The White-eyed Vireo is a permanent resident in south Florida, although the winter population is supplemented by migrants from the eastern half of the US. I have heard it singing all year long, though the frequency and volume of its song is reduced during the winter months.
Although often shy and retiring, it is one of my favorite photographic subjects. Like all birds, it is incapable of changing its facial expressions, but it can assume some very interesting postures which seem to be communicating its thoughts.
Is it looking for a bug up there or wondering what I am doing here?
Is it angry?
Shy?
Proud?
Or simply exuberant?
Vireos are small and rather inconspicuous birds, mostly native to the New World, with most species concentrated in Central America and northern South America. They eat insects and also fruit, especially during winter. About a dozen vireo species inhabit the US. Most are brown or greenish, and some show yellow tints. A vireo's bill is more stout than that of warblers and its upper mandible is slightly hooked.
A common visitor during migration is the Red-eyed Vireo:
It is a common breeding bird in Canada and much of northern and eastern US. While it does nest down into Florida we do not find it breeding in the southern tip of the peninsula. Thus we wait for migration to hear them as they pass through and rarely stay for the winter. Most continue on to spend the winter in northern South America. They sing persistently up north, but we can hear their distinctive repetitive but varied 2-3 note slurred song during spring migration.
The Red-eyed Vireo is larger, about an inch longer (6 inches) than the White-eyed species. It can be very hard to find as it stalks among the leaves in search of insects:
The light must be right to catch the red in its eyes:
The plumage of the Black-whiskered Vireo is similar to that of the Red-eyed Vireo, but it sports its namesake "whiskers." It inhabits coastal mangroves in south Florida, but I was lucky to see it once in our local wetlands, 18 miles inland:
Another winter visitor which has been numerous this week is the Blue-headed Vireo. Its white "spectacles" contrast strikingly with its dark blue head:
An unusual migrant visited us for four winters between 2009 and 2017. Bell's Vireo is about a half inch smaller than the White-eyed Vireo which often accompanied it. This species breeds to the west, in central and southwestern US. Normally, it migrates through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to its wintering grounds on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Over the years a few vagrants have wintered in Florida. There were only 24 Florida records between 1947-1976, less than once a year!
Bell's Vireo is rather plain, and easily overlooked:
On of my most recent "first seen" birds in our local wetlands was this colorful Yellow-throated Vireo:
The Warbling Vireo has been present several times, but my best photos of it were those I took in Illinois, such as this one:
The Philadelphia Vireo is another unusual visitor to south Florida, but i did photograph it here on two occasions. Its voice is very similar to that of the Red-eyed Vireo. It usually migrates from its Canadian breeding grounds to Central America by way of the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It is quite colorful:
While I have seen other vireo species elsewhere, this covers all my Florida sightings. This week was not all about vireos. An Agapostemon Sweat Bee visited the flowers of Bidens alba:
Venus, the Moon and Jupiter were aligned as we walked out 45 minutes before sunrise on January 3. I even saw Mercury closer to the horizon, the first time in my life!
Images of a very old Moon just before it disappeared into the sunrise on January 4th:
A Tricolored Heron danced with its reflection:
Common Grackles congregated along a neighbor's fence:
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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
Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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Once again, I am looking through the retrospectoscope and refreshing my memories of walks in the Wounded Woodlands three years ago. We will review photos which depict favorite memes: birds, butterflies and critters of all kinds, fences, skies and reflections, as well as scenes which speak for themselves. It was an eventful month, as I processed 975 photos. There was also concern about the welfare of our local Bald Eagles.
We celebrated the return of one of my favorite winter resident birds, the American Kestrel. Most years we have hosted three of these small falcons which defended separate foraging territories in our local patch:
American Kestrel perched on a top shoot of a Royal Palm:
On January 3rd there was heavy overcast and a brisk cool (68 F, 20 C) wind from the north. It started to look like rain, so at around 7:15 AM I turned around to go home, when I saw a Bobcat at the side of the gravel road. It was about 80-100 yards away and conditions were so dark that my photos were very poor. It ran away just as I began to walk a bit closer:
As a sort of excuse for such a crummy photo I reproduced it as an aged Daguerrotype:
We had several very foggy mornings. While they may interfere with wildlife-watching, they can present some nice photo opportunities. The rising sun pierced through the lakeside gloom on January 9...
...and then the fog lifted up off the Pine Bank:
The Brown Thrasher tends to be reclusive, so it is a treat to have one come out and pose in the open:
In a neighbor's back yard, a Great Blue Heron had captured a creature which initially looked like a snake:
Closer inspection of the photo revealed it to be an Amphiuma, a legless salamander:
White-eyed Vireos had already resumed singing in the dead of winter, after taking a break in late fall (January 21):
As if not to be outdone by the vireo, a female Northern Flicker flashed her gilded tail feathers to a prospective suitor in what appears to be an amorous display, on January 25:
Palm Warblers were abundant all winter on residential lawns. Some locals call them "Florida sparrows:"
A Great Egret and White Ibis foraged along the shore of the lake:
A female Painted Bunting blended into background foliage:
The male Painted Bunting was more visible in this poor photo:
There was cause for great anxiety about the local Bald Eagles. You may recall that the female of the pair (Joy) disappeared in October, 2014, just before the prior nesting season. The male (Pride) chose a new mate but they got together too late in the season and no brood was produced.
The new female (Jewel) laid her first egg around December 13, 2015. It was expected to hatch on or about January 17, 2016, but early on that very morning we had severe thunderstorms which produced high winds and even tornadoes not far from the nest. The weather disturbance was widespread and destroyed several Bald Eagle nests around the state of Florida.
Later that day we discovered that a large branch had fallen directly on the nest. We could see the female eagle. She appeared to be incubating on the nest, almost hidden by the fallen branch:
On January 19, I photographed the male (Pride) feeding at least one hidden eaglet:
Although some observers thought that one or more nestling was being fed as late as January 24, no eaglets were ever seen and we presume any survivor of the storm was lost. Yet the pair continued to visit the nest and made some repairs on January 23:
For the next several days the nest was not continuously attended, but the pair renewed courtship and copulated on January 26:
Jewel laid a second clutch of eggs around February 10 and hatched out two eaglets on March 16th. One eaglet survived and fledged successfully in June. The pair roosted together on January 29 (note the size difference-- the female is on the right):
Butterflies and blossoms were less abundant during January, but the Lantana bloomed in mid-month...
...as did a flush of Bidens alba, another favorite source of nectar and pollen, here hosting a White Peacock:
The month provided me with a record number of beautiful sunrise photo opportunities. This is the view on January 28, looking to the west just as the rising sun touched the Pine Bank across the lake. The clouds appeared to form a crown over the treetops:
Reflections on the flooded prairie on the last day of the month:
In an attempt to improve on nature, I rendered this photo of a January 17 back yard sunrise as an old canvas painting:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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
Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia
________________________________________________
Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
________________________________________________