Pink birds on a Sunday morning

Our Sunday morning drive through Ding found lots of roseate spoonbills getting ready to fly. It’s been a while since I’ve posted photos, so I’ll double up and catch up with a bunch in this batch!

The spoonbill tends to signal when they are ready to fly, by putting their spoonbill in the air, maybe to check which direction the wind is blowing.

Now that you’ve gotten your fill of pink birds for the day, there were a few others to photograph along the drive.

I always have to smile when I see a yellow-crowned heron in this pose.

As we left the island, the view of the east end and the lighthouse was breathtaking with the blues and greens of the water.

I’ve been able to catch a few photos of birds and turtles at our home over the past week. A tri-colored heron visits our backyard fairly often.

Caption for the photo below:

“Mama, mama, wait up! I can’t swim as fast as you!”

A grackle built a nest in a palm tree by our front door. We were dive-bombed as we walked out the front door for a couple of weeks. At least the chicks leave the nest quickly!

Mom can’t believe she just fed this one and it’s still hungry!

Lazy Sunday morning

We took a drive through Ding this morning and a walk down Indigo Trail. We saw just one occupied nest. The rest were empty. The yellow-crowned night heron had 2 or 3 eggs in the nest.

A green heron was grabbing breakfast at the edge of the water.

I almost missed the tri-colored heron that was camouflaged in the tree roots and limbs.

Look at these eyes!

The little blue heron in the white phase is such a pretty bird.

We stopped when we saw this snake in the road. It’s some sort of water snake I think, but not sure exactly what type.

These next photos were taken behind our home over the last few days.

There was a blue heron in the white phase on the opposite side of the lake, but even at the long distance, it is still worth catching a photo!

Also, at a distance down the lake, a tri-colored heron and a gallinule. You can always see their candy corn beaks!

Nest update April 2021

I walked down the Indigo Trail at Ding with my friend from the mid-west this week. It was a magical morning at the boardwalk where we were treated to lots of birds, nests, eggs, and more.

We got to watch this parent turn the eggs in the nest. The eggs have to be turned periodically. The interval depends on the species of bird. I’m not sure how often yellow-crowned night herons turn their eggs, but it was great to catch it happening.

That look when your mate isn’t buying what you are selling!

That look Mom gives you when you thought that she couldn’t hear what you said! Yikes!

Ummm, sorry, Mom!

Where’s my Superman cape?!!!

Yoohoo!! Have you seen my cape?

Ugh! My cape is in the wash . . .

The changing colors of the sea grape leaves

So, this was a new one for me. This looked like a very large, brightly colored ant. One of the names it is called is “velvet ant”. It is also called the Cow Killer for the venomous punch it packs when it stings. However, it is actually not an ant, but is a parasitic wasp. The winged male does not sting. The female wanders while searching for tunnels of ground-nesting wasps. She sneaks into the tunnel and lays eggs on the host larva that her young will consume after hatching.

The following photos of the pink moon are ones that I took earlier this week. The pink moon is named after the herb moss pink, also known as creeping phlox, moss phlox, or mountain phlox. The plant is native to the eastern United States and is one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring. It was also one of two super moons for 2021.

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Nesting at Ding

A Saturday morning trip through Ding yielded a few photos of nesting birds. As we walked past the first nest on the Indigo Trail, a yellow-crowned night heron was nestled down on the eggs.

When we came back by, the heron was standing up so that we could see the eggs. There are definitely two eggs and possibly three. But, what a look I was getting!

At the boardwalk on Indigo Trail, a yellow-crowned night heron displayed its mating plumage.

A pair of green heron lovebirds had built a nice little nest.

Daddy osprey was home with the teenagers, who appeared to be having issues with each other.

We dropped by the beach to see the beautiful turquoise water.