Sleeping Ruddy

Ruddy ducks are typically the first I see in the cold weather on the open Sound.  They are so fun to watch:   they charge, chatter (a mewing sound to me), dive for food and sleep. Here is one in a watchful sleep posture. Beautiful golds against the blue water. 

The Nuthatch

I love the 'neep, neep ,neep' sounds of the Nuthatch.  Unusual, the wood is full of the nuthatch this year.  The call replaces the frogs and the cicadas; you can step outside and hear them in stereo plus!
They have found my black oil sunflower seeds and don't just eat.  They steal them away to secret places to be found later when it's cold perhaps. My sago palm will be a splendor of yellow flowers if the seeds are not retrieved from it's tight spaces!
Busy all day long, capturing seeds and plying the trees for bugs hidden in crevices.
The beak is made for digging, just the slightest little upturn. 
Here are a few pics of a nuthatch on a hackberry tree in the garden.  The bandit stripe across the eyes is so apropos for my little thief.

A few more pics from Florida

Mid day walks are not always conducive to shooting pics due to the light, but you have to carry your camera to try.

Citrus trees are common in yards, as peach trees are in my locale.  Here is a female Cardinal in a Lemon tree twisting a sunflower seed from a nearby feeder.

Along the waterfront I saw preening birds of all sorts in the afternoon sun.  Here are some Pelicans getting their feathers ship-shape.

Heading back I spotted this Snowy ( Golden Slippers!)  walking the shoreline.

The trees are full of birds that I see here in NC, and the local waters sported ducks, cormorants, kingfishers, pipers and osprey.  The osprey call was a welcome sound along with the owls hooting at night.  So much to explore,  I'm ready to take my camera back south!

A Plover in Florida

I was in north Florida of late and what did I catch but a Plover.  I think it is a Piping Plover, a protected bird that I have never seen.
It was too cute and not very spooked by our presence.

Tiny and busy.

Heron in the morning

Herons are usually seen in singular.  I recently counted 10, yes 10, fly over me in straight line formation (well, a little squiggly) and high up.  The squawk is unmistakable, the shape and wing flap as well.  I have seen four or five together before this sighting.
This morning I shot this photo of a single blue on a perch along my pier.  Once disturbed, three blues went a flying.  The others were out of my sight.

Perhaps they roosted for the night.  They are a winter regular here, so pretty when spotted on the causeway perfectly camouflaged against the marsh grass.

Making tracks

The Green Tree Frogs were everywhere and anywhere last couple weeks, perhaps the height of the season for them.  Windows, doors, plants, and everything else were full. 
When the weather starts to turn we get a fog on the windows.  The frogs continue to do their thing, but the temperature change gives us a a little treat in the morning.  We get to see the tracks of a frog chasing a bug, making it's way to better hiding place for the day, who knows?  The tracks are there.
I want a rubber stamp that looks just like these tracks.
Here are shots of  frog tracks on my kitchen door on a recent morning.  Aren't they fun?
 

A bird in the hand

Today I had the rare privilege of holding a Pine Warbler in my hands.  I was sweeping away the green and yellow leaves from my door and caught a glimpse of a clump (even got a peep!).  I just swept a bird!  I scooped it up and held it for about 20 minutes.  Most likely stunned from hitting the glass storm door, it did not object to my hands or my cooing.  I couldn't leave it for my camera, I just soaked it in and warmed it.  It did fly from my hands and as I clapped in celebration I realized I needed to wash my hands good.   :)

The photo has nothing to do with my little story, but here is a male Kingfisher from a couple days ago.  The battles for territory have been great this past week.  This shot is closely cropped, these birds are hard to catch with the camera and I could never imagine one in my hands.
The migrants such as the Warblers and the residents such as the Kingfisher are all welcome and every view is new and different.  But a bird in the hand is simply incredible.