RING-BILLED GULLS, LELY RESORT, NAPLES, FL

   The photos in this post and the following posts were taken from the parking area of the Freedom Horses entrance to Lely Resort.  This entrance is located on U.S. Route 41.

   We stopped at this location on the first leg of a birding field trip from the VeronaWalk Birding Club, led by Bob and Mary Randall.  After this location we traveled to Eagle Lakes Community Park.  Between the two locations, the club members sighted 46 species of birds.

COMMON GROUND-DOVE, NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN, NAPLES, FL

   This Common Ground-Dove is probably a juvenile.

TREE SWALLOW IN FLIGHT, NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN, NAPLES, FL

   We have identified this swallow as a adult male Tree Swallow by the following:

• Relatively broad wings and notched tail.
• The blue above and of the head  and the white below.  You can see in the first photo the sharp contrast between the dark cheek and the white throat.

BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, HARNS MARSH PRESERVE, LEHIGH ACRES, FL

ROOST OF BLACK VULTURES, HARNS MARSH PRESERVE, LEHIGH ACRES, FL

SAVANNAH SPARROW, HARNS MARSH PRESERVE, LEHIGH ACRES, FL

   We have identified this sparrow as a Savannah Sparrow because of the yellowish lores, the eye-ring, the boldly streaked back and the pinkish tinge to the bill.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL, HARNS MARSH PRESERVE, LEHIGH ACRES, FL

   The male Blue-winged Teal is on the left and the female on the right.  On both the male and female you can see the powder-blue shoulder patches on the front of the wing.