Monday, March 01, 2010

More Florida Birds


We were happy to see this Florida osprey.  He looked thinner than our mid-Atlantic fish hawks and whiter, but perhaps he was a migrant and we just didn't recognize him in his warmer wardrobe.  The hurricane that passed through a few years ago managed to destroy large sections of mangrove which left dead branch perches everywhere for these regal birds.





We paddled by this yellow crowned night heron, but he did not look  happy.  I hope that it was just the cold and windy weather that made him look out of sorts.  (Not that he was so crabby hungry!) The yellow on the forehead explains how is named which you can see more clearly if you click on the photo---I did not reduce the pixels.  He is supposed to be most active in the nighttime, but we saw quite a few during the daylight hours along the edge of the mangrove looking for crabs, frogs and fish.

9 comments:

  1. I never realized how regal the Osprey is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. beautiful birds...great captures!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Comic book characters with attitude...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great shots Tabor!

    ReplyDelete
  5. The sort of exotica I really go for.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Osprey need to nest up above. Are there many trees where you are?

    Thanks for your lovely comment.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lakeviewer, we actually have people that put up poles with platforms for their nesting on the river.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awesome osprey! Ah, but I do love the herons, too. They really are beautiful animals.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Tabor, I'm catching up with your blog. I love the Florida birds. You took some fabulous pictures.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete

Glad to hear from you once again. I really like these visits. Come sit on this log and tell me what you are thinking.