LIMPKIN, LOXAHATCHEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BOYNTON BEACH, FL

FLEDGLING GREAT HORNED OWL SIBLINGS, LOXAHATCHEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BOYNTON BEACH, FL

   Seeing these two young Great Horned Owl siblings was a great sight.  We really enjoyed watching them.  It looks like they have or are just about to try their first flight.  One of them in the first photo has its eyes closed; possibly its sleeping.

   We can ID these owls as Great Horned Owl fledglings mainly by their large eyes and the orange around their eyes.

MOURNING DOVE, LOXAHATCHEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, BOYNTON BEACH, FL

GRAY CATBIRD, WEST LAKE, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FL

SCAUPS, WEST LAKE, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FL

   These photos show a large group of male and female scaups.  It is difficult to differentiate between Greater Scaups and Lesser Scaups, however we believe these scaups are probably Lesser Scaups for the following reasons:

• This is a freshwater lake and generally Lesser Scaups like freshwater lakes, while Greater Scaups like saltwater marine environments.  But you do find each in the others environment.
• The black of the nail (a bump) at the end of the upper mandible of the bill seems to be confined to the nail, rather than extending past it, as in the Greater Scaup.
• Where you can view the scaup in profile, you can see a notch toward the back of the head  This is a field mark of the Lesser Scaup.

ROSEATE SPOONBILLS ON TREE, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FL

BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, ROAD TO NIKE MISSILE HISTORIC SITE, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FL

   We can ID this bird as a Brown-headed Nuthatch as follows:

• Nuthatches climb trees down on the tree trunk; this behavior can be seen in the first photo.
• Plain gray above and whitish, grayish or buffy below.
• Short tail.
• Head and bill are relatively large.  The bill is black and sharp.
• The crown is brown.  You can make this out in the second photo.
• Dark eye-line.

   The Brown-headed Nuthatch is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 277.