American Kestrels

What a beautiful day today, spring was here. Incredible push of Kestrels on the Island, I had 26 birds without putting in a lot of effort. Also a good number of Yellow-rumped Warblers in Newbury. Other highlights were; 3 Osprey (FOY), 4 Snowy Owls, and a Short-eared Owl. I snapped a few pictures, but mainly I was just birding today.

                                                                 Yellow rump

                                                                      Kestrel

                                                                        Short-eared at dusk

                                       Far off Short-eared Owl...crappy pic but always fun to see

                                                            First of the year Osprey

                                                                              Merlin

                                                       Northern Harrier at sunset

                           Some kind of spine cached about 6 feet up in a tree in Newbury. Bobcat maybe dragged it up there ?

Yellow-rump

Belize - Key West - Dry Tortugas

Thanks to the Morris clan we started off the adventure in Key West, it was awesome. Lots of reveling.  Took an amazing day trip out to the Dry Tortugas. The Tortugas are about 60-70 miles off the Florida Keys. It is major nesting site for Sooty Terns, Brown Noddy, Magnificent Frigate Birds, and Bridled Tern. I spent the day exploring Fort Jefferson and watching / logging some life birds.

                                                                 Fort Jefferson

                                                                     Frigate Birds

                                                                   Nesting area

                                                                   Frigate Birds

                                                                      Brown Noddy

                                                                      Royal Tern

                                        Ruddy Turnstone, dominant shorebird on the island. Doubt I'll be getting this close on Plum.

               A number of Skimmer's were on the island as well. I am real big fan of Skimmers, I hardly get to see them. As such, I took a bunch of pictures.

There was also a Crocodile milling around the fort...so that was cool and unnerving. 

I learned also  in Key West every time you hear a sound in the bushes...a herd of Chickens charge out. Here 2 Roosters proceed to chase each other in circles while Tina and I watch in bewilderment. 

Next we  flew from Florida to Belize City, and from there took a puddle jumper to Plancencia. We stayed at the Green Parrot an awesome spot right on the beach recommended by Whitney and Brian. We got hooked up by Leo the manager, and went out with some great guides. The birding in Belize lived up to its infamy, birds everywhere from the second we touched down. 

Plancencia 

We went with a guide up the Monkey River seeing TONS of birds, Howler Monkeys, and even a few Manatees .

                                                               Tropical Kingbird
                                      
                                                              Red-Lored Parrot

                                                       Common Tody Flycatcher  ...I think

                                                                 Social Flycatcher

                                                          Yellow Throated Euphonia

                                          Some kind of Creeper, Tawny-winged I think

                                                           Prothonotary Warbler

Keel-Billed Toucan, one of 10+ birds we saw the last day. Leo took us out to a Reserve on the last night so we could see these birds prior to leaving. Shot by Casey.

                                      Bare-Throated Tiger Heron. I was very excited to see these.

                                                              Little Blue Heron

                                                                 Croc

                                Montezuma Oropendola nests, numerous birds flying about.

                                                         White-Collard Seedeater

Acorn Woodpecker. 

            I had to review the ol' book to figure out some of my new pals, of course with a cocktail.

                                      Sometimes in Belize you have a tree frog in your toilet.

Common Basilisk 

                                             Golden silk orb weaver...extremely large spider

Blue Gray Tanager 

                                                                    Brown Booby

                                                                        Parrakeet

Howler Monkey 

Here we have the Plum Island snorkel tag team at Laughing Bird Kaye National Park. It was an amazingly healthy reef, very well protected by a full time live in ranger, well done Belize. Incredible to explore, like swimming through a forest. At any rate, great trip we were sad to go back to the frozen north. 

Pretty strait forward on this one... 

Brown Creeper

I never get tired of these guys. While eating a delicious corn beef dinner with the fam, this Brown Creeper amused us island folk who never get to see them.

And...more Snowys

The first quick stop shot of the "turnpike Snowy" That I see every time I leave the Island. The second shot is an edit from last month. I think we will have these birds for a tad longer, seeing 6 Snowy's within the first 2 miles of the reserve last night. 

Everybody loves the sunshine

                Out for a drive with the Mrs. we found our friend enjoying the warm weather.