HART BEAT: TOUGH TO SWALLOW

White Ibis

Another benefit to being confined to our Florida condo sunroom while recovering after my hospitalization was the opportunity to observe bird activity as the different species went about their daily routines. When on a birding trip or simply traveling around looking for birds we seldom take the time to sit and watch how they go about their daily business. This point was driven home to me by watching for over 13 minutes as a White Ibis went from catching a frog to getting it down its gullet.

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera up and ready to record the White Ibis as it caught the frog, but I was able to document its progress as it moved from the edge of the pond (photo 1) and was being chased by another White Ibis that may have been intent on stealing the frog (photo 2). The Ibis then flew with its catch along the pond (photo 3) to a field well away from the rest of the flock of White Ibis in the area but still well within my field of view.

That wonderful long down-curved beak may be great for probing and digging for small organisms that constitute a major part of the Ibis’s diet, but it sure poses a problem for the Ibis when it comes to swallowing a frog. The Ibis is able to pick the frog up without any difficulty, but getting it lined up just right for swallowing is much more of a problem (photo 4). The first time the frog was lined up just right, its legs stuck out on both sides (photo 5) blocking the frog from going smoothly into the Ibis’s mouth.

On one of the several attempts the Ibis made to get the frog lined up just right, it even tried to bring the frog in from the side (photo 6, and at the top of the page). As you can imagine, that did not work. However, after six different attempts, during which the Ibis laid the frog down on the ground and started over from scratch each time, the Ibis finally got the frog lined up just right (photo 7) and was able to get it well into its mouth with legs sticking out (photo 8) and finally, down the hatch (photo 9).

As noted above, it took over 13 minutes from the time the White Ibis caught the frog until it was finally able to get it down the hatch. I have 166 photos of the entire process not including the catching of the frog, which I judiciously decided not to inflict upon you (not that our webmaster would have allowed me to).

But think about it: You and I sit at a table with knife and fork and neatly carve up our food for easy eating. Birds do not have it that easy. All they have are their bills to eat with. Some birds can hold food down with their feet while they peck away at it. Our Tufted Titmouse and White-breasted Nuthatches hold sunflower seeds with their feet as they hammer away at the seed hulls to get to the kernels inside, but then may swallow the kernel whole or break it into smaller pieces.

Can you imagine not being able to use your hands to eat. Can you also imagine having only your mouth to catch your meal and then eat your catch, swallowed whole, right down the gullet. I suppose if our ancestors had spent thousands of years developing the techniques and learning the necessary routines, we would undoubtedly have adapted the same way the birds have. On the other hand, it is nice to be able to go to a restaurant or at our own home dinner table and eat in a much more genteel manner than merely cramming food into your mouth. It would not be the same if we all had to plunge our faces right into our dishes to eat with nothing more than our mouths.

Makes one shudder to just think about it. Then again, I guess we all have observed some pretty gross eating habits at one time or another. Same process for birds and humans: get the food in the mouth and into the stomach.

HART BEAT: BACKYARD BIRDING, FLORIDA STYLE, PART 3

Snowy Egret

While I am still in recovery mode from my recent hospitalization and pretty much confined to our Florida sunroom and patio, the birds are continuing to cooperate and provide sufficient material for yet a third column right here in our condo backyard.

The Snowy Egret (top) has not been around quite as much as it had been earlier, but it did make this dramatic appearance dressed in the start of its breeding plumage finery. Note how the “golden slippers,” normally a bright yellow, have taken on a bright orange color and the lores and base of the beak are now also that same bright orange. That bright orange in the face will continue to change, eventually turning into a bright red color. (Page 124 of the Hart Beat book shows a photo of this ultimate breeding plumage of the Snowy Egret.)

Another heron just coming into breeding plumage is the Tri-colored Heron. In its basic, or year-round, plumage (photo 2 taken on February 3rd of this year), the Tri-colored has yellow legs, a dark back and a plain yellow bill. By March 28th of this same year, on the far side of the pond (sometimes they just don’t cooperate and come close for excellent photo opportunities) the Tri-colored has moulted into its breeding plumage (photo 3) featuring bright red legs, gold feathering on the back, beautiful cream-colored plumes on the back of the head, and a bright blue bill.

Similarly, the Little Blue Heron in basic plumage (photo 4, taken February 11 of this year) has greenish legs, a plain light blue bill with a black tip and a purplish neck. By April 12th,, as it heads across our lawn for our shrubbery bushes and has moulted into breeding plumage (photo 5), the legs have become a much deeper and richer green, plumes have developed on the back and from the top of the head, the neck has turned a darker purple and, most significantly the bill has turned into a bright blue, but still with the black tip.

To summarize, these three backyard birding columns have featured the following egrets and herons, and some of their relatives, in addition to those presented in this column: White Ibis, Cattle Egret, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Limpkin, Double-crested Cormorant and Sandhill Crane. We certainly have never seen anything like that in our Pennsylvania backyard.

Two more species of ducks have shown up as well. The flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (photo 6) shows up sporadically. We often see them flying over on their way to and from the Savannas County Park which is adjacent to our condo complex, and every now and then they stop over and give us a good view.

An unexpected visitor was this Muscovy Duck (photo 7) which is a feral introduced species often kept as a form of pet by some people. The Muscovy Duck in the wild is a Mexican coastal duck with a range that extends south as far as Peru and Argentina. In the United States it only appears occasionally in extreme south Texas along the Rio Grande River in the Brownsville area. Jewel and I spent several days searching for it years ago before we finally saw a couple and then only briefly. In the wild they do not have any of the red wart-like carbuncles although the male does have a knob at the base of a white bill and white in the wings. The domestic Muscovy Ducks we see here have varying amounts of white on various parts of the face and body. This individual has less than most although I do have photos from another St Lucie County location years ago with virtually no white on it at all.

These three backyard bird columns have now featured a Lesser Scaup, Mottled Duck, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, and Muscovy Duck, as well as Egyptian Geese. Not one of these birds will ever show up in our Pennsylvania backyard.

There are also several hawks that show up regularly in our Florida backyard. The Osprey (photo 8) shows up regularly at our lake and often is quite successful at catching its daily meal. In March, the Swallow-tailed Kites (photo 9) begin showing up and fly over our backyard and the general area, not fishing, but searching the trees in around the condo units for bugs and insects. While Osprey fish our Pennsylvania farm pond they never appear in our backyard there. And, of course, Swallow-tailed Kites only range as far north as coastal South Carolina. I also have a photo of a Red-shouldered Hawk perched on top of the light pole behind our condo unit that I have not used in this series of columns.

I also considered using photos of two more critters, a gecko and an anole with its red throat flap extended out, neither of which I have been able to identify, and of course, neither of which will ever be found in Pennsylvania. Finally, I also have a photo of a tree frog in the shrubbery that is quite different from our Pennsylvania tree frogs. All of these critters have shown up right in the shrubbery by our patio and probably account for the Little Blue Heron searching for them right outside our sunroom door. (Unfortunately, that too is a photo I have missed.) These critters are in addition to the iguanas and alligator that appeared in the earlier Florida backyard columns. Earlier columns also included Palm Warbler, Purple Martin, and Belted Kingfisher.

In total, that is 21 species of birds that have appeared in these three columns. In addition, there are also all the common birds in our Florida backyard such as the Northern Mockingbird, Fish Crows, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Gray Catbirds, that I have not pictured, not to mention the ubiquitous Black and Turkey Vultures that are constantly soaring overhead. All of the species in this last batch of birds also appear in our Pennsylvania backyard although we do have both Fish Crows and Common Crows up north. Fish Crows in Pennsylvania have become relatively recent regular residents as they continue to expand their range north. To see Common Crows here in Florida we would have to go inland for some distance to the farming country.

My recovery is coming along and physical therapy is making a difference. I am hoping to be able to get out in the field in the near future. But I must admit that this experience of concentrating on the activity right here under our noses has been an eye-opener. It is so easy to get into the “grass is always greener somewhere else” mode here in Florida with all the wonderful birding locations, but sometimes spending solitary time checking out the close to home sights can be equally rewarding. Perhaps an analogy can be drawn to the fellow who searches far and wide to find a wonderful wife only to find that the girl he grew up with next door turns out to be the perfect match. The lesson to be learned is to always be aware of our surroundings and pay close attention at all times. It is always interesting to discover the gems right under our noses. We should all stop and smell the roses!

HART BEAT: BACKYARD BIRDING, FLORIDA STYLE, PART 2

Sandhill Cranes

Unfortunately, I had a brief relapse after my recent hospitalization and had to return once again to the hospital for three more days of treatment. Consequently, I am now strictly confined to the condo and only able to bird from our sunroom and occasionally able to get out onto the back patio. Nevertheless, the birds continue to cooperate and I have been fortunate to get numerous photos from both of these spots, and believe it or not, I will have enough different species seen from these two locations to get another month’s column right out our back door. So, stay tuned for Part 3 next month.

