Graceful in the midst of catching a fish, the Great Blue Heron in Donald Schuster’s photograph displays delicate breeding plumes on its head, neck and back.  Mature adult herons of both sexes (though males average longer plumes) have pure white head feathers with contrasting black plumes. Widespread across North America, the Great Blue Heron is…

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Photographer Yvonne Tso “caught” this Brown Thrasher singing lustily from the top of an oak tree, so alive!  Its song has been memorably described as, “plant-a-seed, plant-a-seed, bury-it, bury-it, cover-it-up, cover-it-up, let-it-grow, let-it-grow, pull-it-up, pull-it-up, eat-it, eat-it, yum-yum.” and is performed with the tail characteristically pointing down. Amazingly, every species of bird can be identified…

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This Black-bellied Whistling-Duck regal on its high weathered perch is a wandering, social bird with a high-pitched soft whistle. Not seen in Florida until 1995, it now breeds even here in Indian River County.  Though a neotropical species found mostly in Arizona, Texas, Mexico and all the way to Brazil, it recently has been sighted…

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Although this pelican is in the zoo, this behavior is typically seen around fishing areas…a pelican waiting for a handout amongst a flock…yet most fish cleaning tables have a sign saying, “DO NOT feed the birds.” and offer a proper disposal method for the offal. Why not feed them when they obviously want it?  These…

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