BROWN PELICANS, GANDY BRIDGE CAUSEWAY, ST. PETERSBURG, FL

1st WINTER LAUGHING GULL, ACKERMAN LAKE, SARASOTA, FL

   The gull in the center of the photo is the 1st Winter Laughing Gull.

NONBREEDING FORSTER'S TERN, ACKERMAN LAKE, SARASOTA, FL

   We identified this tern as a nonbreeding Forster's Tern by its distinctive isolated black eye-patch and also by its black bill and orange legs.

   The Forster's Tern is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 259.

JUVENILE LITTLE BLUE HERON IN FLIGHT, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

   We can ID this heron as a juvenile Little Blue Heron by its being white and its dull green legs.

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

KING RAIL, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

      We can ID this rail as a King Rail as follows:

• We had estimated the birds size to be 12 - 15".  This fits in with the size of  King Rail, but not a Virginia Rail.
• Its plumage is darker and more richly colored than the Clapper Rail, which is about the same size.

   The King Rail is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 258.

SANDHILL CRANES, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

   Several of these Sandhill Cranes have been banded; we plan to report these to the International Crane Foundation.