Late Afternoon Sunshine

It was lightly overcast today. We had brunch at Yummies Bistro near the causeway. I always have the Happy Eggs Benedict.

Then I went next door to Renee's - the only shop that carries Pandora beads on the island.

I bought myself the turtle Pandora bead that I've been admiring for a while now.

It has a blingy (cubic zirconia) shell.

This is the other side. There is a terrific turtle rescue centre on the island which we plan to visit someday soon. Turtles are one of my favourite animals - along with cats and donkeys.

After naps, we visited the Birding Center. It was high tide.

At the mistflower bed there were lots of fiery skippers, queens,

and both kinds of Buckeyes.

The tropical buckeye's middle 'eye' on the wing is larger that the one on the forewing. Also the ring around the eye on the forewing has a tawny circle around it.

The common buckeye has a lighter colour around that forewing 'eye and a lighter streak up to the top.

This tropical buckeye has a chunk out of its right hind wing.

Over by the pond at the entrance, the green heron was surveying the area.

The smaller red-eared slider was really pestering the larger one.

We finally saw Big Padre. Only his eyes and snout are visible to the left of the bubbling action in the pond. The smaller gator in the foreground is a female.

Way over in the mangroves to the north was the a male belted kingfisher.

A marbled godwit worked the flats, now flooded due to high tide.

Low tide 

High tide

The yellow-crowned night heron was out in nthe open.
I've never been so close to a roseate spoonbill this red. 
Over by bird blind #5, the black-crowned night heron was also out in the open.

The juvenile dozed a few feet away.

Down in the water, this turtle was moving quickly.

We make it a habit to scan the waterline of the reeds and mangroves. Skip spotten this least bittern. They are very small - about half the size of the American bittern - and really blend into their environment. I've never been able to spot a bittern. They've always had to be pointed out to me.

See how well it blends in with the reeds?

A short-billed dowitcher was over on the fresh water pond.

Lesser  yellowlegs.

This sabal palm has been nicely trimmed. They can tolerate freezing conditions.

The fronds bend back and do not have spines on the stems as compared to palmettos that have more of a fanlike frond and spines along the stem.