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