Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach Florida

I was hired this weekend for a photo shoot in Fort Lauderdale, which was totally awesome!  This shoot involved pictures of people and the occasional butterfly.  Though worthy subjects, my passion is avian in nature and the next day, though clouds and rain were in the forecast, my lovely wife and I went to Wakodahatchee Wetlands Preserve in Delray Beach on the way home.

What a great decision it was!  Touted as one of the best rookeries around and a virtual birding mecca, I was pretty excited to get to go there.  When we arrived it was lightly raining.  As any photographer knows, this isn't a good thing.  Cameras are pretty sensitive to water.  So, at the wife's suggestion, I grabbed a plastic bag for camera rain protection.  Note:  It will be proven shortly who the genius in the relationship is.

As we made the first turn into the preserve, the rains started coming harder, (this is where you should say to yourself, "What would he do without her"?), and so the plastic bag came out and quickly enveloped my camera.  Lucky for me though the wind was blowing quite briskly and within minutes the rain had stopped.

The light wasn't ideal, but it was bright enough I thought for some adequate pictures.  Many of the birds were well away from the raised walkway and not within suitable shooting distance.  However, some of the birds, trying to find a place to get out of the wind were hunkered down within range.  As the winds blew and the rain came in short spotty showers, I found that there were many birds hiding near and sometimes under the walkway.  They would come out to forage and then, when the weather again threatened, they would return to their safe haven.  The pictures seemed to come more quickly now that I figured out the pattern.

In the middle of the preserve is an island and there is a covered area within 25 yards which gives photographers a "birds-eye view" of the nests of several species of birds, (Anhingas, Great Blue Herons and Great Crested Cormorants).  Frankly it was a good thing that the weather wasn't great, because the wait to get to the best shooting spots was only about 20 minutes or so!

The rain seemed to let up for about 45 minutes which allowed us to walk the majority of the walkway rain free.  In one particular spot there was a Great Crested Cormorant sitting on the railing of the walkway and he was unphased by the people walking by.  I was able go get quite close and I got some good close-up shots.  I also watched the little bushes that dotted the areas just off the walkway for Warblers and such.  There were a few little guys flitting around and I was lucky enough to get some of them also.

All in all it was a great little excursion.  The next time we're going when it's not raining and the sun is out.  This will give me many more opportunities, (that is, if the birds are reading this)!!

Songs In The Morning

There are no alarm clocks needed in our little part of paradise.  Our avian friends are watching and before the sun comes up, the wooded area behind the apartment is alive with song.  Typically, the Northern Cardinal is first to be heard, and it's usually the female with her "chip-chip-chip".  The male chimes in shortly thereafter with his louder and more pronounced "chip".  He's soon off to a tall tree to announce to the neighborhood that it's time to get up.

If you lie in bed and attempt to ignore the calls, (which I am sure are to wake me up so that I put out the birdseed "de jour"), I will soon hear the Gray Catbird's "meow", the Blue Jays raucous "caw-caw" and the Red Winged Blackbirds melodic chortles and cheeps, along with many other of our seasonly and yearly visitors.

February 23, 2012 was no exception, so I stumbled out of bed at 7:30am and got their food ready.  It was an partly cloudy day and the clouds were moving fast.  The lighting was tricky, sometimes there were only seconds between a change of up to four F-stops, so I only stayed out there for about fifteen minutes or so.  It was time enough however to capture, in picture, the sounds of the morning.

Enjoy your day!

Timing Is Everything

I got up this morning with the idea that I would have a great day taking pictures of the birds out back at our feeders.  Mother Nature however had other ideas and produced a very steady, but needed drizzle, which put a damper, (pun intended) on my plans.  I went out twice after that only to find it drizzling again!  Today clearly isn't my day to get pictures.

I did manage to shoot one shot, in the rain.  It's not great and frankly there weren't many birds at the feeders this morning.  I gave up, deleted the picture and settled for a day without pictures.  At 2:00pm, as if by divine intervention, the sun came out!  I grabbed my camera, a handful of birdseed and peanuts and ran out back.  I didn't know how long this moment would last.

