Friday, February 1 ~Last Day~

Since today is our last full day here in Florida, I wanted to go out birding early this morning.  I didn't get out real early but I was on the boardwalk by 7:30, the temperature was a balmy 47 degrees and very windy.  My first trip around the 1/4 mile loop I saw a palm warbler, several yellow-rumped warblers, a red-bellied woodpecker, a catbird, a woodstork and several egrets and herons on the other side of the lake.  The second time around it was a little warmer and a few more birds had ventured out.  I had several good looks at a blue-gray gnatcatcher and at the observation deck the wading birds had moved to this side of the lake and there was a scarlet ibis among all the other waders.  It possibly was a hybrid since it was a light pink but I'm still counting it.

Rookery Bay Preserve

Catbird with an attitude

Tri-color heron

This is what a Florida catbird looks like when it is 47 degrees

Boardwalk at Rookery Bay off Shell Island Road

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Scarlet Ibis

Scarlet Ibis with two Snowy egrets

Snowy egret

Two White Ibis in foreground, Glossy Ibis in background

I went back to the condo had a little breakfast and then went back out with Sharon in tow.  This time we went to Eagle Lakes Recreational Park which was teeming with waterfowl and other bird life.  As we first got on the trail we saw an osprey sitting in a tree eating a fish.  We also saw an immature bald eagle. After our walk around the lakes we took a pizza home from Boston's for lunch.

Loggerhead Shrike

Osprey eating lunch

American Coot

Sharon's new favorite bird, the Anhinga

White Ibis with several juveniles

Tri-color heron

Anhinga

This was one of my favorite walks, the views were great

The loggerhead shrike was still in the same spot when we left.

We spent the rest of the day around the pool!  This evening we went to Beef O'Bradys because Betty said they had entertainment at 7 pm.  They had karaoke at 8 so we didn't stay and came home to pack.  The best part of the evening was cleaning out the freezer which meant that we ate every bit of the ice cream that was there.  Yum, yum!!

Greenlinks swimming pool

Hitting the hot tub