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Posted by Nancy Freedman on 12:41:38 01/30/11
More than 20 of us enjoyed a very birdy, beautiful day. Our first sighting was a domestic (very whitish) peafowl sitting in a tree over our cars in the parking lot. Upon entering, our first sighting was a Roseate Spoonbill, followed by several Black-crowned Night Herons. Limpkins were heard but not seen. Rough-winged Swallows swirled overhead as did Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. There were Soras, Snipe, Purple Gallinules, Glossy Ibis, Marsh Rabbits, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, a posing American Bittern and last, but not least, a Virginia Rail. Warblers were the usual. At Green Cay there were Painted Buntings, a male and female Purple Martin atop a Martin House, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, lots of Mottled Ducks and another surprise - a male and female Gadwall. When leaving, we were entertained by two Red-shouldered Hawks mating atop a tall snag as well as a huge Cooter trying to climb up a leaning tree, we doubt he made it. Beside the usual warblers, we added Yellow-throated and Black and White. At Okeeheelee, we ate lunch and 16 of us were then escorted to the Raptor Compound where we spent an hour visiting with various occupants such as Alex(andria), the very pleasant Great Horned Owl, Houdini, the male Great Horned who puffed up and hissed if you looked at him, a very tame Peregrine, a Cooper's Hawk who was also very aggressive, two Kestrels, a Merlin, a very old Barn Owl who didn't care for us either, and others. Most were injured or like in Alex's case, too imprinted to be released into the wild. And, of course, there was Hootie in the Nature Center. Afterwards, we sat by the feeders waiting for the Indigo Bunting, who finally made an appearance (amongst all the Painted Buntings).
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