I put the seed on the feeders and within seconds there was activity all around!  Northern Cardinals, Red Winged Blackbirds, Gray Catbirds, Painted Buntings, (only females, darn it) and Blue Jays.  It seemed pictures were everywhere!!  

I shot and shot and shot, and just when I thought I'd had enough pictures, there it was.  A flash of yellow in the short trees that dot the copse.  I banged off three shots.  I knew it was a Warbler, but I couldn't identify it, (frankly I am pretty bad at Warbler identification).  Here's the picture so you can tell me what I caught!

All in all the brief ten minutes or so shooting was very exciting.  I got some great shots, especially of the male & female Red Bellied Woodpecker; and they were my target for the day!!  

My experience tells me that patience does pay off!!!

Yay me!!!

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

It's a great day when I can spend time out back, leisurely taking pictures of birds at our feeders.  Today was such a day and though I didn't spend a lot of time out there, I was lucky enough to have plenty of opportunities to get some great pictures.

There were many visitors early this morning.  First was the Northern Cardinal, who is usually first.  They clearly get up with the sun and are calling, (sometimes I think to wake me up), before daybreak.  It was still not quite fully light when I made it out there this morning and according to all the noise I was greeted by, I slept in!  I put our usual mix of seed on both feeders and waited.

It wasn't long before the Northern Cardinal was peeking at me from the recesses of the underbrush.  A thin line of morning light briefly lit up his face and alerted me to his presence.  It's surprising that a bird so vibrantly red can blend in so well in a mostly green environment.  The next visitor was the Gray Catbird.  As usual, the time spent on the feeder by this bird was minimal, (seconds), but just long enough to allow me one photograph.

As the light started to build, the Red Winged Blackbirds began to fly in, and with them came a few Common Grackles and House Finches.  The squirrels were next to arrive.  We are lucky in that the squirrels in our neighborhood are very polite and take turns on the feeders, never causing a problem and never discouraging their avian neighbors from feeding.

It was a morning where many different birds came to feed and none left hungry.  The Mourning Doves arrived sometime during the Red Wing Blackbird fly-in and patiently waiting high in the oak tree until the feeders were somewhat vacant.  The female Painted Buntings waited in the underbrush and the Pine Warbler did as well.

I went upstairs after about 45 minutes and downloaded my pictures.  I started dinner and went to the store for some necessary dessert items.  While there I purchased a bag of peanuts, (with shell).  I put the groceries away and made sure that dinner was cooking nicely, grabbed another container of birdseed and this time added the peanuts.

I am convinced that peanuts give off a call to the Blue Jay's in the area that seems to say, "Eat me!  I'm out here for you", because it wasn't but a few seconds and three arrived.  The peanuts didn't stand a chance!  They were gone within minutes.
 
All in all it was a great time today!  I got many pictures and built up my gallery of backyard birds.  Tomorrow morning I will be out there even earlier in an attempt to get the Red Bellied Woodpecker that alluded me today, (coming and stealing a seed or two only when I was upstairs)!

House Finch

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Carpodacus mexicanus, or the House Finch is a new visitor to our feeders.  We've only seen one, once before about two years ago.  What a special surprise it was today when I was taking pictures of the usual visitors, (Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Painted Buntings and even Squirrels), and a pair appeared!


I tried something different today.  Rather than take numerous pictures of both the male and female House Finch immediately, I instead decided to just stand there and observe their behavior.  I've learned that this is the best way to get quality bird pictures.  Learn your subject! 


 So, there I stood, in the cool 10-15 mph wind, watching a pair of House Finches fly from one tree to another, (usually distances of 40 yards or more), only to fly back again.  This pattern continued for about thirty minutes before the female finally landed on the feeder nearest the undergrowth.  She grabbed a large striped sunflower seed, cracked the shell effortlessly and then was immediately spooked off by one of the other visitors.  Then the male came.  He seemed to be more wary, landing one a branch near the feeder and then he flitted to another, not staying in one place for very long.  Once on the feeder however, he ate sunflower seed after sunflower seed.  That was until he too was scared off.  This behavior lasted for almost an hour.


