Spring is in the air!!

Limpkin - check that tongue

Yes, Spring is in the air - at least in South Florida it is.  Limpkins are calling - trying to attract a mate; robins are gathering, waiting for the snow to disappear up north; cardinals and mockingbirds sing their familiar territorial calls.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Large Soft-shell Turtle

We spent a day with friends birding near Boynton Beach at the Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands area sharing God's creation together.

Purple Gallinule

  The rarest find was the Yellow-headed Blackbird that was way out of range.  Must have followed the Red-winged Blackbirds south for the winter.

Spent another day at the Jetty of Ft. Pierce and that rare Red Knot in winter plumage was still hanging out with the Ruddy Turnstones.


This Royal Tern was trying to impress someone (probably not us) with his crest as high as possible.

Gulf Fritillary 

We spent some time walking the grounds of the PSL Botanical Gardens.  Some beautiful plants that volunteers are caring for.  Not everything is labeled yet so we could use some help with identification on this succulent and the orchids farther down.

Rare Mangrove Skipper

A pair of Ospreys were very busy selecting the appropriate tree and bring in the branches and Spanish mosses.

Pileated Woodpecker - outstanding crest

Yellow-throated Warbler

Cattle Egret strolling the sidewalk

We leave for the Everglades Area tomorrow.  Looking forward to the more tropical birds in the south - but hope the mosquitoes are far and few between.


God's blessing to all,
Love & Prayers,   Ida & Ty

Starting a new year

Each year we keep a record of the number of species of birds we see and 2014 was our "Big Year" finding 566 species.  We traveled from Arizona to California, Oregon, Washington north into British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska.  Then down through the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and BC to Montana and Wyoming, east through South Dakota, Iowa and back "home" to Wisconsin.

Io Moth Caterpillar 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Although now home is wherever we find ourselves since we are full time RVing.    We then went around Lake Michigan and down the east side, through Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.  We followed the Atlantic Coast through South Carolina, Georgia and into Florida.  Our retirement list has reached 672 birds and we are on day 1,344; traveling over 85,000 miles in that time.  It will get much more difficult to add North American birds as time goes on.

N. Mockingbird

Little Blue Heron close up

Tilapia

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Now - for starting over - the first 100 birds are easy in Florida, less than 6 days.  But time to travel on if we want more.

Tree Frog

Pond Lily at White City Park

Along with walking around Wood Stork Trail near our RV Park in Port St. Lucie, we also traveled out to Allapattah Flats, Ft. Pierce Jetty and Hutchinson Island beaches on the ocean, Jonathan Dickinson State Park and the Savannah State Park.

Crested Caracara

Now for his close-up

Pop-up Showers come in along the coast

Brown Pelican

Sharp-pod Beach Morning Glory

We are enjoying our time with Daryl & Vicki and we also had a chance to meet with Patti Hancock-Myers and her new husband Bud as we both drove half-way across the Florida peninsula to have lunch.  It's also great to be able to watch the Packer games from where it is warm, we will be praying for Aaron's calf to heal so they can win some more.

Wilson's Snipe

Dragonfly

Loggerhead Shrike finds a huge grub

Tricolored Heron immature

Paper Wasps start their next

Blue-headed Vireo

White Peacock Butterfly

Common Gallinules

Portuguese Man of War Jellyfish

It's always fun to find new birds and see all of God's creation wherever we go.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann

Christmas on the Treasure Coast

We've been settled into the Port Saint Lucie RV Park for 3 weeks now; other than the local decorations it certainly doesn't feel like Christmas or winter.  Sunny, warm days, times at the pool, and birding trips to area natural areas.

The best part about being in PSL is being near Ty's brother Daryl and his wife Vicki.  Spending time visiting, working, eating together and going to church and Bible studies has been fun.  We look forward to another 6 weeks here in the area until their mission trip to Haiti with New Hope Missions Intl. that they help administer.

Alligator in almost every pond

Almost daily we walk to Wood Stork Trail and Lake just north of the RV Park.  Seems like there is something new to see everyday.  Here's a small example.

Mottled Ducks

Pleco

Ox Beetle

Pileated Woodpecker

This Sandhill Crane along with two others landed right in the RV Park and took a walk around the sites.

Eastern Towhee

Just northeast of PSL is the Savannah State Park where we walked the trails and went through the Nature Center.  Here are some finds from our exploration.

Pine Warbler

Grass-leaf Golden Aster

Great Blue Heron takes off

Eastern Meadowlark

We drove about 30 miles southwest of PSL to the Allapattah Flats.  While walking the trails we saw northern migrants such as this Eastern Meadowlark and flocks of American Robins.




There were many wading birds in the area such as the Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks.

Roseate Spoonbill & Wood Stork

Peregrine Falcon

We took two trips to Ft. Pierce and Hutchinson Island enjoying the Atlantic Ocean beaches.  While sitting at the beach we observed many Magnificent Frigatebirds and Northern Gannets and we even saw some Cory's Shearwaters.

Magnificent Frigatebird

Sometimes the birds just come to you; all I had to do was bring out a bag of cookies and 30+ Ruddy Turnstones immediately arrived hoping for a crumb or two.  This was on the Ft. Pierce South Jetty where many people also come to fish.  There were several Manatees feeding close by.

At the river mouth is a great place to bird.  Brown Pelicans, Black Skimmers, gulls and terns and over 20 Ospreys found abundant fish as the tide rolled in.

Christmas Berry (Dahoon)

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful New Year.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann