This elegant black and white patterned bird, sleek and streamlined, rises from its nesting habitat.  J.R. Williams expertly photographed it in May at the T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area of Brevard County. Black-necked Stilts also frequent freshwater, muddy habitat in our county, such as sod farms and Egret Marsh Stormwater treatment system where they…

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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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