White Pelicans at Big Stone NWR, MN: 6-19-19

Non-breeding adults have black feathers on the crown of their head.

Egmont Key NWR: 11-10-19

Male Black-throated Blue Warbler

• In the Dominican Republic, Black-throated Blue Warblers take advantage of a sweet treat created by insects harvesting tree sap. These insects feed on tree sap and excrete drops of sweet sap or "honeydew" from their back ends that the warblers drink up.

Each tanker and cruise ship coming into and out of Tampa Bay must have a Pilot on board.  These pilots live in a 5 acre compound on Egmont Key and go out to the tankers and cruise ships in these pilot boats. 

Great Egret

Egrets and herons have heads, necks and bills that weigh proportionately more than their bodies, so they must curl their heads back and rest it on their bodies while in flight, giving it an “S” shape.

Cranes on the other hand, like this Sandhill Crane, with smaller and sleeker heads, fly with their necks outstretched.

American Kestrels were brought by the Boyd Hill Raptor personnel to show folks these beautiful birds.

Female checking us out

Deck Shots

Great Egret

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

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

 Unfortunately these yahoos don’t pay any attention to all the manatees in the area.

Our state bird, the Northern Mockingbird

Preening Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Beluga Whale videos: Churchill, Manitoba

Mountain Aven

Adult Beluga

Discover the Island Weekend, Egmont Key: 11-10-19

Willets

Our Eastern Willets migrate south to the Caribbean for the winter

Egmont Key NWR & State Park: 11-10-19

A beautiful display in the Guard House

One of the few Brown Pelicans we saw that day.

Snowy Egrets and one Great Egret on the Bay Pier where we gather to take the ferry from Ft Desoto County Park to Egmont Key

Calico Crab

Erosion on the Gulf side of the island.  This ledge is 16 feet high!

One of the informative kiosks on the bay side of the island

 Tent over the Fossil Pit where kids come to dig for fossils which we bury in the sand before they get there.