Great Horned Owls

click photo to enlarge

This group is looking at a Great Horned Owl nest in a distant cypress tree camouflaged by Spanish moss. Mama and the nest are in the red square.

 

 Mama watches her twins as they play.

Isn't she big and beautiful?

Her owlets are adorable fluffy feather balls.

The nest is located not far from the entrance gate to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach on the left side of the road.

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Seagulls by the Sea

 Meanwhile back at the beach the seagulls were plentiful.

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 The Bird D'Pot

Weekly Top Shot 

Red Heads

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Cardinal

You can fly, but you can not hide forever. 

After a merry chase and game of hide and seek- I finally captured a few shots of these red beauties at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach.

color me Happy ~:)

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Wild Bird Wednesday

Flock and Fly Together

Caspian Terns

Laughing Gulls

Forster's Terns

 This group of shore birds were gathered together in a sandy parking area on the shores of Lake Okeechobee.
When suddenly a truck pulled in behind them and they took flight in unison.
The truck driver could have turned the other way but I think he thought is was funny to make the birds scatter and fly.
I was not impressed by his thoughtless actions!

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 Weekly Top Shot

Black Skimmer's bathtime

A Ring-billed Gull stood and watched the Black Skimmer next to him

as it scooped water into its bill and poured it over its back.

It then proceeded to rub its wet feathers with his head.

The longer lower bill of the skimmer must make it hard for them to preen.

The seagull and I found the shimmers bathing actions to be quite amusing. :>)

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Wandering Palm Warbler

Precious are those little things that make me smile ~:)

Bird Hodge-Podge

Crested Casacasa

On a recent road trip to Lake Okeechobee this Caracara was easy to spot as it sat in a dead tree along the roadside.

Lesser Yellowlegs

The Lesser Yellowlegs was wading in a small canal eating whatever caught its eye.

As we entered a park on Lake O, I noticed Sandhill Cranes wandering around the parking lot.

 

There were several small groups of Cranes feeding in the picnic areas along the lake.

Sandhill Crane

  We must have seen at least ten cranes with their red feather mask ~:>)

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The Bird D'Pot

Snake Wrangler Tale

Great Blue Heron catches an unknown snake

The wrestling match begins- who's gona win?

Blue slams snake in the shallow water - snake is stunned!

no words needed

Gulp - to swallow hurriedly or greedily :>)

 linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday 

American Bald Eagle Tale

the second Eagle

third Eagle

I saw a forth Eagle but did not stop

Yesterday we drove west on Route 710 heading to Lake Okeechobee.  I was beyond thrilled when I spotted the first Bald Eagle perched high atop a concrete pole-  but we didn't stop as the road has only two lanes with drainage ditches alongside and fast moving traffic.

Further down the road I spied a second Bald Eagle on another pole. All excited I asked RJ to turn around, which he did -  :>)  Continuing on our journey I spotted yet a third Bald Eagle.. this time Mr Nice Guy cautiously pulled over -  :>)

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Weekly Top Shot

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A moment in the life of

Little Blue Heron with his banded leg stares out to sea- to see what he can spot.

Great White Egret stealthy stalks and coils her neck before striking the prey with lightening speed.

and here's Mr Brown Pelican with his full barrel belly and extra-long billed- tiring in vain to stretch his neck so he can scratch his back.

be Happy ;) Celebrate the day

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Bird Soup

Ring-billed Gull

Blue Jay

Woodstork

Just a few bird tails.. with no tale to tell. 

Happy weekend ~:)

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the Bird D'Pot
Camera Critters

Woody knock-knock

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Cypress Creek Natural Area

Walking the trails at Cypress Creek Natural Area I heard the rad-a-at-tat and call of a woodpecker off in the distance. Scanning a stand of dead trees I spotted the head motions as he/she pounded on a cypress tree. It was so far off the trail, I was nicely surprised at the images my zoom lens was able to capture.

color me a happy hiking bird loving photo taker ~:)

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Feathered Friends

Two feathers friends roaming the docks with the same thought on their minds.. here fishy, fishy :>)

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the Bird D'Pot
Weekly Top Shots

Songbird of Florida

Northern Mockingbird

This songbirds diet of insects and weed seeds is helpful to our yard. I enjoy both the female and males endless song as they mimic other birds. They continue to learn new songs throughout their lifetime.

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 The Mockingbird is Florida's state bird, and is found in abundance throughout Florida.

Hawkeye Returns

Hawk-eye repeatedly returns to this tree and other spots around our neighborhood.

much to this bird lovers delight ~:>)

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the Bird D'Pot

A Bevy of Birds

Anhinga drying in the sun- striking a statue of liberty pose.

Turkey Vulture with ruffled feathers caught off guard- surprise!

Common Moorhen in winter plumage peacefully strolling the marshes until I happened by-
smile your on candid camera :>)

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Weekly Top Shot
the Bird D'Pot

Colorful Wild Parakeets

A pair of Monk Parakeets also known as the Quaker Parrot.

I watched as they kept biting at the small limbs, and I wonder why?

Until I saw one with a stick in its beak, and another pull a strip of bark off a limb- both of them flew to a nearby Coconut Palm tree. Then I realized the birds were building a nest. 

Monk Parakeet are the only parrots that build a stick nest rather than using a hole in a tree.

These birds are not native to Florida, but have established a feral population throughout Florida and several other states as far north as New York City. Florida is thought to have 100,000 of these smart- but oh so loud birds. More photos here

linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday