Hermit Thrush

Hello everyone, happy Monday!

Happy Labor Day to all in the USA and in Canada.

I had some good views of this bird, I believe is the Hermit Thrush.  This bird was seen at the Hillsborough River State Park in Florida back in February 2017. It is listed as a winter bird in Florida, so I guess my guess could be right.

The Hermit Thrush has a complete eye ring. Their underparts are pale with distinct spots on the throat and smudged spot on the breast..

They has a red tail, my photos do not show the tail feathers.

The Hermit Thrush can be found in our local forest but recently I have been enjoying all the mushrooms and fungi. For more Nature Note  images I wanted to share these mushrooms and fungi I am seeing along our fire roads. It is amazing to see all the various fungi and mushrooms, the different colors and shapes are pretty. I am not sure of their names or if they are edible, hubby and I just enjoy seeing them.

I beleive the fungi below are called Cortinarius Iodeoides, what a name. Maybe there is a more common name for them?

I hope you enjoyed my photos and post.
As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.


Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes


Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Loggerhead Shrike

Hello,

Happy Memorial Day! God Bless our veterans, soldiers and those who have lost their lives to protect the USA.

This week I am sharing the Loggerhead Shrike another Florida bird.  The Loggerhead Shrike is a medium sized passerine. This bird has a cool looking black mask and it has a short black hooked beak.


This Loggerhead Shrike was seen at the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park.

This Loggerhead Shrike Posed nice showing both sides and back plumage and that hooked beak.

This Shrike below was seen in Cape Coral Florida. These birds are known to skewer their kill on thorns or barbed wire.

Thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Cape Coral & Myakka River State Park, Florida

Hello

These are some images from our time in Florida, one day we visited the Myakka River State Park after a visit to the Cape Coral area to see the Burrowing Owls.  While watching the Burrowing Owls I also noticed the Loggerhead Shrike, seen below. It was also the spot were we saw the Monk Parakeets, I posted on a previous post.

Below is the Loggerhead Shrike seen on a wire near the ball field. It was a pretty blue sky above the Shrike.

 



The Burrowing Owls of Cape Coral Florida.







A scene from the Myakka River State Park

This is one of the many Roseate Spoonbills we saw at the Myakka River State Park. It was a pretty sky and sunny day.

 



For my list of thankful things this week:
I am thankful for the beautiful birds in the world.
I am thankful for my eyesight, I am able to see the beauty in the world.

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.  Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

Saturday's Critters #162

Saturday's Critters #162

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

We visited Pelican Island NWR on 11/11/16, located near Vero Beach Florida. We left early enough in the morning for a stop at Vero Beach to see the sunrise and then it was off for our hike at Pelican Island NWR.


Pelicans flying over the Atlantic Ocean at Vero Beach Florida.

A pretty sunrise at Vero Beach.

A couple of Sanderlings with a Ruddy Turnstone on Vero Beach. The birds almost blend in with the sand and seaweed.

A juvenile Night Heron, my guess is a Black Crowned Night Heron? Do you agree?

A White Pelican and a Cormorant in the distance at Pelican Island NWR.

A Great Blue Heron with a distant Brown Pelican.

A Tricolored Heron seen on the trail at the Pelican Island NWR.

A Great Egret seen on the trail.

The White Ibis were also seen on the trail, some let us walk by others flew off.

There is a memorial for the wildlife refuge system at the Pelican Island NWR

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Roseate Spoonbill

Hello,

Joining in today with a couple of my favorite memes Michelle's Nature Notes and Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday.

The Roseate Spoonbill is one of my favorite Florida birds. Since being in Florida, I have seen the Spoonbills at the wildlife drive at Merritt Island NWR, Ding Darling NWR, Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland and at our local Lake Parker Park in Lakeland. These are some various images of the Roseate Spoonbill.

The Roseate Spoonbill has a long flat spoon-shaped bill. This shot shows just how flat the bill is. The first three photos were taken at Lake Parker Park in Lakeland, Fl.

Their head is bald.

This angle shows the cool spoon shaped bill.

Immature Roseate Spoonbills are a paler pink. Their pink color is derived from their diet. They eat frog and aquatic insects and very small fish. The next two images were taken at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland Fl.

The photo below shows they have red eyes.

The Roseate Spoonbills in the next two photos were seen at the Ding Darling NWR , Sanibel Island 12/7/16

I hope you enjoyed my photos and post. Thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Lakeland, Florida

Hello,

My sunrise shots from Nov 9th, 2016. I love the beautiful colors and reflections. These were taken during our walk to our gym at the clubhouse.

"When you stop and look around,  this life is pretty amazing."

"There isn't a day of my life that I do not marvel at the beauty that surrounds me and give thanks."

I am grateful and thankful for all the time I spend with nature.

I am thankful for the trees that give our environment life. They help to clean the air we breathe.

I am thankful for the birds that sing.

Neighborhood Great Blue heron with a Black-bellied Whistling Duck.

Egrets flying over our local lake.

Red-shouldered Hawk tree topper.

A few more neighborhood distant Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos. Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday

I am also linking up to Skywatch Friday, I hope to see you there.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Hello,

Joining in today with a couple of my favorite memes Michelle's Nature Notes and Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday. I hope you enjoy my wild birds, Florida is great for birding in the winter months.

The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is large and goose-like in shape. They have a chestnut breast and black belly. They have high pitch whistles as they travel. I see they every day in our neighborhood, on the lawn of a home on the lakefront. They fly over my house every morning heading to our lake making their cute whistling sounds. These cute ducks are my favorite duck, I always enjoyed seeing Tex posting about these cute birds at her ranch in Texas.

The adults have those bright pink bills and legs.

The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are also seen below at my favorite reserve the Circle B.

My Youtube video, one morning at our lake watching the sunrise.

I hope you enjoyed my photos and post. Thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

EDIT: I accidentally deleted some of your comments on Jan 12th. If you do not see me visiting your post it is because of my error. Sorry.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday's Critters #159

Saturday's Critters #159

I wish everyone a happy, healthy New Year! All the best for 2017! 

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

I mentioned in a previous post that Circle B Bar Preserve is one of my favorite nearby birding spots. We are never disappointed with our walks there and the awesome wildlife sightings.

The Green Heron is a common bird we see on almost all our Circle B visits.

Just a neat view from the blind. The eagles nest across the way can be seen from this blind.

There are two Bald Eagle nests at the Circle B.

The Belted Kingfisher can usually be seen or heard around the preserve.

Another common bird seen at the Circle B is the Anhinga.

The turtles are seen on the sunny days.

Various butterflies are all around the preserve.

I hope you enjoyed this visit to the Circle B Bar Preserve, these images are from Nov 5th.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.