NONBREEDING RUDDY TURNSTONE, BOWMAN'S BEACH, SANIBEL, FL

LAUGHING GULLS MOLTING FROM NONBREEDING TO BREEDING PLUMAGE, BOWMAN'S BEACH, SANIBEL, FL

   In this series of photos you can see Laughing Gulls in various stages of molting from nonbreeding plumage to breeding plumage.  The first two photos are of the same gull.  You can see the head and face are mostly white with some gray smudges.  In the third photo the head and face are mostly black and gray with some white still showing. In the third photo the head is mostly black, but with still some white, mostly near the bill and neck.  Eventually the heads and faces of these gulls will turn the completely black of the breeding plumage.

   Also eventually the bill will turn from the black of the nonbreeding gull to the red of the breeding gull.  If you look closely at the bills you can see there is already some red in them.

ALLIGATOR HEAD, BOWMAN'S BEACH, SANIBEL, FL

GRAY CATBIRD, BOWMAN'S BEACH, SANIBEL, FL

SLEEPING EASTERN SCREECH-OWL, INDIGO TRAIL, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL, FL

   All the rangers and volunteers at Ding Darling seemed to be aware of the Eastern Screech-Owl's presence and where it was located.  It was located exactly where we were told and was found sleeping in the cavity of a tree.

   We can identify this owl as an Eastern Screech-Owl by the following:

• Small size.
• Raised pointed ear tufts.  This is a very distinctive field mark.
• Rufous (reddish-brown) color.  The Eastern Screech-Owl comes in two morphs: gray and rufous.  This owl is the rufous morph.
• The complex band and spot pattern.  This allows it to be camouflaged against tree bark.
• The fact that it is roosting in a tree cavity.

   The Eastern Screech-Owl is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 269.

FEMALE AMERICAN WIGEON, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   We can ID this dick as a female American Wigeon by the following:

• Gray bill with black tip
• Gray-brown head
• Dark smudge around eye

OSPREYS FEEDING THEIR CHICS, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   In a recent post we showed one of these Ospreys in the nest with one of its chics.  As we watched these two Ospreys we could see them feeding the chics, even though we couldn't actually see the chics.