MOLTING GLOSSY IBIS, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   This beautiful Glossy Ibis is molting from nonbreeding plumage to breeding plumage.   Much of the body is in breeding plumage; the legs have started to turn brown, but there is still gray on the legs and the bill has not yet turned brown.  The Feb.-March period is generally when this molting occurs.

SLEEPING HERON, LELLY RESORT, NAPLES, FL

      Even though we can't see the bill or most of the head we believe this is an adult Great Blue Heron because of the gray legs and black flanks. 

TRESPASSING BIRD, LELY RESORT, NAPLES, FL

ANHINGA EATING A FISH, PLOVER & TERN, LELY RESORT, NAPLES, FL

   Thought these were interesting photos of the three birds near each other, particularly the first photo which shows the Anhinga (on left) eating a fish.  The tern on the right we have identified as a nonbreeding adult Royal Tern due to its white forehead (you can see this in the second photo; the Caspian Tern's forehead would be dusky) and orange bill.  The smaller plover in the middle we only saw from the rear, but we believe it is a Semipalmated Plover due to its orange legs and dark brown upperside.

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.