To begin, the Sandhill Cranes are so friendly that they often come right onto our patio (top). When I opened our sunroom door to take this picture, I thought for a brief moment that the close one was actually going to come right in with me, as he actually took a step toward me just before I closed the door. We specifically do not feed the Cranes for it is absolutely illegal, but I sometimes wonder if they are so brazen because other residents of our complex may sometimes be feeding them. Then again, as I said last month, the Sandhill Cranes act as though they own the roads, lawns and everything. This is so different from our area up north, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic, where Sandhill Cranes are quite unusual, mostly at a great distance, and birders are really excited to occasionally find them.

Another critter we will never see in our backyard in Pennsylvania is this Green Iguana (photo 2, taken by Jewel with her cell phone). Last month’s column included a photo of a larger gray Iguana, but this green one has accommodated us for this month. Recently we have been seeing a pair of Egyptian Geese (photo 3) hanging around our lake. Egyptian Geese are now spreading throughout south Florida and I would not be surprised if they showed up later in the season with a number of little babies trailing along between them, but probably not in time for next month’s column.

Our resident scofflaw, this Belted Kingfisher, (photo 4) loves to use this perch to launch into the lake for his next meal. There have even been a couple of occasions when he catches his fish and brings it back to this very perch to devour it. Pretty cheeky!

While we occasionally have Great Blue Herons (photo 5) show up around the larger pond on our Pennsylvania farm, we definitely will not ever see them right in our backyard as we do here in Florida. Note that this Great Blue is just beginning to get the tell-tale blue patch around the eye indicating that he/she is just coming into breeding plumage.

Limpkins (photo 6) have been showing up around our lake also. I am somewhat surprised by this, for their favorite food is the Apple Snail which I am sure are not found anywhere near or around our lake. There are a number of Limpkins in the Savannas County Park which is adjacent to our condo complex and a location where Apple Snails are abundant. In the December 1, 2020, Hart Beat column about Apple Snails there is a photo (No. 7 in that column) of Limpkin parents that have brought their offspring to our lake for feeding. So I guess they must find something in their diet here even if it isn’t Apple Snails.

There is a pair of Mottled Ducks (photo 7) that hang around our lake constantly, often with their best buddies, the White Ibis. I have not seen any sign of breeding activity, nor is there any really appropriate place here for them to nest or raise young. Mottled Ducks are closely related to Mallards and Black Ducks, but are pretty much a Florida, and Gulf coast bird, ranging north only as far as Georgia and South Carolina and strictly along the coast. This photo of the Mottled Duck distinctly shows the unique speculum pattern of the wing with the black terminal bands on each side of the blue wing patch which separates it from Mallards which have white in their terminal bands. Black Ducks, as the name implies, are much darker birds over all, particularly in the head and face, even though they have the same black terminal bands as the Mottled Ducks.

Common Ground Doves (photo 8) are another southern species that we will never see under the feeders at our Pennsylvania farm. They also range as far north as Georgia and South Carolina and also along the Gulf coast and into southern Texas, Arizona and southern California. This one was foraging just off our patio and hopefully will soon be nesting. I have never understood why ornithologists who name birds use the modifier “Common” on so many species of birds. The iBirdPro app on my cell phone lists 30 species of birds with “Common” as the first word in their name. It seems to me they should be more imaginative and descriptive in the bird’s name, as there is nothing common about many of those “Common” species, such as this “Red-billed” Ground Dove. I could not find any other dove species with a similar red bill.

Rounding out this column is this Double-crested Cormorant (photo 9) who loves to sit under the fountain in the middle of our lake. Adult males and females look alike, but juveniles have pale necks and breasts. I’m sure Cormorants fish our lake, but I have never seen one actually make a catch.

While I remain confined to our condo and patio, tethered by a 50-foot tube connected to an oxygen generating machine, 24/7, rather than being able to get out with birding friends to all the wonderful birding locations we would normally visit, I am finding it quite rewarding enjoying all the different species that are right here in our backyard. There is always a silver lining in every situation, I suppose, if we take the positive view. Certainly I have come to appreciate the wonders that are right here close by, many of which are some of the same species we travel miles to see.

Over the years we have seen some additional species, such as Woodstorks and Roseate Spoonbills on our lake that have not made an appearance yet during my recovery. Perhaps while paying more attention to the backyard and with the camera ready something completely different and exciting will show up in time to present to you, Dear Readers. A Snail Kite would quality or perhaps something truly rare such as a European vagrant of some kind. It could completely change my life just as Jewel did 33 years ago. We are never too old to hope and dream.