Sandpiper (Least)

The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world. The sandpiper has brown-scaled upper parts and a rust-brown crown. Breast and throat are dark-spotted and belly and under tail are white. Wings have thin, white stripes visible in flight. Black line on rump extends onto tail. Legs and feet are yellow. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has white "V" on back

Least Sandpiper: Breeds from Alaska to Labrador and, in the east, south to Nova Scotia and, recently, Massachusetts. Spends winters from the southern U.S. to central South America and the West Indies. Frequents sandy beaches and exposed tidal flats.

Photographed in the wild, Cape Coral, FL

Camelot Macaw (hybrid)

A Camelot Macaw is a second generation hybrid cross between a Scarlet & a Catalina Macaw. The Camelot Macaw is a popular multiple generation hybrid macaw that has been successfully bred for many years. They are the most common second generation hybrid macaw that is seen today.

 

Camelot Macaws are not considered rare, unless they are yellow dominant. Novices often misleadingly refer to orange & green Camelot Macaws as "yellow," but they are not, even though that color combination can be quite striking. Camelot macaws come in a vast array of colors. It is incorrect to assume that they are all primarily yellow. Yellow dominant Camelot macaws are the exception, not the rule.

 

Photographed in the wild, Naples FL

Owl (Burrowing)

Cape Coral has the highest concentration of Burrowing Owls in the United States.

The Burrowing Owl stands nine inches tall and weighs in at about four ounces, but has long legs. This Owl digs its home in the white sandy soil. Their extensive tunnels can house up to four to six. The female will lay about six to eight eggs, which takes a month to hatch. The young will stay in the burrows for about forty-two days.

You can see the owl standing watch over its burrow like the one in the picture. This picture was taken on a side road about six to eight feet in from the street. On these empty lots, any construction would be halted and roped off around the nesting area. A “T shaped” perch is placed beside the nest and left till after the owls have left. It is illegal to disturb these nesting sites.

These Owls are also found in the praires of Canada.

Photographed in Cape Coral, FL

Heron (Great Blue)

The great blue heron is the largest and most common of the North American herons. It is often seen standing at the edge of a lake or pond watching for small fish, its favorite prey. Occasionally a heron will choke to death trying to eat a fish that is too large to swallow.

This heron gets its name from its bluish-gray feathers and regal size. It has a huge wingspan of nearly 6 feet. When in flight, its neck folds into an S-shape, and you may hear it makes its call - a hoarse, guttural squawk.

During the mating season, two feathers on the bird's head become long and thread-like. The great blue heron's eggs are generally light blue in color.

Photographed in the wild, Kissimmee  & Cape Coral, FL

Flycatcher (Willow)

Correctly identifying a willow flycatcher by sight in the field can be a challenging even to experts. The Adult willow flycatcher is a drab greyish bird with yellow and olive tones, a pale eye ring and two whitish bars across the folded wings.

They forage from a perch, suddenly darting to snap up a flying insect with their broad flat bill. Often referred to as an "Empids." The Willow is one of five "Empids"

In 1973, the similar birds were recognized as two separate species because they didn't mate, even when in the same area. The fitz-bew singing bird was named the Willow Flycatcher and the fee-bee-o was called Alder Flycatcher. The Alder Flycatcher nesting range overlaps the Willow.

photographed in the wild in Cape Coral, FL

Egret (Great White)

The Great Egret is found across much of the world, from southern Canada southward to Argentina, and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

It's the largest egret in the Old World, and thus has garnered the name Great White Egret. But the white form of the Great Blue Heron is larger and warrants that name.

The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, one of the oldest environmental organizations in North America. Audubon was founded to protect birds from being killed for their feathers.

photographed in the wild in Cape Coral, FL

Egret (Cattle)

 

The Cattle Egret is native to Africa and Asia, and only reached the Americas in the late 19th century. It was first found in north-eastern South America in 1877, having probably arrived there from Africa. It reached the United States in 1941, and started nesting by 1953.

In the next 50 years it became one of the most abundant of the North American herons. It has occurred all the way to Alaska and Newfoundland, and has bred in nearly all states.

Cattle Egret is more at home foraging in grass than in water. It follows cattle, horses, and tractors to catch the insects they stir up. It also is attracted by smoke from a large fires. Egrets come from long distances to catch insects trying to escape the fire. (Cape Coral, FL)

Dove (Eurasian Collard)

Introduced into the Bahamas in the mid-1970s, the Eurasian Collared-Dove is now established throughout the southeastern United States and has been seen across the continent. It has spread across North America and is still an evolving story. The extent of its final range and the impact it will have on other bird species remains to be seen.

This is a small dove, buff grey with a darker back and a blue-grey wing patch. The tail feathers are tipped white. It has a black half-collar on its nape from which it gets its name. The short legs are red and the bill is black. The eye is reddish/brown. From a distance the eyes appear to be black, as the pupil is relatively large and only a narrow rim of reddish-brown eye colour can be seen around the black pupil

photographed in Cape Coral, FL