2017 Winter Week 3

Another week has gone by, and it's late on Sunday night, and I suddenly remembered that I never prepared a blog for Anna and Rylee!  Better get to work.  There were actually only 3 days this week that I took any pictures - it's been that kind of a week.  We've had a lot of cold and rainy weather.   

 If you remember, girls, this is an Anhinga, a diving bird, who has to dry his wings before he can fly, because he is too heavy with all the water in his feathers.  Here, he is standing on some funny looking knobs of wood called Cyprus knees.  They grow around the roots of the Cyprus trees, which always have their "feet" in the water.  

One of my favourites , the Snowy Egret.

#1. Can you guess why this is called a Red-shouldered Hawk?  That was too easy!  

 

 This is a White Ibis.  #2 Why do you think he is not white?  

This is a Little Blue Heron.  #3 Why is he not blue?  

This fellow was pretty close to the path that we were on!  

 

 We always think of swans as being white, but this beautiful bird is a Black Swan.....  

  

 .....and he was guarding his mate, who was sitting on a nest full of eggs.  #4  How many eggs do you count in the nest?    

This is what we usually think of when we think of a swan.  This fellow was on a mission!  He was chasing the big Black Swan, and the big Black Swan was allowing himself to be chased!  

 This is something that I have never seen before.  It is called....you guessed it, a Black-necked Swan.  #5  Google Black-necked Swan and find out where in the world you might expect to find one.  Then, if you have time, look for that place in the atlas.      

These pretty ducks are called Ring-necked Ducks.  I have no idea why!  #6  What do YOU think would be a better name for them?   

This is just a fun picture of an Anhinga.  It's a good picture of his very straight beak, on which he spears the fish that he catches.    

We went in search of the Sandhill Cranes that we like to watch every winter, and found them with two eggs in a nest.  This parent was fluffing up the nest to make it softer....  

.....and down she goes onto the eggs.....    

.......and she's settled in for a nice long nap.  In about 28 days we will expect to see some babies.  

 This is a Limpkin, and someone told us that she was trying to sit on the Sandhill Crane's nest, and was chased loudly away!  There is a nest in a tree nearby that is probably her nest, but I think there are no eggs in it yet.  

Earlier, I told you that Cyprus trees like to have their "feet" (roots) in water.  This is a Cyprus Swamp that has a boardwalk through it, and we sometimes ride our bikes in this area.   Well that's it for this week.  Until next time........