Florida.

In Florida for Wader Quest, but of course we are not blind to non-waders, especially if they are a local rarity as was the case of the Western Spindalis. A western what? I hear you say, well to you or me this used to be called a Stripe-headed Tanager.

We had been birding at Cranford Park for waders and the people we were with said they were going to look for this bird, usually a denizen of Bermuda and the Caribbean islands, and asked us if we'd like to go. Well of course we felt guilty, but we went anyway.

The bird was a female, I'm tempted to say unfortunately, but around here that gets you a one dollar fine according to Robin the lady we were with, so I won't, but it was.

Western Spindalis

Needles to say there were many other interesting birds to keep us occupied between waders...

Palm Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Boat-tailed Grackle

Boat-tailed Grackle, male consuming a lizard he just caught.

Boat-tailed Grackle female

Common Grackle

Loggerhead Shrike

Turkey Vulture

Osprey with a fish

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Blue-winged Teal with American Coots

Mottled Duck

Ring-billed Gull

Laughing Gull

Royal Tern

Sandhill Crane

White Ibis

American White Pelicans

American Wood Storks

Roseate Spoonbill

Reddish Egret

and one or two things that weren't birds...

Faded Pennant Celithemis ornata.
Thanks to Mick Watts for the identification of this unusual dragonfly.

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