I hit the jackpot last night when Jean and I went over to see the sunset behind Holiday Inn and I luckily had my camera with. As we were heading to the water I noticed a splash of pink to the left and lo and behold there was a flock of Roseate Spoonbills. I've been trying get a decent picture of these birds since November but they are pretty elusive and even when I do spot them there is rarely enough light to capture a decent shot. Last night was different; just enough light and a place where I could get close enough to them. So enjoy these rare shots.

More dancing

I happened upon snowy egrets one afternoon and watched them cavort around for probably 15 minutes before I got tired of their antics. No telling how long they went at it or why they were doing what they were doing. Perhaps it was a mating thing or a little territorial dispute. All I know is that I'm never bored when I'm out watching the birds. It's always something different.

I was walking in the lagoon area on the south end of the island when this Reddish Egret landed in the mud flat practically right next to me and started fishing. According to my bird book the little fishes like the shade provided by this fellow's wings and he then makes them pay the price for their bit of respite. Anyway it was a riot to see him hopping around in chase.

We hear from the 28%

There were anti-war rallies this week and the media here stressed the few people out protesting the protesters with signs that said "Support Our President and Our Troops". For some reason this picture came to mind.

Shelter from the Wind

Last Sunday was a cool and windy day (not really conducive to beach activities) so we decided to take our friends Ron and Nancy, who were visiting from Minnesota, to the Audubon Conservancy east of Naples. It turned out to be a good move as the woods provided good cover from the wind for both us and the birds. This was our third trip and we saw more birds than the other two times. The most unusual was the one above, the American Bittern. It is normally quite reclusive but spent a lot of time showing off for about 20 of us. In this picture you can just make out the little craw fish that he just snared. The white guy is a Greater Egret, very common here. The flower appears to be a trumpet honeysuckle although it's not supposed to be blooming now according to my Audubon field guide. The last bird is a Red Tailed Hawk, quite common in both Florida and Minnesota but this one was exceptionally accommodating to us as we took pictures.

Another birding day

Today this woodstork paid us a visit. It's the first time I've seen one on our property. I got the closeup by climbing down the wall behind the pool and wending my way through the bushes. As a bonus, in the wide shot, I caught a kingfisher just to the right of the stork. You can see it by clicking on the photo for a higher resolution view.

Birds of Ft Myers Beach

I thought I'd share a bit of my Florida atmosphere. It seems that any time I drag my camera out to the beach or lagoon I'm rewarded with something new. Here is a little blue heron that allowed me to walk within 20 yards or so.
It's rainy and cold here today, in the fifties. Tomorrow promises to be a little better though and fortunately bad weather doesn't last long here.