The male, with his purplish-red face and breast is a stunning looking bird.  He gets the red color from the foods he eats and the females choose a mate by selecting the one with the reddest color, (probably to assure that the male can and will find food for the young).   The female is a browish-gray in color, with a similar pattern to that of a Red Winged Blackbird female, though the body size is much smaller.  They both have beaks that are used for cracking the hardest of seed husks, though they prefer millet and sunflower seeds.



I suspect that in early spring we will lose this colorful visitor.  Though the census states that there are possibly up to one billion House Finches in the United States, they are rare in our woods, (or at least it has been until today).  It's a delight to see them.


They are a very polite bird, waiting until the feeder is virtually empty before attempting to light.  It is my hope that they stay and become a regular guest.

Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus, or the Carolina Wren is a feisty little bird with a huge personality and a song to match!  Living mostly in the deep, deep underbrush, the Carolina Wren can be seen only when it wants to be, flitting and ducking from branch to branch.  Then suddenly and very quickly, it will appear, only to disappear again.  This behavior seems to be the way that the Carolina Wren scopes out the area and our feeders, (I call it 'sounding').  If birdseed is seen then it's only a matter of seconds before the feeder is voraciously explored and many seeds disappear.  One blink and the bird is gone again!


Early in the morning, you can hear the Carolina Wren, (or more like you can't help but hear the Carolina Wren), singing from a perch high on a nearby branch.  It's truly amazing that such a little bird can put forth such a loud and deliberate sound.  It's as if the bird wants to say to everyone, "I'm here and I want you to know about it!!!"  However, as direct as this bird acts, it's very skittish and will relinquish the feeder to anyone that stops to eat. 

If you have the good fortune to have a Carolina Wren visiting your feeders or living in your neighborhood, you will quickly fall in love with the antics of this pretty brown little bird.  The white stripe directly over its eye is it's unique identifying mark.  When it becomes time to make a nest you may find the Carolina Wren searching through your patio plants, looking for a quiet little area.  It loves to be close to people.


And lucky we are!!!!

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura, or the Mourning Dove is a well known visitor to many, many feeders.  Being mostly a ground feeder the Mourning Dove relishes picking up seeds that have fallen to the ground.  For this, the Mourning Dove is loved, as no food goes to waste and while the feeder is being attended to, the fallen seeds are also.  However, if you are like us, you have platform feeders and then you are privy to a different Mourning Dove behavior, one that could cause you to become 'not so thrilled' with the Mourning Dove.  The behavior I speak about is actually a very common behavior among birds, especially one's in large flocks.  If one or more birds is on the feeder and another approaches, the first bird will attempt to drive the other away by either doing a flashy display of wings, the opening of the beak or the charging at the intruder, as so to drive him away.  Red Winged Blackbirds and Grackles are known for this, as are Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  The Mourning Dove however takes the behavior to an all time new level!


If the intruder doesn't submit right away, then the attacker feels the need to keep the attack going until the message is delivered.  This usually includes the flapping of wings and the chasing of the intruder all around, over and through the birdseed, causing it to fall to the ground.  Now the question remains; is this a random act of territorial behavior or a deliberate attempt to push the food over the edge of the feeder so to assure something to eat later?  I've watched numerous Mourning Doves display this behavior and frankly, I can't tell if it's deliberate or not.  What I do know is that it's costing me more and rmore monthly for birdseed, because I find myself restocking the feeders later in the day to assure the birds that don't eat on the ground, get something to eat before nightfall.


You know, the more I think about it, this could be a diabolical plot by the Mourning Dove to assure it's survival.  Let's face it, it's not the brightest bird around.  After all, it makes its nest on a branch of a tree then lays one or two eggs.  The nest is not only very hastily made, but it's made very flat and more often than not the eggs roll off to their doom. 


Regardless of the intelligence in nesting by the Mourning Dove, one thing is certain,  I have been 're-trained' to put out more food in the afternoon by a bird that I think isn't that bright.  Yet, who's changed his behavior?  


It makes you think....

