A spectacular destination for the observation of migrating shorebirds is within the Everglades Agricultural Area adjacent to Belle Glade, Florida. The Everglades agricultural fields encompass about 700,000 acres which are predominately planted with sugarcane. Preceding crop rotation the fields are flooded to control pests, with rice typically grown offering a conditioning of the soil as […]
Author: Bob Pelkey
This blog is updated every Friday (preferably) and randomly, primarily on the subject of wildlife observation in the state of Florida. This blog is in conjunction with my secondary photo site at http://www.pbase.com/jkrnm5/
Another Harns Marsh Preserve Fail
Having missed the Everglade Snail Kite at Harns Marsh Preserve last week, I was compelled to make a follow up trip on 26 July to attempt to observe the species. I was much more observant to find Apple Snail eggs as well. The clutch of eggs above I questimate to contain 500, well within the […]
Harns Marsh Preserve Summer Activity
The water level at Harns Marsh Preserve during a 19 July visit was very high, but did not deter a large number of waders from finding the habitat suitable. Bud Tom Obrock and I made a drive over to the preserve in Lehigh Acres which also hosted a very good number of Purple Gallinule and […]
Let It Snowy
As the temperature and humidity this week reached its Summer peak (hopefully), it was an easy decision to review images of Snowy Egrets captured at Siesta Key Beach in June. The Snowy Egrets stole the show with their acrobatic performance at the Access #5 tidal pool. As I recall, they didn’t have significant competition from […]
Mississippi Kites and Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
The best season to observe Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites in Florida is Summer when many have migrated from their Wintering grounds in South America to breed. Tom Obrock and I made a drive on Independence Day to observe a large number of Mississippi Kites that had been reported in Belleview, Marion County. We were not […]
Summer Florida Birding Beach Tour: Part II
This second post in a multi-part series continues with an emphasis on Florida wildlife beach observations including a bonus species seen in Sarasota, Florida. The Reddish Egret above (image 1) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in June 2016. Tom Obrock joined me for a return trip to Sarasota on […]
Summer Florida Birding Beach Tour: Part I
A very rare setting full strawberry moon was observed on the summer solstice this week with the occasion not to return again until June 2062. The moonset above (image 1) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in June 2016. Celebrating the occasion was my birding expedition to Access #5 at Siesta […]
Sanibel Gardens Preserve
On 12 June 2016, wildlife blogger France Paulsen observed a Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Sanibel Gardens Preserve just north of the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Bailey Tract on Sanibel Island. Fork-tailed Flycatcher is a rare Code 3 vagrant in the ABA area. The species’ breeding range is in Central and South America. The Fork-tailed Flycatcher […]