SAVANNAH SPARROW, STA-5, CLEWISTON, FL

   This morning we went on an Audobon of the Western Everglades (AWE) birding field trip to Stormwater Treatment Area-5 (STA-5) in Clewiston, FL.    This is a great birding hotspot.

   Even though the face and bill of the bird are somewhat obscured, we were able to ID this bird as a Savannah Sparrow (in particular vs. the Song Sparrow, which is very similar) as follows:

• Brown above and white below, with relatively thin brown streaks on breast and flanks.
• Central dark brown spot on chest.
• Notched tail - this differentiates the Savannah Sparrow from the Song Sparrow, which has a rounded tail.
  

MANGROVE CRAB ON TREE, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL, FL

   The Mangrove Crab and the Hermit Crab are the only crustaceans that climb trees to protect themselves from their predators. 

OSPREY IN NEST, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL, FL

   You can just see the Osprey's head just sticking out of the nest.

SNOWY EGRET, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL, FL

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN IN FLIGHT, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL. FL

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON IN THE BUSH, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL, FL

   While driving along Wildlife Drive at Ding Darling we saw a group of people along the road with cameras and binoculars trying to find something in the bush.  Low and behold it was a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.  It was very difficult to see in the thick bush, but finally we managed to get good photos of it.

   In the photo you can see the red eye, the stripped appearing face and the yellow near the base of the bill.  These are the typical field markings of a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.

AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS & SHOREBIRDS ON SANDBAR, DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, SANIBEL, FL

   On this sandbar were hundreds of American White Pelicans and shorebirds.  The shorebirds were mostly Willets, athough there were other species present.  Also scattered on the sandbar were a few Double-crested Cormorants.