Well Scott and I got a lucky two days without rain when the weather was predicted to be 80% of rain both days...somehow it never came until we got back home from the parks.
On the list of 'rarities' or cool sightings, there were some we were able to get shots of, and some we saw but didn't get shots of (the northern harrier and roseate spoonbill were both a little too far to shoot). We did find a limpkin, Wilson's snipe, and several belted kingfishers. We also got lucky and caught some of the very first great egret chicks hatching and the first nest of 4 wood storks freshly hatched. The chuck-will's-widow stuck around and I was able to find it for Scott, and we got a lovely look at a Great Horned Owl adult and a nearby fuzzy ball of an owlet, growing but not yet ready to fly.
Chuck will's widow:
Purple martin down on the ground, gathering nest materials:
Great blue heron hauling lumber to fortify the nest - the chicks are already hatched and growing, but the parents want to make sure they're still secure until they're ready to leave:
Freshly hatched great egret - no more than a day or two out of the egg:
Osprey on lookout from a stand of cypress trees:
Great horned owl, trying to nap but peeking to make sure all is safe for its owlet nearby:
Egyptian goose in flight:
On the list of 'rarities' or cool sightings, there were some we were able to get shots of, and some we saw but didn't get shots of (the northern harrier and roseate spoonbill were both a little too far to shoot). We did find a limpkin, Wilson's snipe, and several belted kingfishers. We also got lucky and caught some of the very first great egret chicks hatching and the first nest of 4 wood storks freshly hatched. The chuck-will's-widow stuck around and I was able to find it for Scott, and we got a lovely look at a Great Horned Owl adult and a nearby fuzzy ball of an owlet, growing but not yet ready to fly.
Chuck will's widow:
Purple martin down on the ground, gathering nest materials:
Great blue heron hauling lumber to fortify the nest - the chicks are already hatched and growing, but the parents want to make sure they're still secure until they're ready to leave:
Freshly hatched great egret - no more than a day or two out of the egg:
Osprey on lookout from a stand of cypress trees:
Great horned owl, trying to nap but peeking to make sure all is safe for its owlet nearby:
Egyptian goose in flight: