A flock of Bobolinks and a lone Blue Grosbeak....all in one week! We hiked one of our favorite trails, Halpata Tastanaki Preserve and saw 'rare' birds on 2 different hikes! And on both hikes there were a grand total of 0 people there! NO ONE!!! I know other Florida trails have opened but I'm still amazed that no one is hiking HTP this week!
We were hiking along the grassy trail and a flock of Bobolinks flew out of the grass into some bushes.
It was hard to get the camera to focus on the birds but the photos were good enough for a positive ID.
Bobolinks! The first time we've ever seen them!
In this photo, you can see the black breast of the male in breeding colors on the left, the back of a male on the right and in between females.
We didn't know what we were seeing when they flew!
Black birds with yellow on their nape? We couldn't figure that out.
These were taken in another tree.
Not sure if they are juveniles or females.
How lucky we were to see them in breeding colors or they would have been even harder to ID!
Just one more!
And the Blue Grosbeak!
He was in the dark woods when we were almost back to our car on the same trail (2 days later).
It was hard to get good photos but we were thrilled!
Florida is a great place to see birds that are migrating. Have you seen any neat birds this week?
I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE
and I’d Rather B Birdin’.
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39 comments:
...they all are striking a nice pose for you. Take care Diane.
Hello,
It is great you are able to see these rare birds and the migrating birds. The Bobolink is handsome and the Blue Grosbeak is beautiful.
I would be thrilled to see both of these birds. Congrats on your sightings. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend! Take care and stay safe! PS, thank you for the visit and comment on my blog!
Well done on capturing the Blue Grosbeak. It's a lovely looking bird.
Super shots of the Bobolinks Diane. The Blue Grosbeak was a great find too. I once saw a Bobolink on the Isles of Scilly one October but it was a dullish juvenile so nothing like those spring ones.
Absolutely wonderful 'feathered friends' photos ~ what a lovely place to hike ~
Be Well, Be Safe,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
you really hit the jackpot this week diane. what great sightings you had and such beautiful images you captured. these are birds i do not see here, so it was a real treat to see them and read about them on your blog. isn't it odd that people are not out walking on this beautiful trail, it is a bird lovers paradise!! enjoy your weekend!!
What beautiful pictures! Sometimes I wonder if people are now so settled into "staying at home" that even tho things are opening back up, folks will still stay home? I'm glad you walked the trails. Love, Andrea xoxo
I have never seen either of those varieties before. Florida is such a good place for birdwatching!
I haven't seen any birds this week. How interesting your pictures are! I have never heard of a bobolink OR of a blue grosbeak. Great photos! Thanks for sharing your hikes with us!!
I have not seen a blue grosbeak...new to me. I see birds every day that stump me. The most recent is a very tiny bird with vivid, deep yellow at his neck. It is not a yellow grosbeak.
Beautiful bird captures. Your hikes in nature always brings out lots of feathered friends that you photograph beautifully.
Have a nice weekend.
I've only been to Florida once. We flew there by commercial airliner and rented an airplane to fly out to the Bahamas and then around the state. The mangrove preserve boat ride was a highlight for me. - Margy
What pretty birds! I have been hearing more than seeing birds in my neck of the woods. They flit about quickly and seem quite happy with less people around.
Thanks for the photos! I have never seen any of these.
Diane, just you and the birds--the perfect trail! And your photos are wonderful. I can only imagine how hard it is to photograph birds. I rarely photograph anything but food, and it doesn't jump around! :D
Isn't it nice to have the trail to yourself? I was so glad that the traffic of one of my favorite and I thought secret (ha!) parks was less when I went last week. Very neat birds!
Lucky you!! I’ve never seen a bobolink. Beautiful birds. I think your pics are just fine. Have a good week.
Bobolinks are wonderful birds to encounter under any circumstances and a Blue Grosbeak would cause me to dance a jig! I haven't seen one in almost twenty years.
You always show us such great photos of the birds. I have never seen any of these although I did see my first robin of the year this week.
Thank you for stopping by my blog, Diane. I love the bird photos you took. How joyful it must be to see such birds. They are precious. Kathi
That's great!
Hello. Congratulations on your sightings. Stay safe!
How magic to see birds you have never seen and photographed before. Thank you for sharing your excitement with us.
Beautiful pictures of the couple Bobolinks and the Blue Grosbeak are these.
These species do not occur here in the Netherlands.
Best regards Irma
With no one or less people around, I think the animals enjoy having the space all to themselves. We don't have nice natural trails to walk, we only walk along streets in the residential area. Its more buildings than natural surrounding.
Fantastic sightings! I haven't seen a Bobolink in years.
As always, I thank you for taking time out in your day to show off your birds with us at I'd Rather B Birdin this week.
I've never seen a bobolink! I love them all.
I think I know how you were excited to spot these birds. Nice shots! You’re good at handling telephoto lens. Both Bobolink and Blue Grosbeak are first to me. Thanks for stopping by my blog again. A number of prefectures started to ease restrictions in my country. I hope no resurgence. Take care and enjoy hiking.
Yoko
What lovely sightings. You see things I only see in bird books -- and you even know what they are and how to recognize them! Well done!
bobolinks? Don´t think I have ever seen any or heard of them. Glad you got shots to ID them :)
I love all your bird photos. While I was in Florid earlier this year, I did not get to see that many birds. Maybe next year. Enjoy your hiking, and have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
Lovely birds! Happy sunday!
Oh, that blue bird has such a striking color. These sweet birds are talking amongst each other, and have their own language going on. I'm so glad that there were no people on the trail you hiked. I hope you find some more trails like that. I have a blog friend who loves to walk this one particular trail, and lately it is filled with walkers. It's just not the same for her.
Happy May days to you, Diane.
~Sheri
Tuviste suerte, viste pájaros muy bonitos. Besitos.
Beautiful photos, Diane. I like seeing the birds going about their business as if nothing crazy is happening with the world.
Amalia
xo
Great photographs.
I saw a robin on my walk around the garden a little earlier today …
All the best Jan
The birds are wonderful and I would not complain about seeing nobody else (not these days). I actually miss talking to strangers though!
Your photos of these birds are amazing. The colors are so pretty. I am so glad you love to hike, so your blog buddies can see a little bit of Paradise here in Florida! Love, Aunt Helen
We have a new bird in our yard and I haven't been able to identify it yet. My husband noticed it in the freshly tilled soil of the garden. They were scratching up the dirt just like chickens do. We have never seen a bird (other than a chicken) scratch like that. My husband calls them "digger" birds.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
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