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Posted by Paul-the-other on 05:39:47 04/18/05
A cool day for Wakodahatchee and Green Cay Sunday morning. Saw what appeared to be a cross between a mallard and a mottled duck. The mallard drake was a very washed out coloring but distinctly mallard and the female mottled was standard coloration. The drake was persuing the female and staying in very close company. They were obviously a "pair"--or at least he wanted it to be.
The black-necked stilt is incubating 4 eggs just northeast of the Great Blue Heron nests. The nest is high and dry and very visible in the area just before you reach the cement walkway.
The Great Blue is nesting again on the lower nest (on the small island). If you didn't catch her on the first go-around try this one. Also, on the south side, a Great Blue is nest building on the very tall tower/post. This nest was blown away in last years hurricanes. It is a very high precarious position but the GB's seem to like it. There isn't much to see here because of the distance and the height but the birds leap from the tower and glide to the water-rush surface to pick up grass and sticks for the nest.....a superior opportunity to get pictures of the birds gliding right toward you, especiually if there is a north wind.
Redstarts numerous but tough to say how many. A downey woodpecker bored out a hold, eye level, in a maple tree 8 inches from the boardwalk and was the talk of the birders-photogs present. Un-discovered is what appears to be a "woven" nest a few feet distant and overhead. Species unknown as the view is greatly restricted and to stare at it just draws too much attention. Have to watch this site.
Green Cay was windy and cool; a large flock of short billed dowitchers present and many many black-necked stilts.
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