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A Bittern-ly Foggy Morning at Lake Apopka

Posted Thursday, May 13, 2021Saturday, May 8, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Apopka

The Least Bitterns are back for the summer! I was there on a foggy morning in mid-April, and I found tons of Least Bitterns along the wildlife drive. They seem to enjoy cloudy weather.

It’s been a while since I drove the wildlife drive. It’s very crowded these days. But it was good to bird from the air-conditioned comfort of my car. It’s fun to check on the bird nests, like this Great Blue Heron who’s just about ready to fledge…

I spotted several Black-necked Stilts along the canals of Lust Road. Since it was cloudy, they weren’t backlit as they would have been on a sunny day.

A Purple Gallinule surprised me when he popped up on a lilypad near my window. Pretty soon he’ll have tiny black babies to look after.

I came across several marsh rabbits that morning. They too seemed to enjoy the cloudy, foggy weather. This one was too busy feeding his face to pose properly for the camera!

My next Least Bittern was stalking a fish. He crept along, staying close to the ground, very intent on his target. His motions were barely perceptible until his neck shot out as he captured his prey.

The Anhingas are in full breeding plumage this time of year. I hopped out of the car to get a good low portrait of this female…

…and then laughed out loud when I saw this male having what appeared to be a very difficult hair day!

The Red-winged Blackbirds are also getting into nesting mode. The males sit tall in the bushes and sing loudly, while the females scurry to build a good nest.

The last bird is another Least Bittern. He posed out on an open branch, which was rather unusual for this relatively secretive species. I want to go back in a few weeks when they are in their full breeding plumage – and maybe this year I will find a nest! :)

Seeking Migrants at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

Posted Monday, May 10, 2021Friday, May 7, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Apopka

One morning in mid-April, I took my bike to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive in search of migrants. I told myself that I was going to head straight to the Crazy U and not get distracted by the great wading birds on Lust Road. That worked for a few minutes, until I came across a pair of Black-necked Stilts who were posing in the soft morning light. Who can resist a bird on stilts?

The small chips of warblers and sparrows reminded me that my quest was for little birds, so I headed off to the Crazy U, where I’ve previously had good luck finding migrants. There were definitely little birds in the trees, although not the variety I had hoped for.

The Palm Warblers were in their springtime finest. With bright brown heads and cheerful yellow patches, these birds are sure to attract good mates when they arrive at their breeding grounds. They were stocking up on insects to get ready for their migratory flight.

The Swamp Sparrows were out in full force. This one played Hide and Seek with me for most of the morning. He spent most of his time buried in the vegetation, then he’d pop out once in a while to see if I was still there.

The marsh echoed with the songs of Common Yellowthroats. They are one of the warblers that can be found in Florida year-round. Pretty soon they will be so busy nesting that they won’t have time to play Peek-a-Boo with a photographer.

I glimpsed a flash of red, then spotted a male Painted Bunting hidden in the vegetation. I stalked him for a good 20 minutes before I got a clear picture of him. He was very busy eating grass seeds. It’s hard to migrate on an empty stomach!

A small burst of yellow flew into the tree, and I thought maybe I’d seen my first Yellow Warbler of the springtime. It turned out to be a Prairie Warbler instead. He’s molting into his breeding colors and starting to get that spiffy contrast of yellow and black in his feathers.

I was just getting on my bike to head back when I heard an unknown bird song. I traced it to the top of a tree, where a juvenile male Orchard Oriole was nectaring on a blossom. Then I blinked and he had disappeared. A fun end to a fun morning!

Migratory Hummingbirds in the Backyard

Posted Friday, May 7, 2021Sunday, April 25, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Birds

Spring migration brings a small flow of hummingbirds through the backyard. I love watching these tiny travelers as they stop at my flowers to snack and rest after their long journey. It’s amazing to think of these small creatures flying non-stop across the entire Gulf of Mexico in one night!

This is a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird. You can tell because she doesn’t have the bright red-colored throat of the male Ruby-throat. She is nectaring on a purple salvia bloom, like the one that inspired my macro photo “Suspended Animation.”

The hummers tend to pass through my yard at the time of year. They often come to nectar at dusk. They are a challenge to find and even more so to photograph. Someday I hope I can find a hummingbird nest to photograph!! :)