Painted Bunting (female)

Many of our avian friends live deep in the woods and only venture out now and again to find food.  The Gray Catbird is one of the birds in our copse that find solitude and safety in the deep recesses between the thick brush and the tall pines, coming out only once in a while to snatch a raisin or a piece of coconut from our feeders.  During our winter months, (November through February), we have a small flock of Painted Buntings that come to visit and stock up on thistle seed, (niger) and millet, so that they are ready for their trek back up north in early March or April.

Today seemed to be female Painted Bunting day.  They were there, as usual, following the Northern Cardinals to the feeder.  At times it seemed like there were only Painted Buntings and Northern Cardinals in the area.  As many as four female Painted Buntings were on the feeders at one time, picking up seeds as fast as their little beaks could grab them.  When any other birds flew near the feeder or attempted to light upon it, they flew off  to a nearby branch only to again return when the interloper left.

I've found you learn a lot about a particular species if you are patient enough.  The female Painted Bunting in it's greenish yellow 'garb' blends in quite well with the environment and is only seen if it wants to be.  If it sits, stock still on a branch or even on the ground, it is almost invisible.  I suspect that this is why the male of the species is always deep in the background, low in the underbrush.  He doesn't blend in nearly as well as his partner.  With his bright colors of purple, red and yellow, he is almost sure to attract attention.  It's understandable why he hides, (though I wish he wouldn't).

Mrs. Painted Bunting is feisty and somewhat attitudinal!  She has no problem coming to a feeder with many other birds on it and she refused to relinquish her spot to someone else.  She will also sit on a feeder alone and announce to the world with a "chip, chip" that she has arrived.  Even a pushy Mourning Dove is no match for this little lady!

If there are any more days like today, I will have filled my yearly quota of female Painted Bunting photographs.  They seemed to be everywhere and they were clearly more intent on eating than noticing me snapping picture after picture.  It's a good thing too or they wouldn't have eaten at all!

I will again be out there tomorrow morning and it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if they came back!!

Many Things Avian

At 7:30am it was raining slightly when I first attempted to head out back for a quick morning photo shoot.  Upon feeling the raindrops I used a bit of discretion and decided to wait for a little while to see if it would clear up.  The birds were not deterred by the rain.  In fact, they were louder than ever, it seemed.  I could hear Red Winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals and even this morning, a Northern Mockingbird.  The Northern Mockingbird has been absent of late, around the feeder, so hearing it's melodic tune was quite a surprise.

I again tried to venture out around 8:45am.  It seemed brighter out then and the rain had abated, for now.  I grabbed my two remote peanut flashes and put one on each feeder.  I attached my Canon 580II to my camera and headed downstairs with my usual mix of birdseed.  This morning however I'd added a few sprinkles of Raisin Bran to see if anyone noticed.

The copse was alive with activity.  Squirrels were playing in the trees, the Gray Catbird was hopping from branch to branch in the undergrowth, peeking out every once in a while to keep it's eye on me, the male and female Northern Cardinal were out also, chipping to one another, back and forth.  The Red Winged Blackbirds were also here in abundance.  Some Common Grackles seemed to be intermixed within the flock and everyone seemed hungry.

It wasn't long before birds started showing great interest in the food on the feeders.  First the female cardinal, (it seems that she's the braver than the male), came and grabbed a few sunflower seeds and flitted to a nearby branch.  That seemed to be the signal they were waiting for.  For about thirty minutes it was a feeding free-for-all!  Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped.  No worries for me however, my photographic experiment seemed to work out just fine.  Note:  Only the Gray Catbird seemed to be the least bit interested in the Raisin Bran.  He grabbed one raisin and didn't appear at the feeders again, while I was out there.

Though I only stayed outside for a brief amount of time, I captured some great shots of our daily visitors.  I even saw a couple of House Finches in the bushes, but they stayed out of camera range.   They are a new visitor to the area.  I've only seen them once before.  I'm not worried though.  I'll get them yet!

I now have a quest!!!

