Mid-month potpourri

Reflected reeds framed a Common Gallinule:



The sun seemed to be rising from behind a cloud castle:



The Lantanas were blooming again and attracting butterflies, a Monarch...


 
...and a Zebra heliconian:



When is a goose not a goose? When it is an Egyptian Goose. These introduced invaders are classified in a sort of no-man's land between the ducks and geese.

A squad of three flew over my head in the Wounded Wetlands. Their calls are ear-splitting:





I couldn't fit them all in the view-finder:



A distant Red-shouldered Hawk was tearing at prey as it roosted on a dead tree:





An American Kestrel stared down at me from high atop a  pole:



A second kestrel flew up into a fruiting Royal Palm:





I almost missed seeing a Sharp-shinned Hawk hidden deep in the tree branches:

 



In the rookery a Green Heron shifted its shape:







As many as eight Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are not yet paired up, but they are growing plumes and their legs are gradually turning brighter in anticipation of breeding season:





An immature Little Blue Heron pranced along the lakeside:



A Brazilian Pepper bush was a pretty spot for a watchful Northern Mockingbird:



A tiny House Wren came out of hiding for a brief photo-op:







= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Our visit to two of the famous birding locations in West Palm Beach County started at Green Cay Wetlands. It was a beautiful clear morning, without a cloud in sight. This is the boardwalk that leads out into the wetlands from the Nature Center. 







The birding action started even before we set foot on the boardwalk, with an abundance of Painted Buntings at the feeders along the path to the Nature Center:



A young Anhinga preened, oblivious to human presence. In the wetlands near our home there are so few people that this species is particulary wary:



Along the boardwalk , this pair of Blue-winged Teal was one of many:



A Green Heron hunted so close by that I had to back up to fit it in the viewfinder:



Pied-billed Grebes dived and swam under the boardwalk:



An American Bittern stood stark still for a long time, emitting soft calls of alarm. Another photographer pointed out that it was reacting to the danger posed by a Northern Harrier that was sitting, hidden deep in the grass only a few feet away:



The light caught the subtle rusty feathers on a Cattle Egret's head:




A blue-eyed Double Crested Cormaorant posed:



A Red-winged Blackbird sang and displayed on the boardwalk railing:



On a snag, a White Ibis provided a nice photo-op:



In the trees on the islands between the boardwalks, we saw warblers, including a Palm Warbler...



...Pine Warblers...



...Yellow-rumped Warblers...



...and an Orange-crowned Warbler:



We moved on to Wadokahatchee Wetlands, where there were the nests of many herons, Anhingas, cormorants and storks. 

There may have been as many as 12 pairs of Wood Storks, which have practically abandoned their historic breeding grounds to the south:



The storks competed with Anhingas for space in a single tree:



There were many nesting Great Blue Herons:



A Great Egret arranged a stick in its nest (an Anhinga chick is in the foreground):



The male Great Egret in this nest exhibits the green face and the nearly black upper mandible that appear at the height of breeding condition:



A Snowy Egret:



One of many Purple Gallinules:



There were numerous Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, which became abundant here only a couple of years ago:



Perhaps the most spectacular bird at Wadokahatchee was this Roseate Spoonbill. I loved its pink reflection:





Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

________________________________________________