Well it's already a new year on Pine Island. One of my new year's resolution (besides keeping up with my Pine Island Blog) is keeping a log or diary of the many species of birds I see here on Pine Island, and when. In the first three weeks of January 2019 I have seen (and often heard) more than two dozen different species of birds. These birds were all seen either in the upland pine lands and woods of Bokeelia, or in Pine Island Sound in Pineland or in or over Charlotte Harbor.
Cardinal, kingfisher, crows, roseate spoonbill, mourning dove, red headed woodpecker, cat bird, white pelican, mocking bird, blue jay, ospreys, pileated woodpecker, loggerhead shrike, sandpipers, yellow crowned night heron, hawks, vultures, bald eagles, little blue heron, egrets, ibis, wood stork, great blue heron, sparrows, anhinga, brown pelicans, ducks, oyster catcher. I have heard the great horned owls resident in my neighborhood, but not seen them in a while.
One of my favorites are White Pelicans which usually arrive in great flocks around Veteran's Day, early November, and are usually headed north by Saint Patrick's Day. So we get to enjoy these great birds about 4 months of the year. According to my Audubon field guide, these birds get to be 5 feet long with a wing span of up to 8 feet! I believe they are the largest bird you will see on Pine Island. Even the majestic bald eagles and great blue herons, that reside here year round.
Another of my favorites is the loggerhead shrike, with his silvery wings and black masks. They are residents year round.
This photo is attributed to lanius-ludovicianus-texas-USA-8.jpg-Terry Ross.
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