This
is my second trip to the Disney Orlando area and I still managed to find 13
new birds to add to the collection. The most surprising was the Pileated
Woodpecker, a common bird in my northern Ontario. It was the first time
I have ever seen one and I had to come to Florida to see one.
Others
I found in the wild were the Carolina Wren a ground dweller like
the common Catbird found in the area. Amazing surprise was to see a Barred
Owl chasing a squirrel around a tree, it was like watching a cat and
mouse chase. A elegant bird the Tufted Titmouse is blue and grey
with a peak like a cardinal. The Northern Parula Warbler is small
and colourful with yellow and a patch of red on its rufus body and hangs out at
times with the Palm Warbler. Along with these new birds there are still the
many common birds, Egrets, Cardinals, red shoulder Hawks, and the annoying
Grackles found at every mall or grocery stores and parking lot.
Discovery
Cove supplied eight new bird I had never seen at the cove's aviary. Out of the
350+ birds I have catalogued, about 50 of them have come from Discovery Cove.
The Lady Amherst Pheasant had to be the most spectacular in
colour of all of the 8 new birds. The Black Spotted Barbet
is a strange character with a fir patch at the base of its beak. The Specked
Mousebird scurried along a branch while the Whited Capped Robin
Chat who looks like a Robin with a white hat waited for people to drop
seeds on the ground. The Great
Curassow is a fat mid size black Pigeon that looks like it had a bad
hair day. Crested Coua is a Blue Jay size and shape bird that is a
soft pale blue colour and the Blue bellied Roller is larger and
has a fancy two feather tail. I also found another Toucan known as a Ivory
Billed Aracari but does not look like the front loop bird! The
Discovery Cove Aviary is fantastic and the staff are very helpful with all
question you may have. I have even emailed them with inquires and they have
replied with in a couple of days.
ST Thomas USVIi- March 2015
ST Thomas, ST John & St Croix are all Islands in the US Virgin Islands and have similar birds on them as most Caribbean Islands. I am staying on St Thomas which is 13x3 miles in size. Most of the birds are Shorebirds and it is limited to about 10 or so common land lovers. The only endemic bird in all the virgin islands is the Virgin Islands Screech-Owl
NEW Pictures I have :There is two Hummingbirds that are as common as a robin in Toronto. The Green throated Carib and the Antillean Crested hummingbirds can be found at most flower beds at dusk or dawn. the Smooth billed Ani looks like a Grackle but has the beak of a Puffin. The Brown Booby which looks like a seagull is a master diver from the sky to the water and more graceful than a pelican. Your white dove of peace, White ringneck Dove was found at Megens Bay but I think he was abandoned from a weeding, they are not an island bird. I found a Gray Kingbird sitting on a wire in front of a house. The owner was trying to raise bees but this guy came around every day till he ate them all including the Queen. The biggest pigeon I have seen here is the Scaly-Naped Pigeon and he looks better than those rock pigeons. Another very common bird like a starling or mocking bird is the Pearly-eyed Thrasher and just as irritating when you are eating at a patio.
Two non-native birds I got were at the Coral World Aviary in St Thomas. Lorikeets, which are native to Australia. they were the Blue Streaked Lorikeet and the Green Naped Lorikeet.
Others Pics of birds; The Bananaquit is the national bird of the island and is also a nectar feeder. We must not forget the Red Junglefowl (chicken) which is in all Caribbean islands, Cuba and south Florida. The Brown Pelican seem to be all over also.
Hawaii- March 2014
Try to picture finding birds on a volcano. I stayed on the Big Island of Hawaii and it has a dry and rain forest. I manage to get a few endemic birds along with one of the rarest birds known. The Audubon society filed a law suit against the State of Hawaii in the 70s and won. The law suit was for removal of animals destroying the habit of a endangered species. I recommend taking the tour of the forests. Local birds are different on each island and only some are found on all. The big island has almost none of the shore birds you would expect to see like gulls of any sorts. Most of the shore birds are on the most northern small islands where people are scarce. It is the home of the Albatross and many others. I would like to spend more time on all the islands as get a bigger collection of birds.
