Paid a visit to the barred owls at Riverbend park:



Love in the air



Lots of ospreys





Been practicing with the fixed 300mm lens. It takes some getting used to, but I think I am getting the hang of it.



Green Cay wetlands is a great place to practice because there is a good variety of birds and distances to play around with.

























Gonna need a bit more practice before I have mastered this lens though. I still find myself struggling to get close subjects within the frame. Lots of stepping backwards!

Trying out a new point and shoot camera, the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2. I was pleased with the Sony that I had before, but the lens kept sticking and was not focusing properly. It lasted about 2 years before this problem started, so I would still say that it was a good camera. Anyway, went shooting at Jonathan Dickinson and captured a double rainbow and full moon.





Last year we visited Zoo Miami over Christmas holiday. I could spend all day in their aviary!

Visited Wakodahatchee wetlands to see the yellow-headed blackbird, an unusual visitor to South Florida.

He put on a good show!







Nesting Anhinga



Sneaky bittern



Purple gallinule



The usuals at Green Cay

Red-winged blackbird





Pied-billed grebe





Sora rail





Gator



Whistling ducks



At home, lots of birds this weekend due to a cold front.



Yellow passion flower



Hoping to catch the next Atala emergence soon! At least two cocoons in the garden now.

Most of my Atala butterflies emerged from their chrysalises yesterday while I was at work. Happily, one was a bit late and emerged today, so I was able to see it before it flew off.



What's left



I was also happy to see that there are more Atala caterpillars, so I can expect to see more butterflies soon!



This one looks like it is preparing to pupate.



Another emergence today, a Monarch.



And the next generation not far behind



We visited Riverbend park a few times over the holiday and enjoyed spotting the barred owls





Other Riverbend sightings



White-eyed vireo





Lots of waders









Broad-winged hawk

On the road to success, always look ahead. May you reach your destination and may your journey be wonderful. Happy 2015.

Last week's Everglades Visit

Dawn at Anhinga Trail













Research Road





Eastern Meadowlark



Eco Pond and Flamingo















View of Flamingo Lodge from the bay



Skimmers





Sunset with dolphins









In other news, lots of owl activity at home. We have been seeing pairs of barred owls at Riverbend and around the neighborhood, and a single barred owl paid us a visit this morning. Also been seeing Eastern Whip-poor-wills and bats in the evenings. The painted buntings are still here, and lots of hummingbirds too!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

We recently got back from a trip to the Everglades and Miami for the holidays.

Got a thousand pictures to sort through (literally) but in the meantime here are some recent shots from around here.

Atala butterfly chrysalises



Feeder action



I was wondering why this hummingbird looked different, and realized that there is pollen all over her head!









The last of the California pics. I took a day to visit Santa Cruz, and stopped off at Natural Arches park to see the wintering Monarch butterflies.

















The Natural Arches



The naturalist there told me that the park is known for its excellent tide pools. So I ended up staying the rest of the afternoon, braving slippery rocks and rogue waves, and had a great time!













Can you see the stone fish in this one?



Closer look







I had to stop at this lighthouse. The sun was in the perfect spot.



Happy holidays to all!

Chilly weather in South Florida this week. Lots of birdies around.

















Great Horned owl at Riverbend



Big talons



Monterey Bay Aquarium

















Halfway through the California shots now, over a month later :)

Shots from visit to Monterey, CA earlier this month





I watched the cormorants and otters right from the hotel balcony





Harbor seals













Unfortunately the seals and sea lions often get tangled up in nets and ropes, which end up stuck around their necks. The local marine mammal rescue had been called out for this seal as well as a sea lion on the pier that same day!



Scrub Jay



Anna's Hummingbird



Whimbrel



Townsend's Warbler



Black Turnstone



Just up the street from the hotel, I had fun watching these sea lions swimming and lounging.



























More CA photos to follow soon!

Shots from the Stuart Air Show earlier this month





















Red-shouldered hawk relaxing



Painted Buntings









Hummingbirds look weird from the front



Bird vs bee



The rabbit does not approve



Brown Thrasher

Lots of female cardinals around this year



Several hummingbirds visit too



Eating gnats



Painted buntings are the stars of the show



Ended October with some good music and a trip to Montreal

Skeletonwitch



Amon Amarth





Fall foliage on the way up north





Walking around Montreal





Notre Dame Basilica









Enjoyed some metal on my last night in the city!

Kvelertek



Mastodon





I've got two weeks of photo backlog to sort through, so more adventures coming soon!