The Great Backyard Bird Count does not have to take place in just your backyard. Walk with me through the beautiful wetlands of Pineglades Natural Preserve and meet its wonderful residents.
What a great day! We have a large old house that keeps quails just down the road from us, and I occasionally see them on my walks. They are just adorable.
What excellent photos! Love those kestrel shots. I'll have to add this hotspot to my list. That Crested Caracara is so elegant. A bird I'll also have to add to my (life) list at some point.
The Bobwhites! The house my dad grew up in had a meadow on the adjacent property. Used to get Bobwhites, Ring-necked Pheasant, and Ruffed Grouse. Sadly it was mowed sometime in the 60s.
Between the quail and the Caracaras, this walk would have brought me a possibly fatal amount of joy.
Oh my that meadow sounds like a dream, it’s terrible it got mowed 😢 and it sounds like it was probably a good thing you weren’t there then if it would have been a fatal amount of joy! Although, all we can hope for is to die filled with joy, of course!
What an awesome outing, Aria - such a variety of species! That image of the Crested Caracaras is impressive. How large are they in comparison to a Great Blue Heron?
I know what you mean by the Red-winged Blackbirds - they can be quite territorial and absolutely fearless at times. Thanks for sharing!
Aria! This entire adventure has my heart singing! I was right there with you. So many beauties all in one place! How lovely to be in close proximity to it. Thank you for taking me along.
Fantastic birds! Though I did get a shiver down my spine when you mentioned seeing alligators in the water while paddleboarding--I don't think I would be that brave, but I suppose you must get used to it living in Florida.
Great set of photos.
I always like it when a trail lives up to it’s name. ☺️ Congrats on the quail sighting!
Oh this is lovely 😊
Lovely read, I love seeing the different bird species local to different areas. Really shows how many there are and how they defer by location
Thanks, Zachery! It really is a wonderful area. Thank you for reading.
Wow, so many unique species in one place!
It’s a little treasure trove!
What a great day! We have a large old house that keeps quails just down the road from us, and I occasionally see them on my walks. They are just adorable.
I love them so much! They make the cutest sound too
Your photos are so lovely, Aria. I do envy you having such a great wetland nature reserve so close to your home!
I feel very fortunate to live here
Congrats on the kestrel not on a power line! I feel like that’s quite the feet! Amazing list that you compiled.
Thank you! It is really hard to catch them on camera
What an incredible day! That quail is rightly a highlight - it's adorable!
They are so so so cute 🥰😍
What excellent photos! Love those kestrel shots. I'll have to add this hotspot to my list. That Crested Caracara is so elegant. A bird I'll also have to add to my (life) list at some point.
If you ever make it out here, let me know!
The Bobwhites! The house my dad grew up in had a meadow on the adjacent property. Used to get Bobwhites, Ring-necked Pheasant, and Ruffed Grouse. Sadly it was mowed sometime in the 60s.
Between the quail and the Caracaras, this walk would have brought me a possibly fatal amount of joy.
Oh my that meadow sounds like a dream, it’s terrible it got mowed 😢 and it sounds like it was probably a good thing you weren’t there then if it would have been a fatal amount of joy! Although, all we can hope for is to die filled with joy, of course!
Yep. It was gone long before I was around. Lots of birds disappeared from the area :(
That’s so sad 😢 so much gets destroyed
What an awesome outing, Aria - such a variety of species! That image of the Crested Caracaras is impressive. How large are they in comparison to a Great Blue Heron?
I know what you mean by the Red-winged Blackbirds - they can be quite territorial and absolutely fearless at times. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Neil, it was a really wonderful day. The caracaras are about the size of an osprey.
Aria! This entire adventure has my heart singing! I was right there with you. So many beauties all in one place! How lovely to be in close proximity to it. Thank you for taking me along.
Im happy to hear that, Laura! That makes me very happy
Fantastic birds! Though I did get a shiver down my spine when you mentioned seeing alligators in the water while paddleboarding--I don't think I would be that brave, but I suppose you must get used to it living in Florida.
It was very unnerving honestly. I haven’t been back with my paddle board since, just my kayak. Felt a bit too exposed on my paddle board