Monthly Archives: December 2023

What is that little songbird with the nasty looking beak? The Loggerhead Shrike is a passerine that aspires to be a raptor. It preys on insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. Lacking the talons of a true raptor, the Shrike impales its kill on barbed wire or thorns. This gruesome habit earned it the nickname “Butcherbird”.Continue reading “Found in the Clutter – Loggerhead Shrike”

White Ibis are virtually everywhere in the Gulf Coast area of southern Florida that I visited. You will see them in tidal pools, swamps, lawns, golf courses, drainage ditches, everywhere it seems. They are permanent residents of the Caribbean coasts of the US and Mexico, Caribbean islands including Cuba and Hispaniola, and the Pacific coastContinue reading “Snapshots – White Ibis”

The Brown Pelican is ubiquitous in the area I just visited. They weren’t fishing when I was observing them but they still look pretty impressive as they glide over the water. Photographed at San Carlos Bay, Ft. Myers, Florida.

A Red-tailed Hawk landed at the top of an evergreen tree at the edge of the marsh. It was likely keeping an eye out for the small mammals that are its typical prey. However, the Mockingbird that was already in the tree took exception. The hawk wasn’t interested in the Mockingbird as prey. And itContinue reading “Treetop Dispute”

Previous trips come to mind as I plan for a new trip to Florida. This is a repost of my favorite photograph of a Limpkin taken on my last trip there just before the pandemic. It’s a tropical bird found in the US only in Florida. They are the only member of their family butContinue reading “Limpkin”

Red-shouldered Hawks are medium sized hawks that are permanent residents of the eastern US up to southern New England. Some will migrate a bit more north during breeding season. They are also found along the California coast. Juvenile. Photographed in Homestead, Florida in January 2020.

Razorbills are alcids that reside primarily around the Canadian Maritimes and Gulf of Saint Lawrence. They live at sea except for the short time when they nest in cliffs along the shore. We often see them here in New England just off our shores during the winter as they follow their prey fish. They canContinue reading “Snapshot – Razorbill”

This is is a photograph of a duck with an odd name that I came across in a folder of photos from an Audubon trip to Florida. The name is apropos since they have a black belly and they have a whistling call. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were normally only found in Mexico, Central America andContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Black-bellied Whistling Duck”

Northern Harriers glide and hover over open fields to hunt for small mammals and songbirds. They migrate to our saltwater marshes in the winter since they tend to be more open with less snow cover than inland fields. This Harrier passed over a salt panne as it was hunting. The panne was full of ducksContinue reading “Harrier and Teals”

The Greater Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico and is one of the things that come to mind when you think about the desert Southwest in the US. They can fly but typically run unless forced into the air. They hunt a large variety of prey from insects to rattlesnakes. The Coyote canContinue reading “Found in the Clutter – Greater Roadrunner”