A Few Pics

 Friday January 21st

White Peacock butterfly dining on Spanish Needles
at Babcock-Webb WMA, Charlotte County Florida

Glade Lobelia
at Babcock-Webb

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
seen near RSW Airport

Agama Lizard
spotted at the drive-through at Popeyes Chicken in Labelle

Vermilion Flycatcher
at Belle Glade Marina

Indigo Bunting
at Belle Glade Marina

Tricolored Munia
at Belle Glade Marina

Green Heron
Lakes Park, Fort Myers, Florida

White-tailed Deer
at Myakka River State Park

Hairy Shadow Witch
at Fakahatchee Strand State Park

Northern Cardinal
The Celery Fields - Sarasota, Florida

Red-shouldered Hawk
at Ding Darling NWR, Sanibel Island

Brown Pelican
Ding Darling NWR - Sanibel Island

Roseate Spoonbill
Myakka River State Park

Mathesson Hammock Preserve

 Friday, May 28th

Earlier, this month was my trip to the Florida Keys which concluded with a stop at Mathesson Hammock Preserve in Coral Gables. I always like to stop here to see the variety of lizards and birds.

Pot Bellied Air Plant is an uncommon species

Red-masked Parakeet

I delayed my posting on this visit due to the birders ethos to not report on active nesting birds, for their well being. Came across nesting Orange-winged Amazon Parrots, Red-masked Parakeets and Common Hill Mynahs at that time. 

Several parrot species and mynahs can be seen or heard in the area, which includes the neighboring Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. Two species of mynahs are seen in south Florida, from from their native homes in Asia. The smaller Common Mynah and the larger Common Hill Mynahs with their yellow facial waddles. The common mynahs seem to be stable and are often seen around shopping centers and gas station.  But the Common Hill Mynah is reportable losing ground and close to extirpation locally for unknown reasons. Mathesson and Fairchild seem to be the home for the last remnants. So seeing a Common Hill Mynahs nesting is a positive for them. Don't know how or if they were successful.

Common Hill Mynah

Common Hill Mynah

The royal palm snags were also hosting Starlings and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, with a particular snag hosting both Orange-winged Parrots and the red-masked Parakeets.

Orange-winged Parrot

Orange-winged Parrot

Bark Anole

Counted over 35 Green Iguanas sunning themselves on the mowed grass, plus spotting lots of Brown Anoles, a Bark Anole and several colorful Agama Lizards. All are invasive species.

Agama Lizard

Agama Lizard

Green Iguana

Snakes and Things

Tuesday December 10th

Big Soft Shelled Turtle at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Yesterday I found myself checking out some of the habitat at Lovers Key for any Racerunner Lizards. Dipped on the lizards, had seen them at Long Key State park earlier this year. No photo.  They are so quick.

Curly tailed Lizard

But down in the Keys there are a lot of lizards to be found. Curly Tailed Lizards are everywhere, and they will pose for you.  Seems every time I return to the Keys, these invasive lizards are becoming more numerous. 

Green Iguanas are everywhere too.

A male African Agama

A male African Agama

A female African Agama

Another interesting invasive lizard is easily seen at Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables, are African Agamas. The males can be brightly colored and these lizards can be found sunning themselves. This location also hosts, Green Iguana, Knight Anoles, Basilisk Lizards, all invasive

Green Iguana are everywhere in south Florida

I have yet to come across a wild Nile Monitor Lizard, but master birder Eary Warren, trapped one in his back yard in Cape Coral. Defidently an unwanted invasive.  Right up there with the Burmese Python.

Green Anoles are natives, but Cuban Brown Anoles are aggressive invasive that are out competing the green.

A native Green Anole

A Large Male Brown Anole Displaying a Dorsal Crest

This Knight Anole was observed in a Mango Tree

Well what about Snakes? Have a few.

Ribbon Snake

Ron Bishop spotted a small mass of Brown Water Snakes

 sunning on some rocks at Harns Marsh

A Pair of Water Moccasins sharing a cozy spot

Exotics in Miami

Wednesday May 1st

Loggerhead Key

The Florida Keys is such a unique place. A string of sandy, lime-rock islands stretching over a hundred miles, from Key Largo to Key West and beyond to the Dry Tortugas. People come to the Keys from all over the World.  To fish the waters, to dive on the reefs, to enjoy the beaches and to Party. Many of us come on down here to Bird the Keys. 

Tomorrow I'm taking the ferry from Key West out to the Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National park for some birding. Today was spent time looking for interesting birds in Miami.  Especially the exotics. 

Red-Whiskered Bulbuls

Checked on a number of venues. Mathessen Hammock Park, A B Barnes Park, Kendall Baptist Hospital, Snapper Creek Canal, Pine Woods Park.  For the most part, I didn't see too much today.  Never even heard a parrot, dipped on spot-breasted orioles, but did  find the Red-Whiskered Bulbuls  and Cedar Waxwings at Pine Wood Park. 

A male Rainbow Agama at Mathessen Hammock Park

A female Rainbow Agama

Curly-tailed Lizards are native to the Bahamas and West Indies

 Exotic reptiles are a problem in Florida. We have heard able the Burmese Pythons and Monitor Lizards, but we have lots of other exotics.  My home, for example, has been a host to Cuban Brown Anoles, House Geicos, Brahminy Blind Snakes and Greenhouse Frogs.  Haven't seen any Cane Toads around here yet, but have experienced them most everywhere we have lived in South Florida. So we have a great many exotics gaining  a foot hold. Iguanas are everywhere and on this trip I noticed Curly-tailed Lizards all through the Keys. And the African Rainbow Agamas are easily seen at Mathessen Hammock Park in Coral Gables.

A huge Green Iguana at Matheson Hammock Park

Florida Reptiles

Friday, June 15th

Mama Gator with Hatchling at Apple Pond Trail on Sanibel

Southern Florida is currently in our annual Birding Doldrums. Its the slowest time of the year to enjoy birding activities.  We do have many species which are either residents like Rosette Spoonbills or summer visitors here for nesting such as Gray Kingbirds or Swallow-tailed Kites. Migration has ended for now and so many wintering visitors have left to nest in the North such as Yellow-rumped Warblers or American Avocets. Later, as the summer progresses lots of birders will augment the slow
birding by with observations on Dragon Flies and Butterflies.

This American Crocodile was found along a canal in Miami-Dade County

 I, also, like to make observations on the reptile life we have here in Florida. We have native and many exotic reptile species inhabiting every possible eco-system. Here a few of the species I have managed to photograph. 

Box Turtle displaying a very wore shell, seen at Babcock-Webb

House Gecko (exotic) can be found on the exterior of many buildings

Yellow Rat Snake from Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Black Racer - Very Common Species

Water Moccasin - Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Ring-necked Snake

A healthier looking Florida Box Turtle

Puerto Rico Crested Anole (exotic) seen in Coral Gables

Bark Anole (exotic) seen in Coral Gables

Knight Anole (exotic) Seen in Coral Gables

African Rainbow Agama (exotic) seen in Coral Gables

African Rainbow Agama seen in Coral Gables

Green Iguana (exotic) are rather Common in South Florida

Basilisk Lizard (Exotic) seen in several counties in south Florida

Scarlet Kingsnake

Gopher Tortoise

Ornate Terrapin seen at Ding Darling NWR

Florida Ribbon Snake seen at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Spiny Tailed Iguana (exotic) seen in Miami

Brown Cuban Anole (exotic)

Brown Cuban Anole seen at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

A Northern Curly Tailed Lizard (exotic) found in the Florida Keys

Green Anole