I found flamingos! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good photo of them though — they were too far away. These spoonbills (and their pretty egret friend) were closer! There was still a ton of hurricane damage in the Big Bend area. (Frosty, if you see this, Cedar Key Tiki Bar is open! Battered but unbowed!) …
Birdwatching
Squishable Morning Thread
As mentioned on the overnight thread, I’m off on a bird-spotting adventure today — heading up to the Big Bend and Panhandle areas of Florida in hopes of seeing (from a respectful distance) some of the flamingos that Hurricane Idalia distributed around the Gulf Coast. An eBirder spotted a flamboyance off Cedar Key earlier this …
Saturday Afternoon Open Thread
It’s a beautiful day here, noticeably cooler though still a bit warm. I’m starting to see migratory birds in the area, but the hummies haven’t left yet. The spoonbills are still hanging around, hunting for crawdads and other fresh-water delicacies. Open thread — everyone play nice!
Packing That Parachute (Open Thread)
First, this preening Roseate Spoonbill stopped by to charm and distract. It looks less pink in pixels than it does to the eye. The overcast sky kind of washes it out. Now, onto the parachute. Much to our irritation, the Beltway press keeps producing “Biden should step down” and “Biden should ditch Harris” pieces. Some …
Rare Birds Update (Open Thread)
Last week, we discussed a flock of flamingos Hurricane Idalia blew into Tampa Bay. I subscribe to eBird’s Florida rare bird alerts, and there have been flamingos sighted all over the state since then. Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that a crew in a boat assessing beach erosion from the storm spotted a “confused …
Sunday Birds (Open Thread)
Yesterday, this female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was hanging out opposite the side porch nectar feeders to keep an eye on her stash. While she waited for the shutterbug to go away, she snacked on gnats: She’s about the size of a normal adult human’s pinkie finger (i.e., twice the size of Donald Trump’s). We’re having beautiful …
Rare Birds (Open Thread)
Yesterday, Tampa Bay Times columnist Stephanie Hayes tracked down visual evidence that a flamboyance of flamingos arrived in the area with the storm: Flamingos have a fraught relationship with Florida. They were ubiquitous in the state until hunted almost to extinction more than 100 years ago, mostly for the purpose of obtaining their vivid feathers …