Spot on

One of the tips that I got in my last photography tour was to focus on the face/eyes and hope to capture a sharp photo with a light flicker in the eyeball....and by golly.....I did it!
Admittedly, it's easier when the bird sits still for a second or two.....I like what I'm "see"ing.

Ding Darling is Open!

Ding Darling is finally opened - it has been a long time coming.. - it is beautiful and filled with life. The new paving makes for a very smooth ride, the new water structure has already brought about new changes and the wider road and the extra parking spots will help accomodate everyone.
This little Palm Warbler welcomed me back and sat for a bit before flitting about.

The Killdeers sat too for a while and then they took off with their usual "kill-deah" sounds.

Here's a common sight of Ding at low tide...Roseate Spoonbills, Little Blues and Snowys.

The mottled ducks are back too....

the White Pelican too....soon to be joined by many more. The White Pelican is a fresh water feeder and works with others to gather up their feed - as opposed to the Brown Pelican which is a diver feeder - often seen by the ocean side.

Dreamy, isn't it?

Blue Wing Teal

Roseate Spoonbills with a seagull.

The Spotted Sandpiper - wears it's name very well as it bobs (spot)  it's tail all the time.

Great Blue Heron

Great Egrets, Snowy, Tricolored and Juvenile Ibis.

The Stork! One of 20 that I saw that day.

More White Wonders....Great Egrets, Snowy, Juvenile Little Blues, White Ibis and Stork.

I returned to Ding Darling in the afternoon - and joined a group lead by Terry, a volunteer who shared her knowledge about photography. We boarded a tram and drove through the Wildlife Drive - it was mid afternoon and it was very bright and quite a challenge for taking photos of white birds - good opportunity to discuss those points.

Terry is very knowledgable and generous with her time and patience - it was fun and I walked away with some great tips that I look forward to put into practice.....as she said.....you get to be a good photographer by practicing and taking lots of photos and by golly....I'm working on it and loving it.

Gator was there to say farewell - till the next time.....check his smile out! I don't know about you but I  keep my distance at all times.

Home Treats

Took a day of rest and didn't go anywhere but sit in my lounge chair with my book. Of course I had to take my bins and camera - just in case I might see something....well, guess what....I didn't get much reading done after all and that's okay. I was being entertained by my backyard visitors, some even sang for me....it was a good day.

10/23/13 By the Pier at the Lighthouse

 I went out birding every day last week - trying to take advantage of the cold fronts moving through and hoping to catch sights of more migrants. I tend to start out on the beach to witness the beginning of a new day - this particular morning, the colors in the sky were just incredible and even the usual beach bird crowd had a special glow.

Tuesday's Treat

The early bird gets to see the bird yawn or perhaps this is a cranky seagull saying: What are you looking at?
Today marked the last day of my duties of Turtle Patrol until the next season rolls around - this also signals the trickle of the snowbirds and the wintering birds.....it's in the air, it's on the road already and I'm pretty sure that the migrants have all gone through by now because the lighthouse point has been very, very quiet the last 3 times that I was there.

I spotted different things - like this colorful Landlubber who loves to eat everything in sight - yet no other creatures will eat him.
The dainty dragonflies were buzzing about and blending in with their background - I got lucky with this guy when he landed on a lighter backdrop.

This is a moth that is hanging upside down and was at least 6 inches wide.

Then I drove home and made a u-turn when I saw the Bald Eagle behind the Dairy Queen, he was kind to let me take his photo, then silently took off.

Monday at Bailey's Tract

I'm feeling it - Fall is in the air - well perhaps not while I look at the thermometer but looking at the fauna and the clarity in the atmosphere.....it was most evident when I came home and started to look at my photos - you be the judge.

The Brown Thrasher - most likely the same one that I encountered last week on the very same trail....this time I spent a bit more time observing how he moved about and threw sand and vegetation every which way while looking for a tasty morsel.

Ha! Look who has returned! The Common Gallinule....when I got closer 4 more scattered about and quickly swam to the other side of the pond.

Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher - definitely sporting his name today.

Palm Warbler - one of many on my trail today....always a few steps ahead of me, leading the way.

Another Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher.

At first I thought I was looking at another Palm....but no.....sure looks like a Prairie Warbler to me. (If I am mistaken - I hope you won't be shy about sharing what else it might be)

Palm Warbler - perhaps digesting his meal - there was plenty to fill the belly this morning.

The Bailey Tract year around resident....the Mockingbird.

The little Grebe - it is so nice to see them back - they are just so adorable and they remind me of my grandson with his big eyes and his cuddly appearance.
Well, that was most of the highlight of my morning walk for today - Other than these guys and my E-Bird List (27 species today) I saw 3 rabbits and heard a gator calling my name.

Tennessee/Nashville ??---Neither....it's a Yellow Warbler!

The verdict seems to be a Yellow Warbler. Thanks to the people in the know and who pointed me out in the right direction....the pictures, the details and the explanations make total sense.