Rostrhamus sociabilis
The special bird of the last day of our Florida trip was this Snail Kite that gave us a close look as it pulled nesting material from a nearby bush. We spent all morning waiting and thankfully our patience paid off. It was a nice way to wrap things up in Florida.
www.texastargetbirds.com
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Tags: Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis Florida April Bird raptor nature wildlife
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Egretta gularis
It has been a while since I got a life bird in the US so it was a very pleasant surprise a couple of days ago when we heard about a Western Reef Heron that had turned up at Merritt Island NWR in Florida and we happened to just be about half an hour away. I don’t usually like chasing rarities on trips but this one was convenient and we had the time so all but one of us ended up with a new life bird.
www.texastargetbirds.com
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Tags: Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis Florida March Merritt Island NWR Bird Nature Wildlife
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Pandion haliaetus
The state bird of Florida is the Northern Mockingbird but I really think it should be the Osprey. Since we have been in Florida we must have seen more than 100 of them and it seems like they are every place you go in the state. Here is a shot of one from this morning (and boy did we have a good time photographing them) with a half-eaten bluegill. An added bonus for the day was a Western Reef Heron. Florida is definitely a great place for bird photography.
www.texastargetbirds.com
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Tags: Osprey Pandion haliaetus Florida March Bird raptor hawk fish bluegill flight
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Athene cunicularia
Everyone I take out birding seems to love seeing owls so we couldn’t pass up the chance to photograph some adorable Burrowing Owls on our way down to the keys. The Florida Burrowing Owl has bolder markings and brighter spots than the western subspecies and was new for all in our group making it extra special to see them.
www.texastargetbirds.com
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Tags: Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia Florida March Bird Owl nature wildlife
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Passerina ciris
We are having a great time in Florida and getting tons of nice photos. In fact we have been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to post anything for a couple of days. This Painted Bunting was from Monday morning out at Corkscrew Swamp, what a neat place! I think this was the first male Painted Bunting most of the group had ever seen and I know everyone got nice photos.
www.texastargetbirds.com
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Tags: Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Florida March Bird Nature Wildlife male
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