A Perceived Enemy

Let me start by saying that I know that this will not be the most favorite blog entry that I produce.  Furthermore, I will venture to say that if there are any die-hard bird lovers out there reading this, that I will probably be thought of as a charlatan in the birding world and if someone could, I would be forced to stop blogging about birds altogether.  But the time has come for someone to stand up and say what many are thinking, but are afraid to say.  Now understand, I'm ready for the onslaught of hate mail and derisive comments that are bound to come my way.  In fact, I welcome them.  As someone once said, "Negative attention is still attention."  With all that being said, I will now tell you how I feel about a very sensitive subject.  "I like squirrels!!"  With that being said, I will now try and back my comment with some hard facts and concrete observations, based on many years of birding and attempting to fight the demon that is squirrel.

About ten years ago, my wife told me of a bird feeder that she had once created.  It was a two foot by two foot square piece of wood, stuck atop a 4x4 and anchored into the ground.  Every morning, without fail, she would put any and all foods that she didn't use or her family didn't eat the day before, (apple peals, leftovers, stale bread, for example), out on the feeder.  She assures me that the next morning the feeder was clean and empty.  Now I know what many of you are thinking.  What about rats and raccoons and opossums?  Well, I'm sure that there were those types of visitors on and around the area, but they didn't cause any problems.  In fact, the rats attracted owls and after a short period of time the owls were regulating, as in nature, the amount of rats in the area.  The raccoons and opossums did their part to clean up any and all food that the birds didn't eat.  Now I'm not saying that that is a proper way to feed birds, but it did teach me something about nature.  Nothing goes to waste.

Fast forward ten years and we have now adopted the same philosophy here, using a minimalistic approach.  We still throw out leftovers, feeding the raccoons and opossums, along with a few feral cats.  As for birdseed we make a special mixture of millet, large striped sunflower seeds, small black sunflower seeds and thistle seed, (niger).  We also add shredded coconut and shelled and unshelled peanuts, along with raisins.  The two platform feeders that I built are both three foot by three foot square, lightly polyurethaned, on eight foot tall 4x4's buried two feet into the ground.  These feeders are filled daily with our special mixture of seed.  There is no baffle on the feeder, nor is there any attempt to stop ANY creature, avian or otherwise from eating on the feeder.

Squirrels visit daily also.   Currently we have three squirrels that frequent the feeders, but never at the same time.  They have a hierarchy amongst themselves and they never break their own rules.  They are polite, orderly and organized.  If another squirrel comes into the area, he/she is driven away and is relegated to another area such as in the front of the apartments rather than where the feeders are in the back.  There is always enough food for birds and squirrels alike.  There is no fighting, (save an occasional Mourning Dove squabble), on the feeders.

Our squirrels also monitor the goings-on in the copse, chattering and issuing a loud warning should something be amiss.  The birds and the squirrels co-exist harmoniously.  We seen Painted Buntings, Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Carolina Wrens and even various Warblers on the feeders eating at the same time as a squirrel.

So, at the risk of causing a great rift in the cosmos, I ask that you take a second look at the squirrel, not as a nuisance, but rather another of God's creatures attempting to eek out an existence.

Here are some more facts that you will probably not like, but need to hear.

1)  Baby squirrels learn EVERYTHING that their parents have learned and teach it to their young, along with anything that they've learned in their lives.  So outsmarting them is virtually impossible.
2)  There have been many studies done and there are NO "squirrel-proof" bird feeders.  Some do limit the amount of seeds they have access to, but there are NONE that are 100% "squirrel-proof!"  Get over it!

And finally....

3)  If you give squirrels a chance and change your bird feeding habits, (we are supposedly the top of the food chain), then we can co-exist with squirrels, learning from them, laughing at their antics and loving them for the witty and comical creatures that they are.

Northern Mockingbird

The Northern Mockingbird, (Mimicus Polyglottos) is the defender of the area near and around our feeder. We've nicknamed him "The Sentinel" because nothing will get past him when he's on his watch.  During breeding season, (early February) he stands guard over his territory with a diligence that few can muster.   If he's singing, all is well in the 1/2 acre wood.  If not, you will see him flying from tree to tree sometimes displaying, (fanning his wings out in a fashion that draws attention to the bright white stripes and making him seem bigger than he really is), and other times, "mobbing", (flying after and diving towards his target), the unwelcome visitor until it leaves the area.

