Sunset

 

Sunset behind Bay Point from our deck

White Ibises heading into Coffee Pot Bayou to roost on Bird Island

Several hundred ibises roost on Bird Island each night but interestingly none nest there.

 

Bird Island: 6-13-21

 

Territorial dispute:  Snowy Egrets

Photo of the day

 

Female Mottled Duck

Off our seawall:  12-23-21

Along the Gulf of Mexico coast lives a rich brown duck with a lovely buff head and neck, a bright yellow bill, and a distinctive black spot at the gape. It’s reminiscent of a female Mallard or an American Black Duck, but this is the closely related Mottled Duck. They’re so closely related that hybridization, especially with Mallards, poses a real threat to the Mottled Duck’s future. Look for this species in pairs or small flocks, mostly in freshwater marshes near the coast.

Range Map

Merry Christmas Photos of the Day

 

Male Northern Cardinal in our mangroves

12-24-21

Female Northern Cardinal

12-24-21

Photo of the day

 

Brown Bear

What's the Difference Between Grizzly Bears and Brown Bears?

The difference is regional: bears found inland are referred to as grizzlies, while those on the coasts are known as brown bears. 

Potter Marsh

Anchorage, AK

Photo of the day

 

Osprey

Sweetwater Wetlands

Gainesville, FL

21-1-21

Sweetwater Wetlands: Gainesville, FL 12-1-21

 

Great Blue Heron

Our largest heron: 6+ foot wingspan

Largest of the North American herons with long legs, a sinuous neck, and thick, daggerlike bill. Head, chest, and wing plumes give a shaggy appearance. In flight, the Great Blue Heron curls its neck into a tight “S” shape; its wings are broad and rounded and its legs trail well beyond the tail.

Green Heron

Our smallest heron

Bears: Summer 2021

 

Potpourri

 

Tall Ironwood

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly

Puffball Mushrooms

Cicada 

Bird Island: 5-8-21

 

White Ibises

Bird Island

Young Brown Pelican

Adult Brown Pelican with one of its chicks

Deck Shots

Cattle Egret flyby was quicker than the photographer

 

Sand Lake NWR, SD: 6-21-19

13-lined Ground Squirrel

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel, or "thirteen liner," is the small gopher-like animal often seen along roads in all but northeastern Minnesota. It is one of the animals that has adapted to urban and agricultural development, and actually has expanded its range in Minnesota.

Black-crowned Night Heron

The adults of this species do not distinguish between their chicks and the chicks of other nests.  They will brood chicks which are not their own.