I had checked out on the web some of the birds I may see and I was surprized at what I found, 10 new birds to add to the collection. The endemic birds are fascinating especially the Dr Bird, the national bird of the Island. It was a hummingbird with an extra long fine set of tail feathers. The place to see it and many others is Rockland Bird Sanctuary near Montego Bay. You can also feed the hummingbirds there which is something to see.
Marco Island of Florida- March 2013
I had a neat experience at "Tigertail Beach" in the north east part of the island. It is their conservation area and many people go there for the bird watching during the breeding season. I had the thrill of sitting next (within 10 ft.) to a Osprey enjoying a fresh caught fish. I sat there for at least an half hour while he ate. I was surprised he let me get that close but they must be use to tourist with cameras.
St Thomas, Nassau- December 2012
While taking a boat cruise in the Carib, we had a chance to see some different birds. Some were native to the islands while others were in captivity at Ardastra Zoo in Nassau Bahamas Time was limited on these stops in port but we still managed to get a few new bird photos.
Island of Saint Lucia - April 2012
I only managed to get 4 new birds during the week I was there. The common birds around the resort in the northern part were; St. Lucia Black Finch, Bananaquit, and Zenaida Dove. While touring the Rain Forest I saw a Purple-Throated Carib Hummingbird. While taking a boat cruise in the Carib, we had a chance to see some different birds. Some were native to the islands while others were in captivity at Ardastra Zoo in Nassau Bahamas Time was limited on these stops in port but we still managed to get a few new bird photos.
Island of Saint Lucia - April 2012
The national bird is the Saint Lucia Parrot which I can sadly say I did not get to see or get a picture of. I could not even find any books on the local birds.
The Island's main interest is tourism, selling their trinkets and adventure trips. They do claim to have five endemic birds in Saint Lucia all of which are endangered.
MARCO ISLAND - March 2012
Most of the birds on Marco and the neighbouring Everglades I have photographed before. Strangely enough Northern Cardinals are more common then in my home area of Toronto. I have found that the Mockingbird is out numbered by the cardinals which is the more common of early day song birds.
My greatest delite was the number of hawks continuously flying about. The Osprey would be number one, then the Cooper Hawk, American Kestrel, and red shoulder Hawks. It was a great photo session with them.
There was many egrets herons and spoonbills to be seen all in their natural environment, even Burrowing Owls, which is more common in Cape Coral
I did find SIX new birds to add to the collection
Cooper Hawk, American Kestrel, Grey Catbird, Common ground Dove, Green Heron, and Swallow-tailed Kyte.
Non-Bird
Like most birds and other creatures, the Gopher Tortoise is also protected by law on Marco Island. They are burrowing tortoise and only appear on hot days.
The gopher tortoise (gopherus polyphemus) belongs to a group of land tortoises that originated in North America 60 million years ago, thus making it one of the oldest living species.
There are many factors in our world that threaten the gopher tortoise's existence. Several years ago, one of the biggest problems was that people enjoyed having tortoises as pets. They would take them from the wild and keep them at home. Even though these animals were usually treated well, they could not reproduce and add new tortoises to the population. Tortoise racing was also popular years ago, but the animals were rarely returned to their original home ranges after the races were over. Since becoming protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, keeping tortoises as pets, racing them, or removing them from their home ranges is illegal.
Flamingo Hotel - June 2010
Yes even Vegas has an Aviary, built in the Flamingo Hotel.
I stayed there and took photos while sitting and having my morning coffee in the aviary.
I did find SEVEN new birds to add to the collection
Chilean Flamingo, Sacred Ibis, Hooded Merganser, Australian Black Swan, Blk-Necked Swan, Ringed Teal, Common Shoveler.
Out side Margaritaville Bar on the strip
Cape Coral Florida - April 2010
This was an interesting area that is wrapped in canals. It is full of birds that is most common to all of Florida. The most interesting bird was the Burrowing Owl which is protected. You will find them on every street on one lawn or another. They are roped off so people do not bother them while they are nesting with their young.
This was the first time I had come across an Eurasian Collard Dove, Cattle Egret, and a Willow Flycatcher.
