out of the scope I can barely keep up with the small Killdeer. This is by far my favorite common shorebird. I love the call, the little black necklaces, even the way they scurry about on the ground. Killdeer nest at Green Cay and I've been watching our ever-growing resident population for signs of nesting. Mostly I focus the scope, move it, take a picture, focus again, move it, take a picture. And as you can see I get a partial bodyshots. I get back shots. I get only a small blurry shape. Every now and again I actually get most of the bird in the frame and I call it success.

All photos taken at Green Cay with a Bushnell Elite Scope and Olympus Tough Digital Camera.

White Peacocks

It's the time of year when few bird species are seen. The cardinals and blue jays are hiding in the understory. It's the time of year for butterflies and dragonfiles. I love walking about the wetlands at Green Cay soaking in the flying insects. White Peacocks, Anartia jatrophae, especially seem to be on every plant and twig. This tropical brushfoot butterfly is common in Florida and can be seen all year long. But to me, summer is the time of butterflies. White Peacocks are certainly most plentiful this time of year. Enjoy a few shots I took out on our grassy berm at Green Cay.

Digiscoping Herps

Alligators have such an intrigue about them. They are large, carnivorous reptiles that remind us of dinosaurs and create fear in young and old alike. One of my favorite things to teach about is the mythical alligator and the many lies that have been told about this mostly docile beast. I love the patterns on this females head. She's been guarding her nest for the past few weeks. No one is sure when it will hatch but she stands diligently guarding it.

As you can see my digiscoping rig has aided in up-close photos lately on the blog. I really would like a better digital camera to use but so far it's working well. I love when visitors pass by and I let them take a peek at the magnified view. Such an awesome reptile and beautiful to behold.

One of Green Cay's other reptiles that gets lots of attention is the Florida Softshell Turtle. You rarely see them out basking due to the soft rubbery skin. Every now and then you may get lucky and see one fully out of the water like the beauty below. She was pretty far off but the scope allowed a little closer look. For size comparision she is bigger than a dinner plate, more platter size. I love how the mouth is left opening as if she's panting in the hot Florida weather.

Most people visit Green Cay to see the reptiles, especially the alligators. Even if the summer temperatures have caused most of the birds to migrate and the people to stay away, the herps are still out and about. Come out early to see them bask before the sun shines too bright.

Moorhen Babes

Little black puff balls of feathers are being found all about the wetlands. Common Moorhens are finally getting into reproduction gear and now that the water levels are back up we are finding families scattered around Green Cay. I love watching the family dynamics. Babies begging for food, parents feeding, adults fighting, everything is a show for moorhen and also loud. These birds really like to cackle.

The other day I was digiscoping a family feeding and I noticed that two of the flock had taken a rest on a nearby plant. I loved how these bald wonders sat there all gangly with large feet. Moorhens are really the ugliest of all the baby birds but they are amusing on a slow summer day.

Rainy Day Back

After an exciting weekend up in Georgia/South Carolina for a friend's wedding I am officially back in Florida. The nature center's weather today has turned cloudy and off-and-on showers have plagued the afternoon. I forgot how nice the summers are in South Carolina. I miss those hot days and semi-cool nights. We don't have that in Florida. The heat index this morning at 8AM was 90 degrees. But despite the weather I am glad to be back home. I'm looking forward to shorebird migration later this month. And I have my fun but exhausting Jr. Naturalist Series starting this weekend at the nature center. No plans for any travel until August. So if you're in the area stop by Green Cay and you'll find me.

By the way, having a beach wedding is even better when the backdrop includes dolphins, Brown Pelicans, and Least Terns. Congratulations to Katie and Bill!

Canoeing the Loxahatchee River

Osprey nest on the Loxahatchee River.

Geraldine and I stopping for a snack by some Cypress knees.

Photo by Geraldine

The riparian zone of Loxahatchee is great: Slash Pine meets Cypress trees meets Mangroves.

I love the Mangroves with the Cypress buttresses in front. Weird mixture of brackish and fresh swamps.

After our 2 hours of canoeing we headed over to Jupiter Beach for some wave jumping. The beaches here are my favorite in Palm Beach County.

Hawk Migration over the Keys

Cooper's Hawk taken at Green Cay by Bill Kominsky.

Today I read a great article from Birder's World about Hawk Migration over the Keys. I had heard last year that the Curry Hammock Hawk Watch was cancelled due to lack of funds and staff. This year I really want to get down there for a weekend of raptor gazing. The raptor migration season is best from mid-September to November. HawkWatch International has some nice data and an analysis of the last 10 years of research done on Keys raptor migration.

One of the things I found most interesting in the conclusions, or I should say questions rather ,on accipiter migration. I thought it was really unusual how Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's would avoid over-water migration routes up north, like at Cape May Hawk Watch, but then fly right off the Keys into the unknown of the Gulf. I think there is a lot more about migration that we just haven't uncovered yet. I have been wanting to see this migration spectacle since I first heard about it a few years ago and since Birder's World was so kind to open this article to the public, it has lit the fire even more.

Sandpiper Dreams

These Semi-palmated Sandpipers stopped by Green Cay back in June when we lowered our water levels to do some re-plantings. I digiscoped all the photos using my Olympus Stylus Tough digital camera and the nature center's Eagle Optics Eltie scope. It's hard to show lots of contrast when the birds you are photographing are the same color as the mud they are standing on. Plus the light conditions were not the most favorable. But I guess I'm getting the hang of it.

By the end of July shorebird migration should start heating up in the Palm Beach County sod fields. Each year the farmers flood the sod fields to control the nematode population. This in turn attracts the migrating shorebirds. I always try to drive out west for some birding during this time of year. This year I am planning a week long California vacation in August but I still hope to visit our sod fields and see some new PBC birds for the year. If you're interested in the fields keep up-to-date with the Tropical Audubon bird board in the side panal. Once the birds come in there should be posts related to the fields. Until then, you and I can dream of these sandpipers returning to us once again.

Two Butterflies, Two Parks, One Plant

The Common Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, is poisonous to humans but it absolutely ushers in the butterflies to sip from it's pin cushion flower head. This plant of the Madder family grows across the United States but in my encounters it's always near some swampy land or river. Recently while in Riverbend Park and Blue Spring State Park, I saw Common Buttonbushes growing on the riverbanks. And both of the plant had butterflies, though of different species.

The butterfly I saw at Riverbend was a Palamedes Swallowtail, Papilio palamedes. This large swallow tail is one of the largest butterflies in the United States. The only swallowtail that rivals it in size it's the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio gaucus. Below is a few shots of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail seen form the headwaters of Blue Springs.

Swallowtails are relatives to the Birdwings, the largest butterflies in the world. Not all swallowtails have "tails" but most of them do have them. Both of these large butterflies were easy to see and I followed them way into the distance. Summer may be slow when it comes to birding but at least I have the butterflies.