Ft Desoto County Park: 2-27-18

Black-hooded Parakeet

 Fearing these birds may escape and become feral agricultural pests, the state of Tennessee bans the keeping of both Black-hooded as well as Monk Parakeets (Obviously too late for Florida).



Changing lightbulbs on the Bay Pier

Mourning Dove

This Fish Crow kept a wary eye on us as he sat just above us as we ate PBJ sandwiches at East Beach.

The remainder of the tower just north of the Gulf Pier after last year's hurricanes

Lots of birds are starting to use Outback Key, just west of North Beach

Sandwich Tern with its diagnostic yellow bill tip

Adult Herring Gull

1st year Lesser Black-backed Gull (Thanks Ron Smith!)

Would love to have that red urchin in our aquarium but, of course, unlawful to do so in a county preserve.

As some fishermen leave,

others arrive.  Ever thus!

Bird Island, Coffee Pot Bayou: 2-27-18

Incoming Great Blue Heron

Adult Brown Pelican

A common sight, bring in nesting material

Take off sequence

Mating

Newspaper Headline (Hope it’s Really strong tape!)

Screechie: 3-26-18

Roadrunner Alert

For some unknown reason, two days ago Gmail has started sending back emails we have sent to tampabay.rr.com and triad.rr.com people on our email list.  So if you’re not receiving daily emails from us this is the reason.  Computer Guru, Dave Kandz, is coming over this Friday to hopefully solve this problem.  To combat this issue we will put more things in the blog and send two blogs a day and skip some of the emails.  Please bear with us and enjoy the blog posts.

This Yellow-crowned Night Heron appeared on our deck this morning and unfortunately has taken up roosting in the oak above the Shelter Logic covering over the BirdMobile.  His poop is making a mess on the cover.

The nictitating membrane is partially covering its right cornea.

Ft Desoto County Park: 2-27-18

Black-bellied Plover, preening

Eating

These are non-breeding adults visiting for the winter

The males look like their name when on their breeding grounds in the high Arctic tundra

Dunlin, also in non-breeding winter plumage as they migrate through on their way to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and in Greenland.

 

Sanderling on the left and a Marbled Godwit feeding behind.

Male Dunlins also sport a black belly in their breeding plumage

Ring-billed Gull, appropriately named

Preening

Our 2nd most common gull

Scratching