Painted Buntings

Wednesday January 30th

Several Painted Buntings seen at the feeders toady Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

The staff at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary confirmand that resent rains have elevated the standing water and that birding numbers were down today.  I was still pleased with my visit were there were still lots of birds.

Had great views of Painted Buntings, starting with the feeders at Blair House. Along with the bunting were several female Brown-headed Cowbirds, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinal and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Close by at the start of the boardwalk were a pair of Brown-headed Nuthatches, Yellow-rumped Warblers, an Eastern Phoebe, an Indigo Bunting and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Such a nice start.

Down the boardwalk was the Bunting House were several Painted Bunting and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird were active at the feeders.  Plus Northern Cardinal, Mourning Doves and calling Gray Catbirds.

Entering the cypress swamp, it became less birdy. Not much to be seen till the Lettuce Lake were a nice mixed flock was busy feeding. Mostly Gnatcatchers and Pine Warblers. Mixed we say Black-and-White Warbler, more Yellow-rumps, Blue-headed Vireo, Tufted Titmice, a White-eyed Vireo, Downy Woodpecker, Black-throated Green Warbler 

Northern Cardinal

I was disappointed as I  dipped on several expected species.  The Purple Gallinule continued to be a nemesis bird for me lately. Also missed were the wild turkeys, great created flycatchers and the ovenbirds. Just bad timing. Still a very good day

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Pine Warbler

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

A family of River Otters were seen and enjoyed by many of the visitors today.  I missed them, but did get to see raccoon, an armadillo in the parking lot , a white-tailed doe just out-side the entrance and sunning Florida Banded Water Snake 

Armadillo seen foraging in the parking lot

Raccoon

Florida Banded Water Snake

Blooming Swamp Lily

Broad-billed Hummingbird and Reptiles

Monday, February 15th

This Gray Catbird would pose for optics, unlike the hummer or vireo

Hummingbirds can be very challenging to photograph and the spectacular and rare to Florida male Broad-billed Hummingbird proved to be the case today. At Fred W Coyle Freedom Park in Naples a Broad-billed Hummingbird is drawing crowds as it feeds on Coral Bean. I didn't even try to grab a shot as it was only briefly posing as it feeds. It is an assume bird.

Broad-billed Hummingbirds are generally a Mexican species which ranges within the United States in Arizona. This is certainly a special visitor to South West Florida

 After getting a couple of good sightings I ventured off to look for the reported Bell's Vireo, another infrequent Florida visitor. Lucky I quickly spotted the vireo in dense brush not far from the hummer.  But again I could act fast enough for a photo. 

A four foot Yellow Rat Snake was seen sunning in a strangler fig
 at Freedom Park

Yesterday, the 2016 Python Challenge concluded after a month long competition, were hundreds of python hunters vied for various prizes. Latest numbers reported were that 102 pythons were removed. February 27th the final counts and prize winners will be announced. Earlier this month a nine-foot Green Anaconda was captured, another invasive species, further  north of the Everglades, in Brevard County.

A foraging Raccoon seen at Freedom Park