Birds

Dunedin Osprey Cam Now Live

September 14, 2009

Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com. Would you like to get a close-up look at an osprey on the nest without placing yourself in danger of those dangerous talons? Now you can. The City of Dunedin has just put a web cam near an osprey nest. Check it out. You never know what you might [...]

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Nurturing Nature on Florida’s Southwest Coast

July 21, 2009

Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com Charlotte County (located about halfway between Tampa and Naples)  has some of the least developed beaches in the state of Florida: Stump Pass State Park, Palm Island, Don Pedro Island State Park, and Little Gasparilla Island. So it’s no surprise that both shorebirds and sea turtles favor these beaches [...]

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Black Skimmers Love Anna Maria Island

July 14, 2009

Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com The black skimmer (Rhynchops niger) is a strange and beautiful bird present year-round on Florida beaches. It has a unique method of catching fish–it flies along parallel to the shore with its lower bill skimming the thin film of water (called the “swash”) left by the surging waves. When [...]

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Dusk Brings Out the Interesting Birds

July 12, 2009

Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com This evening I took a drive on Terra Ceia Island in Palmetto, just to see what I could see. It is still very much Old Florida. On one quiet road I spotted this owl sitting atop a pole above the mangroves. The light was not good for taking photos [...]

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Ospreys Rule the Coast

July 5, 2009

Osprey photo by David McRee of BlogTheBeach.com

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A Bird’s Life on Siesta Key

June 16, 2009

By David McRee of BlogTheBeach.com These pelicans on Siesta Key were having a hard time eating the fish they caught. As soon as they caught a fish, a gull would land on their head and try to make them drop it. I guess the pelicans are used to this because they seemed not to be [...]

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White Sand Black Crow

June 6, 2009

By David McRee of BlogTheBeach.com If I were a bird, I don’t think I’d want to have black feathers in the Florida summer heat. You’d think an all black bird would stay in the shade.  Perhaps the black feathers heat up enough to keep mites and other parasites off the bird. This crow was seriously [...]

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Beach Bird Antics

May 17, 2009

And to think I almost didn’t bring my camera to the beach.

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Snowy Plover Nest, Conservation on Palm Island

April 22, 2009

As I was exploring Palm Island beach on Stump Pass on Monday morning, two friendly volunteer  Shorebird Stewards, Sarah and Merrill, came over and talked to me about the nesting areas that were being monitored and protected by Charlotte County and numerous volunteers. They were walking the beach to educate the public. Many of our [...]

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Duck Visits Pass-A-Grille Beach

April 11, 2009

I rarely see a duck out on the beach. This one was alone. As soon as I drew a bead on it with my camera lense it took off across the pass. This photo is cropped out of a larger image. I think it is a Mottled duck, but I’m no duck expert. Read a [...]

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