Two Great Egrets, Fort De Soto, Fl._93E6663

When they crossed, they formed some kind of a pattern.

Common ground Dove, Fort De Soto_93E7684

The common ground dove is considered to be the smallest dove that inhabits the United States. As its name suggests, the bird spends the majority of its time on the ground walking but still has the ability to fly.

The common ground dove has a yellow beak with a black tip. Feathers surrounding the beak are pink in colour. The feathers on the head and the upper breast have a scale like appearance. The tail feathers are very short and similar colour to the back. The plumage on the back of the bird is brown.

Great Egret, Fort De Soto_93E6650

Not necessarily a migrating species, the egret can be seen almost in every water hole, and many photos have been previously posted by me, but I could not resit capturing that elegant pose.

Marbled Gotwit, Fort De Soto_93E6650

This bird species differs from other shorebirds and easily identified by its long beak.  Didn’t see many of them and almost missed that shot, (last 2 on that card) because I was running out of card and my supply of cards were accidentally left in the car.  Big mistake.

Sanderling Bird, Fort De Soto_93E6634

The Sanderling blends well with the sand color and also is super fast, like running in front of the waves while grabbing food from the sand.

Black-bellied Plover, Fort De Soto_93E6628

Another species of Plover birds on the beach, much larger shorebird than the semipalmatted. Typically they run a few steps and then pause, then run again, pecking at the ground whenever they spot something edible.

Wilson Plover, Fort De Soto, Fl._93E6608

Last week with a group of photographer aficionados, we drove to Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde, a community located on an island near the entrance of Tampa Bay, and is connected by the bridges of the Pinellas Bayway to both St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach. a quintessential area for bird watchers and photographers alike. In two days we scouted the whole park and discovered many species of shore birds and migratory song birds also who utilize this area during Spring and Fall migration. Needless to say that we splurged on the opportunity in capturing more than usually needed, well perhaps for the fun of it and because with the Digital Age, the more the merrier.  I’ll share some of the best of the “flock” now and at later dates.

This is a small plover at 17–20 cm. The adult’s upper parts are mainly dark grey, with a short white wing bar and white tail sides. The underparts are white except for a breast band, and the legs are pink, brighter when breeding. The dark bill is large and heavy for a plover of this size. The call is a high weak whistle.

Proceeding with a doubtful look.

Taking a moment inspecting the area before proceeding.

Love to watch them walk on the sand.  They are fast and hard to catch.

More Osprey in the Air_93E6205

 

Osprey in the Air_93E6183

Target: Fish essential for their diet.

Osprey leaving nest_93E6175

A chronological taking off sequence on its quest for food.