LAUGHING GULL IN THE AIR AND ON LAND, BUNCH BEACH PRESERVE, FT. MYERS BEACH, FL

FEMALE BLUE-WINGED TEAL, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   These ducks can be identified as a female Blue-winged  Teals by the white eye-arcs, dark eye line and and white at base of bill which forms a vague crescent with white on throat.

BROWN PELICAN ON WATER & FLYING, BUNCHE BEACH PRESERVE, FT. MYERS BEACH, FL

DUCKS, GALLINULES & COOTS, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   This is a mixture of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, American Coots and Common Gallinules.

MOTTLED DUCK, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

      These are two Mottled Ducks.  The duck on the left is "dabbling", that is, it's upending so that its bill can reach deeper.  Dabbling ducks rarely dive.  We can I.D. the duck on the right as a male Mottled Duck as follows:

• Bright yellow bill
• Black spot on gape

GREEN HERON, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

FEMALE AMERICAN WIGEON, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   This duck can be identified as a female American Wigeon as follows:

• Blue bill with black tip
• Greyish head with brownish crown
• Brownish chest and sides

   The American Wigeon is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 249.

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   The first photo is of either a juvenile or adult female Red-breasted Merganser.  The second photo shows two adult Red-breasted Mergansers.  We identified these ducks as Red-breasted Mergansers as follows:

• Long and slender body.  You can be see this in the second photo.
• Shagy hair.  You can make this out if you look closely at the head in the first photo and the head of the duck on the right in the second photo.
• Long and thin orangish to reddish bill.  You can see this in the first photo.
• Gray and black on top and white underneath.

   The Red-breasted Merganser is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 250.

RED-BELLIED WOODPACKER, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

JUVENILE WOOD STORK, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   The juvenile Wood Stork's neck and most of head are whitish/buff, rather than the all black of the adult.

EASTERN PHOEBE, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

NONBREEDING EUROPEAN STARLING EATING, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

   This dove can be identified as a Eurasian Collared-Dove by the following:

• Dark ring on back of neck
• Dark primaries

   The Eurasian Collared-Dove is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 248.

TRICOLORED HERON, GORDON RIVER, NAPLES, FL

RED-TAILED HAWK IN REHAB, CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, NAPLES, FL

SHOREBIRDS AMONG THE DUCKS, TOMATOE FIELD POND, IMMOKALEE, FL

   Scattered among the thousands of ducks on the flooded tomatoe field were some shorebirds.  Here is a particular concentration of them among the ducks.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL. TOMATOE FIELD POND, IMMOKALEE, FL

   Among the many thousands of birds on this flooded tomatoe field, the Blue-winged Teal in the upper left stood out.  The white crescent on this male's face is very obvious.

OSPREY TAKING OFF, NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN, NAPLES, FL

ORCHIDS, ORCHID GARDEN, NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN, NAPLES, FL

AMERICAN BITTERN, NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN, NAPLES, FL

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FLOCK OF IBISES, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLEW, FL

  This group of ibises are mostly White Ibises, with a couple of Glossy Ibises.  Following the two group photos are a photo of  White Ibis and then a Glossy Ibis.

PALM WARBLER, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL

LIMPKIN, EAGLE LAKES COMMUNITY PARK, NAPLES, FL