floraphile

Both photos are of the same bird.

That was my thinking, but it came up as "Unreported", which is weird for this area.

👏 👏 👏

26 Aug 2022 Baldwin co. AL; SP on island in delta mouth; abundant marsh, scattered patches of forest

The beautiful thing about being an empty-nester is $ can go toward birding and not tuition.

Hi, @PalmWarbler. I have mostly birded the panhandle/Big Bend, central Florida, and the Tampa Bay area, so don't have personal experience with birding the east coast. 1. Panhandle/Big Bend (W to E): Ft. Pickens St. Marks NWR (as has already been mentioned); we like to stay at the lodge at Wakulla Springs SP (some birding there, also). They give a discount to Audubon members. There are no TVs in the rooms, which is a ++++ for us St. Joseph Peninsula & Apalachicola area--off the beaten path (although of late it has been, unfortunately, discovered) but well worth it, both for birds and a taste of the real Florida. 2. Central FL: Sweetwater Wetlands (https://www.sweetwaterwetlands.org/) Payne's Prairie (https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/paynes-prairie-preserve-state-park) 3. Tampa Bay area: Ft. Desoto (https://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm#general) Boyd Hill Nature Park (https://www.stpeteparksrec.org/boydhillpreserve/) The Celery Fields (https://www.sarasotaaudubon.org/online-guide-favorite-local-birding-hotspots/#1568384830680-d03a2fe4-fc8a) 4. South Florida-- @Connor Cochrane can help with suggestions for this area Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (https://corkscrew.audubon.org/) Myakka River SP (https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/myakka-river-state-park) Dry Tortugas/Key West We have our first trip planned for next Spring, so I can't yet give you any personal reviews, but, by all accounts, a place all birders should eventually go. Only accessible by boat. The beautiful thing about birding in Florida is that it can be a passive activity. There are birds everywhere. You will see flocks of White Ibis foraging in yards, Great Egrets eating snakes on house rooftops, Roseate Spoonbills caually foraging in ditches by the roadside, and Sandhill Cranes from the comfort of your car as you speed down the interstate. Have fun!

06 Feb 2022 Puntarenas CR; edge of rice fields My concern with IDing as Wilson's Snipe is the wing edge is light, not dark.

@Kevin--I forgot to mark "Other Insects"--Yellow FIies are incredibly annoying and painful blood-suckers from the bowels of H*ll.

I see [automatic inference there are many I'm not seeing] venomous snakes (Cottonmouths, Canebrakes, Copperheads, an Eastern Coral on one occasion)--not large but dangerous if you step on them People talking to me--not intentionally rude, but, sometimes, they don't pick up on cues that it's time to stop the conversation

Sure!

We did see several of the Violet Sabrewings that day and they were stunningly gorgeous. It was flagged on ebird, but noone has emailed me to give the correct species. They were Smooth-billed Anis. I had just placed the image with the wrong species, and didn't notice when I was posting it here. That's a bit embarrassing to admit.

I'm just waiting for the money tree to start producing.

Pretty much already done that... Now I need to buy him a Canon R5 and a Kowa TSN-883.

I should clarify that my Monarchs are Monarch 3, not one of the newer models.