Foggy Start to Saturday Morning

We were socked in with a very foggy morning on Saturday. By the time we’d gone about halfway down Wildlife Drive, it started clearing away. It made for some interesting photos at the beginning, though.

How can you pass up such cool spider webs to photograph?

The white pelicans are still very plentiful at Ding. Before we know it, they will be heading back north.

It’s fun to watch the white pelicans come in for a landing. They water ski to a stop on those big feet .

It’s always more fun to bathe with a friend!

I love it when I can catch a bird scratching during flight

I had taken my camera off the tripod and I was turning to leave, when I glanced back and saw this snowy egret land on the sandbar. As I raised my camera to take a quick shot, he decided to give a really good shake. Sorry for so many photos that follow below (and yes, there were even more), but I couldn’t choose only a couple.

Whew! All better!

Then, a quick stop at the Bailey Tract. We saw an anhinga and a couple of gators.

White Pelicans and Juvenile Bald Eagle

It had been a couple of weeks since we’d been to the Ding Wildlife Refuge, but had heard about all of the white pelican activity going on. The volunteer at the gate told us that someone had stopped counting at over 700 white pelicans one day. We were treated to a feeding frenzy at one of the culverts. They were waiting where the tide flows from one side of the road to the other and fish are caught up in the fast flowing water, making for a good breakfast.

The brown pelican below got his mohawk on

A brown pelican isn’t a small bird, yet up against the white pelican . . .

One of them would spot a fish and there would be a huge frenzy of activity to see who could grab the fish. They were piled on top of each other, trying to be the winner.

Ok. Who has it?!!!

LOOK! He’s got it!

Mmmff . . . nuthin’ to . . . see here . . . mmmff

Look out behind you!!

Whew! That was close!

This tri-colored heron didn’t want to be a part of the craziness

We were treated to a juvenile bald eagle on a fly-by, then he landed far away at the edge of the water and caught a fish. The photos are grainy due to the distance.

He’s not going to share with the great blue heron, but showed his prize to him as he flew by

Then around the bend and out of sight

One wood stork flew over the frenzy

And then, back home to see this red-bellied woodpecker eating the berries in our tree

Egrets and Herons

After seeing tons of white pelicans on the drive through Ding today, we were almost to the end when we came upon a couple of snowy egrets, a couple of tri-colored herons, and several little blue herons in their white phase. I haven’t seen so many in one spot before. I’m looking forward to catching photos of them as they get their blue feathers in the future.

The snowy egret is a little bully (aka bad ass) when he wants to be.

See that rock over there? That’s your rock. This one is MINE.

Ahhhhh.

So many Little Blue Herons in their white phase in one spot.

This Tri-Colored Heron still has a little of the brown from his juvenile feathers.

Today, I received an email that my alligator reflection photo was published in the January 2021 issue of Wild Planet Photo Magazine. You can see info about my feature in the publication here - https://wildplanetphotomagazine.com/event/exhibition-gallery/

I was very honored to have my photo featured and it was a great way to start out 2021.

Happy New Year from Wild On Sanibel

My neighbor called this afternoon to say that she’d seen a bobcat in my front yard and it was heading for the back yard. I grabbed and my camera and headed down the back deck stairs. I saw him under the house at the same time he saw me, so he headed across the street toward the trees. He was kind enough to let me get several photos. The light couldn’t have been worse. I was facing the sun and he was in the shadows, so I came out with grainy photos, but it was too cool not to share. We need a good nickname that would suit his ear issue. He seems to be asking below if my kitty can come out to play.

The osprey nest in our next door neighbor’s yard appears to be home to a couple working on a family. The male brought the remnants of his dinner to his mate.

The last full moon of 2020 in the early evening with low clouds.