Month: April 2023

In a marvel of nature, the endangered Snail Kite has evolved over the past 20 years to allow it eat an invasive snail species that has a negative impact on the ecosystem that is the Snail Kite’s habitat. University of Florida researchers have found that in about that time, the Snail Kite has developed a larger beak as its new prey, the larger island apple snail, proliferated and became invasive. The large, curved beak of this male Snail Kite is perfectly adapted to eat the larger snails and his long talons perfect to snatch and grasp the snail as he pulls it from the water. These evolutionary changes create a huge dilemma as environmental scientists figure out how to recover endangered species without relying on an invasive species to do it.

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A male Snail Kite homes in on an Apple Snail he has sighted in a snail bed in Lake Kissimmee in Florida last month. His talons are deployed as he gets ready to grab and snatch his meal from the shallow water.

The Anna’s Hummingbirds seem as obsessed with the Blue Lithodora as I am obsessed with photographing them sipping nectar from its blossoms. Yesterday morning there were two there together briefly but the camera wasn’t yet set up in the doorway so I just watched in delight. They were even playing nice, not harassing or chasing each other. I hope that I’ll get a chance to photograph another pair of hummers at the Lithodora soon.

My obsession with photographing hummingbirds has been revived because of a new plant in the spring garden. The female Anna’s Hummingbird seems obsessed with the Blue Lithodora, visiting often and staying long enough that I’m able to get to my camera when I notice her and get quite a few shots while she’s there. It is fascinating to watch her because she examines blossoms all around the plant, often perching on the edge of the metal basket rim while sipping nectar from the blossoms on the edges. She even grasps the petals with her feet as she hovers over the plant, something I have never seen a hummer do. The blue background that matches the blue in the flowers is a cobalt blue pot directly behind the basket of Lithodora. When she’s not feeding on the left side of the pot so the background dissolves into the muted green of the shrubs in the distance, the blue pot creates an interesting backdrop.

A few weeks ago, I replaced my non-functioning millstone-style fountain with a new fountain. All the birds in my garden loved the old fountain with its large, flat surface and, for the past few years, it continued to function through a series of temporary patches. When it finally ceased working altogether, I found a substitute but it isn’t at all the same as the old one and none of the regulars to the old fountain were drawn to the new one. I was afraid that its strong central bubble and cascading water were too vigorous for the smaller birds so I piled some rocks on top to mitigate the flow of the stream. Some of the regulars stopped by to check it out but quickly left to visit the familiar urn fountain nearby and the hummers seemed put off by the rushing waterfall. Then, a couple of days ago, I noticed the secretive Hermit Thrush drinking from the new fountain. And later, a couple of female Bushtits took a bath there but the males didn’t even try it, preferring the other fountain to bathe. Then, yesterday, the new fountain suddenly became the center of attention. First, the White-crowned Sparrows jumped in, followed by a couple of Cedar Waxwings, and then, a female Anna’s Hummingbird buzzed by and checked out the cascade. So, success at last for the new fountain!

Hummingbirds aren’t attracted just to red flowers. This female Anna’s Hummingbird sips nectar from a Blue Lithodora plant, one I just added to the garden a couple of days ago. I saw this plant for the first time at Green Acres when I was there replenishing plants in my hummingbird garden the other day. I couldn’t find any Blue Salvia which is a hummingbird favorite and I liked the looks of this so I planted it in a basket on a stand. It is one of the plants strategically placed so I can photograph the Hummingbirds from my patio door. I already had my Z9 and Z800mm lens with the 1.4X teleconverter on a tripod at the ready so when I saw her hovering over the plant, I clicked.

A Glossy Ibis looks iridescent in the morning sun on Lake Kissimmee in Florida. The jewel colored feathers of this large bird are quite striking. It was scratching its head as it stood on a tussock in the lake.

A male Snail Kite balances himself on a slim, bouncy twig as he prepares to eat an Apple Snail he just snatched out of Lake Kissimmee, a “balanced meal” of sorts.

In an avian version of “kiss and tell” a male Snail Kite announces his successful coupling with a female Snail Kite, barely visible behind a clump of Swamp Bayberry (also known as Wax Myrtle) on Sturm Island in Lake Kissimmee, Florida last month. We were so fortunate to skim across the lake in an airboat that took us to places inaccessible by land to witness natural events like the mating of the endangered Snail Kite. We were told that there were a couple of active nests on the lake being monitored by Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Department so they were off limits to us but it was encouraging to witness what is the future of the Snail Kite.

Skimming across Lake Kissimmee on an airboat provided lots of opportunities to see and photograph birds other than our target species, the Snail Kite. This shallow lake provides the perfect habitat for large shorebirds that wade along the edges and the floating tussocks in search of their next meal. A Reddish Egret takes flight in search of greener pastures (bluer waters?) after an unsuccessful search for something to eat.