Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Space Ghost

I am at the Space Coast Birding and Nature Festival in Titusville, Florida. For some reason it feels right to call this event Space Ghost. Not sure why. Could be I've been watching too many cartoons.

Today I went a-birding with some pals to the Viera Wetlands and saw many birds. Took a few photos, too, despite the dreary gray conditions.

Here are just a few of the images I did not immediately relegate to the e-trash can.

Common moorhens are numerous and noisy.

This eastern meadowlark sang for us and threw in a few very western meadowlarky-sounding phrases.

Mr. Wilson! I found your snipe!

My fave duck, blue-winged teal. Already paired off and thinking about making some little teal.

Drippy the limpkin was eating snails.

And we found a very scarce owl the Stodgian owl. This is the only US record. Its origin is suspect.
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6 comments:

  1. letmebethefirsttocommentJanuary 24, 2007 at 4:22 PM

    Sweet pictures. You're too tough on yourself. Were you hand-holding or was your camera on a tripod for these?
    Wonder what would have happened had the aperture been opened up three or four stops? It worked for me today in snow.
    Miss you.

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  2. Bill of the BirdsJanuary 24, 2007 at 4:24 PM

    Dear First Commentor:
    I have resigned myself to looking at the manual to figger that exact thing out for tomorrow. Miss U2 (not Bono)

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  3. katdocJanuary 24, 2007 at 7:37 PM

    Nice pics, keep 'em coming. I played "Guess the bird" and the only thing I missed was the limpkin. What a cool looking bird.

    I had an Eastern Meadowlark here in snowy SW Ohio this morning, but he was not singing. He was sitting on the wire looking very forlorn, poor guy. Also had a male Red-winged Blackbird and a gaggle of Brown-headed Cowbirds. Talk about confused Icterids.

    ~Kathi

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  4. Susan Gets NativeJanuary 24, 2007 at 11:28 PM

    Bill:
    At least the meadowlark wasn't giving you any malarkey.

    That was an all-time low in corniness.

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  5. Rondeau RicJanuary 25, 2007 at 9:02 AM

    Was the owl of the subspiecies Walmartius or Kmartius?
    We see them in Canada but hey are of the subspicies Timhortonus
    RR

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  6. mon@rchJanuary 26, 2007 at 9:24 AM

    such wonderful photographic opportunities that you had on your trip! Just love hearing about your many adventures!

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