Bermuda Night Heron

Bermuda Night Heron (Geeust kydden) This bird took “social distancing” to a whole new level. When I received word that someone had seen a Bermuda Night Heron on Outback Key, I knew I had to try and get it on my life list. Afterall, an opportunity to see one outside of Bermuda is extremely rare. Something else that makes the encounter extraordinary is that they are nocturnal hunters. Not typically seen out in the open during the day. This one must have got way off course and wound up on our shores, as many wayward birds do this time of year. I think after its long flight, it didn’t matter what time it was - it was time to eat!

Fork-tailed Spoonbird

Migration is starting to heat up at Fort De Soto, and although the warblers have not been pouring in yet, the easterly winds have brought us a beautiful FTSP, and in breeding colors. Typically you have to be in the Bahamas to get a look at one of these, but everything seems to come to Fort D eventually. When Christopher Columbus arrived on the Bahamian Island of Guanahani (San Salvador) in 1492, he encountered "a bird of unparalleled beauty" and many neotropical birders feel that he was talking about this species.

Sharp-tailed Shellsnatcher

On my last trip to Fort DeSoto I had two lifers. The groove-billed ani and this shellsnatcher. The sharp-tailed variety are a west coast bird that sometimes can be found on Florida's gulf coast during migration. You can imagine how amazed I was seeing this one stroll down the beach making its notorious "chip-ip-chi-woo" call.

Antillean Kingfisher

West coast Florida birders were treated to great looks at this Antillean Kingfisher. They are normally found in the Lesser Antilles and a few other islands. What was most striking to me about the bird was its large head relative to his body which serves an important purpose. The added weight allows the kingfisher to get deeper below the surface where larger prey can be found. The weight also helps the hunting as gravity propels the bird to simply fall into the water at great speeds with minimal wing movement to not scare the fish.

Flame-billed Shellsnatcher

Flame-billed Shellsnatcher~ (Phabricatus Ornithoidii) For me, The Flame-billed is the most beatiful member of the Shellsnatcher family of birds. An extraordinary flyer, and a efficient fisherman. They are uncommon visitors to the Gulf Coast of Florida. This one was associating with a small group of Sharp-tailed Shellsnatchers and were very cooperative for photos. Nothing brings a tranquil smile to my face like hearing their iconic "Chip-Ip-Chi-Woooo" call.

Kingfisher Vireo

I am so fortunate to live close to a Cyprus swamp, full of all the magical photography settings and wildlife that inhabits it. But I was particularly lucky to come across this ultra-rare vagrant. The Kingfisher Vireo is particularly adapted to operate in these dark environments. It hunts both in the day and night with its large eyes. A Vireo that catches fish is unusual enough on its own, but this guy is capable of catching fish more then 1.5x times its size!

Boreal Humming Hawk

Another wintery day here in Nova Scotia, so back into the archives. Not long ago I had an opportunity to head to McNab's Island in Halifax harbour to see the elusive and beautiful boreal humming hawk with the local bird society. Their colors really stand out against our northern backdrop. A rare treat, and certainly a lifer. Their name comes from their hummingbird like head, but they are in fact a bird of prey. Their beak is used to dispatch its prey in a 'lance-like' fashion, its tongue is able to make sure no unused bit of food goes untouched.