Happy Easter
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Several weeks ago I took a series of photos of this Osprey perched on the cross of the Holy Family Mission in Everglades City. I thought it appropriate to share a couple of them in celebration for this Easter weekend.
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Osprey on Holy Family Mission’s Cross
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Osprey
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Wishing you a blessed holiday weekend filled with family, friends, love, and laughter.
🙏 🐣 🐇 💐 🙏
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Five On The Wire – #3
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Sharing a third post in my series of five bird species perched on a wire. Always a great time to get profile shots!
Some might be a bit common as in these two….
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Eurasian Collared-Dove
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Loggerhead Shrike
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Whereas some might be a little unusual as in these three.
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White Ibis
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Green Heron
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Cattle Egret
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A Great Blue Heron Rescue
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One of my last visits to the 10,000 Islands NWR in Florida earlier this month yielded a feel-good story with a rescue of a Great Blue Heron.
Along the refuge’s trail, I came upon one of the Park Rangers sitting down at the water canal’s edge. We exchanged morning pleasantries and bird sightings, and how much we both loved this refuge.
The Park Ranger kept a partial attention to the 20-25′ wide water canal as we talked, and I asked was something wrong. She pointed to a Great Blue Heron across the canal in the water reported by another trail walker a couple hours earlier that was possibly sick or injured.
The Park Ranger herself had been there for over an hour and had tried to coax it to get out or up on the embankment but was unsuccessful. She said it appeared lethargic, and was possibly injured or sick; it may have been there in hiding all night. She had called and was waiting for the park’s wildlife team to arrive and rescue it. And as if on cue, a truck was heading towards us with the team and a kayak.
The Park Ranger advised the team she had been watching for the alligators and thought the coast was clear. They made their plan, set up their equipment, and then proceeded to cross the approximately two foot deep canal by foot. (I have seen alligators in this canal before! 😳)
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Great Blue Heron back left, tucked up in the mangroves
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Safely back on the trail side
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Throughout the entire time, the Great Blue Heron never fought its rescue. It surely was exhausted and cold from the chilly water.
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The team had a large container, and the handler laid the heron gently inside it. They assured the small crowd that had now gathered the heron would be taken to their wildlife hospital for evaluation and hopefully able to have a successful recovery. 😊
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Five On The Wing – #8
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Here’s another post in my five bird species in flight series. These five birds are egrets and herons, all taken in Florida this past February.
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Tricolored Heron
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Great Egret
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Black-crowned Night Heron
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Reddish Egret
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Great Blue Heron
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“If birds can glide for long periods of time, then why can’t I?” – Orville Wright
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Osprey Gallery
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The Chesapeake Bay Osprey have returned! Local feeds are abuzz and I’m feeling the excitement. In my travels since returning home, I’ve seen quite a few in flight. I’m anxious to check out some local nests, hopefully soon!
Many Osprey in Florida are year-round residents.
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Florida Osprey with fish meal
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While we were in Everglades City the last couple months, I photographed the local Osprey already in high gear with incubating and having chicks by February. Here’s a gallery of some favorites of them and their different nests.
The first set of photos are of a pair who created a nest atop a utility transfer station. 😟
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Mr & Mrs Osprey starting a new nesting season together
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Osprey nest is established one month later
Mama is incubating eggs while Dad is eating a fish and on guard duty
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Male Osprey on guard duty
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Male Osprey on guard duty while finishing a fish
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Male Osprey departing nest
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More eating and guarding the nest
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That nest really seemed to be in a dangerous place. Seems Osprey are daredevils with their nest location selections.
Here are more nests around town…..
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Everglades City Fire Station – Female
Everglades City Fire Station – Male
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Osprey nest in palm tree berry branches
Osprey nest in palm tree berry branches
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Osprey chick!
Osprey Nest
On guard while eating
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Osprey Family
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Osprey nest along Barron River’s riverwalk
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Same Osprey nest on Barron River a month later
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Osprey Nest on satellite dish, dwarfed by Mexican Fan Palms that grow up to 100 feet
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A Waiting Osprey Home – “First Come, First Serve”
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Male Osprey fluffing and shaking to dry its feathers
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Handsome Osprey – “Almost Dry”
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And now all of this is repeating on the Chesapeake Bay…….minus the palm trees!
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Great Egret Gallery
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After a daily post for the past couple months, sorry for my sudden short break! We left Florida sooner than planned to head home to Maryland, so I wasn’t prepared for a post. We’ve safely arrived home, skirting all the east coast storms with no problems. I’ve got lots of catching up to do at home as well as with all your blogs!
I want to get myself back up and running too. I hope you enjoy this gallery of several different and interesting compositions of the beautiful and elegant Great Egret taken in Florida. 😊
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Leaving Florida’s birding paradise was bittersweet. I am glad to be home. A bit overwhelming, but I’m looking forward to catching things up! 😊
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Tricolored Heron Gallery
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Back home in Maryland, I get to see five of the six North American heron species. The one missing is the Tricolored Heron. So this past couple months, I always spent more time photographing the Tricolored Heron over the other herons to add to my collection.
So again, here I am sharing more of my favorites from the past several weeks of this beautiful heron.
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On Top of the World
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Heading Home With A Gift, I Hope She Likes It
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Fishing on a Cloudy Day
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Morning Reflection
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All Tucked In
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Water Ballet I
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Water Ballet II
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Chillin’ in the Mangroves
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Series: Take A Moment and Enjoy A Sunset
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As the sun began its descent, the skies become dotted with egrets and herons flying into 10,000 Islands NWR for their evening roost.
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At the last light, everyone is settling in…..
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Five On The Wing – #7
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Here’s post #7 of my Five On The Wing series, sharing five bird species, each in flight.
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Anhinga
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Caspian Tern
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American White Pelican
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Roseate Spoonbill
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Osprey with fish #1
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Osprey with fish #2
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Two of the Osprey, I couldn’t decide which expressions on each I liked the best! 😁
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Little Blue Heron On The Hunt
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This is another bird I photographed at Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary that earned its own post. 😊
This Little Blue Heron was intently on the hunt in the area called Lettuce Lakes, towards the end of the boardwalk.
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Little Blue Heron on the hunt
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Hmmmm…..what do I spy with my little eye….
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Gotcha!
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Now, what to do with this writhing meal?
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Little Blue Heron takes off with the crayfish to land on a felled tree
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Darn…..now what??
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The Little Blue Heron didn’t seem to know what to do with this large crayfish that was still very much alive and trying to pinch him.
It certainly wasn’t going to be gulped down like a fish!
The heron finally dropped the crayfish on the perch and quickly began stabbing it with its beak.
Unfortunately, I had a group of people approaching me on the boardwalk, so I left the Little Blue Heron still at it, wondering if s/he gave up or was able to digest it.
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