An Attempt at Low Tide Birding

Skip has a tide app on his phone and determined 10:30am would be a good time to go birding at the Birding Center.

The tide was lower somewhat - maybe 20cm from high tide - but not as low as when there's a full moon. There were tons of people there today - a couple of groups and at least one person with a private guide.

Lots of roseate spoonbills were snoozing while a couple of brown pelicans looked on.

I imagined this double-crested cormorant was thinking "I am eagle!" In reality, it was just drying out its feathers.

Little blue heron

This was the best shot I could get of a reddish egret just above the water about 80 yards away.

A few redheads still like to hang around the mangroves beside the boardwalk.

I was very fortunate to spot the northern waterthrush on the mud at the base of some mangroves. We saw one a couple of weeks ago on the other side of the boardwalk.

The yellow-crownded heron was very alert

unlike its pal a few feet away. ZZzzzz...

We aren't sure what this gator likes about this pipe. It is often floating nearby it and Skip saw it in this same pose  (inside tail first) the first week we were here.

Green heron - back view

and front view.

Tricoloured heron

Mesquite trees are coming into bloom. The leaves unfurl like mini fiddleheads. Their leaves are also my favourite colour.

At the butterfly garden a queen was feeding. See how easily they can be mistaken for monarchs? They about 2/3 the size and have all those white dots on the forewings.

 The only bird I spotted in the butterfly garden was a male cardinal.

A common buckeye flew in to feed. It is missing a few chunks out of its right hind wing.

We love taking pics of the fiery skippers. I got a great shot of on head-on feeding on the mistflower. The thin, black proboscis is easily seen. I love the knobby ends of their antennae. The skipper measures about 2cm.

At the parking lot, a male monarch flew in. They're working their way north. This guy's grandchildren will be among the generation that will visit my garden this summer.