When "The Sentinel" is not on patrol he can be found hopping from branch to branch in the Queen Anne's Lace, (Daucus carota), searching for the succulent berries the plant produces.  He can also be seen picking at the delicate flower, pulling off the unopened buds and eating them with surprising speed.  He's also been known to grace our feeder from time to time for a raisin or a piece of shredded coconut.  When on the feeder the other birds give him ample room.  I suspect it's because they know that he'll only be staying long enough to grab what he wants and then he's off again to guard the neighborhood.

Regardless of his behavior, Florida's State bird is a beautiful creature who's song, in the spring, will amaze.  For hours and hours on end he will sit atop the highest vantage point in the neighborhood and sing his melodic tune for all to hear.  Being the birding world's greatest mimic, many of his sounds are directly stolen from his avian neighbors.  The Northern Mockingbirds in our neighborhood seem to love mimicking the Northern Cardinal, The Gray Catbird, and also the many warblers that live in the area.  They will even occasionally mimic a Blue Jay or even a Red Tailed Hawk.

We've come to know and love our Northern Mockingbirds.  They let us know when spring has arrived by their glorious melodies.  The song says it all...

 "Listen to the Mockingbird...."

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata, the Blue Jay, is a daily visitor to our feeders.  Though usually loud and boisterous, the Blue Jay at times, is more reserved.  Seemingly the Blue Jay has various moods and depending on those moods the Blue Jay may spend it's time warbling and chortling, as if there is something important to say that others should not hear.

Traveling in small groups, Blue Jays seem to be the 'town criers' of the neighborhood.  Should anything be deemed a threat, the group will start a loud and very visual display, not only showing everyone where the perceived threat is, but at the same time they will try and eliminate it by harrassing it and making it move on to another location.  Owls, snakes and even cats are no match for a determined group of Blue Jays.  Many times Mockingbirds, (Mimus polyglottas) will join in on the cause, helping rid the neighborhood of the menace.

Regardless of the mood, the Blue Jay is a valued member of our woods.  Something would be amiss, should all those calls, chortles, warbles and coos disappear.  If you aren't privileged enough to have a Blue Jay or two at your feeders, simply add shelled or unshelled peanuts to your mix and it won't be long until you have a cacophony of sound in your backyard.

Northern Cardinal

This morning after putting out our normal specialty mix of birdseed on our two platform feeders, I hunkered down for what I thought would be a long wait.  You see, when I arrived at the feeders there were no birds in sight, in fact, there were no hints of birds anywhere in the area by either sight or sound!  I assumed it would be quite the wait for any photographic opportunities.  I was very wrong!

 Within seconds it seemed, the trees and undergrowth came alive with movement.  Within seconds of the movement, there was a variety of chips and chortles coming from seemingly everywhere.  I first saw her gazing at me from behind a branch of thick green leaves.  She was calling out a quick, "chip, chip, chip". I'm not sure if it was a call that I was there or that perhaps the food was there?  Regardless, she was there and clearly interested in what was going on.


The beauty of the female Northern Cardinal, (Cardinalis cardinalis) is very under rated!  Her bright orange beak, suitably made for cracking the hardest of shells, is separated from the highlights her beautiful red-orange crest only by the slightest of a thin black outline.  Her colorful wings start out by her breast with a yellowish-orange color, which gradually blends into a vibrant red at the tips.  Her tale follows suit similarly, with a distinct occasional black highlight.  In the sunlight, the female Northern Cardinal can easily match her mate in a beauty contest.

If you are ever lucky enough to get the opportunity to observe the female Northern Cardinal  for any length of time, you will be pleasantly surprised at what you see.  Her beauty and grace is matched only by her tenacity at the feeder and her ability to disappear when she doesn't want to be seen.   She is seemingly very loyal and she won't be found far from her mate.
When she's not at the feeders cracking her favorite seed, (the large striped sunflower), she will be nearby, resting on a branch, preening and observing.  You'll have to look hard to find her however, as she blends in with her surroundings quite well.

There is never a disappointing day outback at the feeders!