Okay, another bird ID question. Every once in a while I see this large black soaring bird with a a fat white tail/rump bar. I only see it in flight, way up there usually. It will beat its wings 4 or 5 times and then just glide. While its neck is certainly not long enough to be a water bird it just does seem a little longer than the usual hawk's. The wings are very broad and held flat, no dihedral. I see it in the area of Military and Atlantic in Delray so it's a bit southeast of Wako. Unfortunately I'm never close enough to see the color of the legs etc.
At first I thought I was seeing the BE again but this guy is all black except for the tail band.
Okay, another bird ID question. Every once in a while I see this large black soaring bird with a a fat white tail/rump bar. I only see it in flight, way up there usually. It will beat its wings 4 or 5 times and then just glide. While its neck is certainly not long enough to be a water bird it just does seem a little longer than the usual hawk's. The wings are very broad and held flat, no dihedral. I see it in the area of Military and Atlantic in Delray so it's a bit southeast of Wako. Unfortunately I'm never close enough to see the color of the legs etc.
At first I thought I was seeing the BE again but this guy is all black except for the tail band.
Yes snail Kite is my guess too although there would be no reason to mistake it for anything but a raptor.
Yes snail Kite is my guess too although there would be no reason to mistake it for anything but a raptor.
We saw/heard a pileated woodpecker during our mangrove planting at Juno Dunes.He was quite active, flying around, doing carpentry work, and calling.
The real treat came later. As we walked to the intracoastal area I saw one on a dead slash pine. Within a few seconds he was joined by 4 others, 3 in that tree and one on the oak next to it. What a racket. The one bird was really huge.
Saw several limpkin at ARM yesterday. Also a GBH was having a terrible time trying to eat a large fish. He had it up on the levee too, it was pretty funny.
Gators everywhere, with many babies visible in the impoundments. One adult was particularly active back there. He/she chased a juvenile out of the area--I'd never seen 2 gators move so fast. The adult kept rearing its head up, going in circles, going up and down the bank...very neurotic reptile. It was probably a female with a nest, but it was hard to tell.
It got a bit dark early due to the rain, and I saw a GHO while walking to the car.
Yup. Juno Dunes, west side. Way at the back there's a boardwalk overlooking the intracoastal entrance. They were in the trees between the observation tower and that area.
And unfortunately, I was wrong about the scrub jays there. According to the site steward only one is left there. But Jupiter Ridge is another story. When you get up to Ski Beach they follow you around.