Two More Lifers
<BIG SIGH> The time had to come to leave Florida and “Bird Paradise”. 😦
We spent the last couple days cramming in the remaining things we wanted to do before packing up camp and hitting the road. We’ve made a stop-over in South Carolina for a few days where I’ve been chasing Blue Jays and a Red-headed Woodpecker. 🙂
With that fun going on, I’m still also going through my bird photos from Florida and have two more lifers to add to my bird list.
The first lifer is a Limpkin! I found one visiting the campground around one of the ponds late evening. I had to lighten up this to see him well enough!
Limpkin
Another time I found a pair at a pink sunset at the same pond area….
I was a bit disappointed with the late evening lighting but at least I had photographs for my list!
During our stay, we stopped by a few local Lake Okeechobee boat ramp areas where I sighted a lone Limpkin and was a lot more successful. And no longer disappointed!
![[000390]-1 21516](https://bayphotosbydonna.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/000390-1-21516.jpg?w=774)
Limpkin on the move, not wanting my photography services
This next lifer is a bird that is also found at home around the Chesapeake Bay, but I never took the time to confirm I had photographed the Boat-tailed Grackle that is very close to the Common Grackle that I knew I had. The Boat-tailed Grackle has a longer, pointed beak and longer tail that is more than half of it’s body’s length. Boat-tailed Grackles are also quite common in southern Florida so it made this lifer-add easy, and I can finally count him. 🙂
This Boat-tailed Grackle was busy at a fish stand gathering up a few tidbits left by fishermen who had just finished cutting up fish or bait.
For those of you ‘home’ around Grasonville, Maryland, and the Chesapeake Bay area who follow me, I’ve got exciting news that one of our ‘famous’ Osprey that nests atop one of the Rt.50 W signs has already returned! My blog-follower, Tammy, sighted the Osprey early morning on February 29th and immediately commented her finding in my last post. It was sighted & recorded later that day and many sightings today by birders through the QAC bird e-alert. Way to go, Tammy! You definitely had your Osprey-eye on!
To celebrate, here’s a couple Osprey photos I took in Florida where the Osprey reside year-round.
Although Florida has been awesome, I will admit I have sorely missed my winter birds around the Chesapeake Bay, where it is migrating ‘duck’ paradise! 🙂
Congratulations on the two lifers! The Grackle is beautiful!
I’m looking forward to the Osprey returning here.
Thanks Deborah! It’s nothing like hearing the Osprey during the spring/summer. When they leave in the fall, it’s like our area becomes instantly quiet!
😦 I am a bit envious of how close you’ll be to them. I have to drive an hour to the closest spot to see a breeding pair in the wild. I hope they come back!
One year they left the nest because they got spooked by a photographer who got to close I was told.
The other spot I go to see them is about 3.5 hours away but I usually get good looks and images there. They’re most used to people in that location, and the park has built the pair a lovely perch to build their nest or refresh it each year. It’s right on the lake so fishing is easy for them.
I’ve not seen but 4-5 Osprey in Florida which I thought there’d be many. I do love our Chesapeake Bay Osprey, our home area is heavily populated with them, and most on channel markers and water platforms are somewhat used to the boaters passing right by them, they’ll just look at you and cock their heads and necks. I wish they were closer for you to enjoy more often!! 🙂
There is a bright side. I’ll get to see all your Osprey images, and enjoy those. 🙂
Wow! The beak on the Grackle looks like it’s made of gold! You sure it wasn’t someone’s sculpture? 😉
So happy for you that you got such great shots of the limpkins.
Thanks Gunta! 🙂
These are wonderful!
Thanks Belinda! 🙂
Congratulations on two more lifers! I like the low light photos, with the pinkish sky, but I also know how great it is to catch a lifer in very good lighting, so I’m glad that you got both.
I took quite a few at the low light times, because I wanted to make sure I got just one decent shot & what if I didn’t see any more. The day shot sealed the deal on my lifer! 🙂
More beauties, Donna! Love that limpkin on the move :)))
Thanks Laura! That limpkin was down a slope to the water when I saw his head pop up and he saw me. He immediately started walking away rather quickly so I let him go, knowing this time I got the shot! 🙂
The lighting in your Limpkin pictures is lovely.
Thanks Kathy! 🙂
Incredible photos of the Limpkin! Inspired by you, I booked my May vacation to Everglades National Park! I’m soooo excited for gators and birds!
Fantastic, I hope you have as much if not more success than I who is just a recreational birder! 🙂 I did hint to hubby to make a long day and drive down to the Everglades from our campground, he looked at me like I was crazy, lol, it was 175 miles one way. We hope to return & stay around the Everglades either around Homestead or Marco Island where there are several campgrounds next year. Have a super time, I’ll be watching for your photos! 🙂
Thanks a bunch Donna! I really can’t wait! My partner and I are staying in Naples and renting a car to drive down. We booked an airboat tour and a manatee tour. And then of course we’ll have to rent bicycles and ride around for some serious birding. I’m really gunning for those Roseate Spoonbills. 🙂
WOW! They are all so beautiful and great photographs dear Donna, especially the second one and number 6 fascinated me… You did great. Thank you, Love, nia
Thanks so much, Nia, the Grackle really didn’t care about me taking his photo, he was so happy to be nibbling up those tidbits! 🙂
When I opened your post and saw the Limpkin, I did a double take, as I’d just come in after taking some pics of our Limpkins. 🙂 All your bird photos are really gorgeous and now I’m chuckling as I imagine you literally chasing Blue Jays and the Red-headed Woodpecker. Did you catch them? 🙂
Thanks, Sylvia, love the double-take! 🙂 These Blue Jays here are so darn fast & love to hide from you, but the RH Woodpecker doesn’t mind me hanging around with him, so I’m getting entertained watching his daily routine at his nest tree. Wish it wasn’t cloudy every day! 🙂
I am glad to see that you didn’t waste any of your holiday just lolling around in the sunshine.
I got one of those FitBit wristbands at Christmas, and lolling around just wouldn’t put steps on it, darn it.
They are great motivators I believe. My brother has one.
Thanks Donna for more of your lifers, these are two birds that we never see in Australia, Osprey we do see as you probably know from my posts. Thanks for sharing these. I know the frustration when light is poor, you just dont get the true colour when you have to lighten it through the software.
Thanks Ashley, we’ve three been super-blessed with all these lifers! I’m excited for all your new ones too! 🙂
exellent work
thank you for shering
Thank you, and thank you for stopping by and commenting! 🙂