Capturing the Reddish Egret

One of the birds I was most excited about seeing on this trip was the reddish Egret -- they have beautiful plumage and as I discovered yesterday delightfully gavotte around the water when they are feeding. I saw one last week in Marco Island but it was such a quick flyby in a limited space I missed taking a photo. Of I set off at Fort DeSoto North Beach. This is what it looked like...

After a day of wind yesterday I started off on a walk down the beach (it was actually a dirt road for which I was grateful). I was the first one there so nobody else to disturb the birds yet and this was the first bird I saw. Took lots of photos -- and there were ultimately two of them.

So much fun... I always got a new life bird - Snowy Plover, but not great photo because it was far away. I met a lovely woman who lives in Boston in the Summer who gave me the low down, which I will share in the post on Port DeSoto. I was leaving right after that bird, so couldn't put it too good use immediately.

A few other birds from my Fort DeSoto morning...

American Oystercatcher

American Kestral

Red Merganser (the fish finders of Fort DeSoto)

Reddish Egret (with Brown Pelican & Snowy Egret)

Brown Pelican

Reddish Egret

Nanaday Parakeet

Next I was off to Honeymoon Island which was a bust and very crowded, but the road to the Island (Dunedin Causeway) was great -- my perfect drive -- where I could look & take photos out of my driver's side window -- lots of room for passing cards and lots of nice birds. The best one was the Marbled Godwit -- there were 12 of them.

Black-bellied Plover

Semipalated Plover

American Oystercatcher

Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit

Next off to Howard Park - nice beach and a little cove with some nice birds and I finally saw a Black Skimmer lying down -- I had heard about it be never seen it.

Staying with my Florida cousins for a few nights -- lovely visiting with them AND they have Sandhill Cranes in their backyard!