I am back in Minnesota having traded 70F and blue skies for 20F and blah weather. However, I am planning for my initial Northland birding outings including “Super B..owl” Sunday. However, here is my Florida Finale including a trip to the Babcock Webb Wilderness. This wildlife area about 25 miles north of Fort Myers is really cool with two distinctive habitats … pine savannah and a lake/wetlands region. I drove over at the wrong time of day … mid afternoon, but immediately realized it is worth a repeat visit at sunrise on a future trip south.

Wally Gator hanging out in Six Mile Slough

Blue Heron in a Pine Tree

Awwwck … Belted Kingfished coughing up fish remains

Burrowing Owls at Sunrise (video link for email subscribers)

It has been a delightful week down here in Florida, and tomorrow Molly and I head back to northern Minnesota where a minor owl invasion appears to be in progress. The last few days have seen a Boreal Owl spotted and a Great Gray Owl seen hunting right at the 21st Ave. East exit on I35 … not normal habitat for this deep forest bird.

However it is still warm sun and blue skies for one more day. This morning I took my first bicycle birding ride in a looooooong time … perfect vision on board thanks to my Botox treatment. While the birds did not exactly knock me over I thoroughly enjoyed my 18 mile ride. I did see a Common Gallinule for the second time in my life. This bird definitely has a wierd squawk which is what first attracted my attention.

Common Gallinule.

I returned to the Pelican Beach fields early this morning. My primary target were the “Butcher Birds” (aka Loggerhead Shrikes) which I had seen two days ago. The clouds cleared and I was rewarded with quality time with this duo. Why named a Butcher Bird? Although not bigger than a robin, they catch mice, songbirds and insects. Upon capture they often swing their prey till its neck brakes. If hunting is real successful the Loggerhead Shrike will impale extra dead prey on the barbs of barbed wire. Kind of sounds like a real butcher. I am used to seeing this bird’s northern cousin, the Northern Shrike.

Loggerhead Shrikes

Given my location, I obviously spent time watching all the Burrowing Owls. When one hopped up onto a post, I was lucky enough to see the owl fly into a palm tree. Otherwise I never would have seen the owl in the palm.

Burrowing Owl … Standing … On a Post … in a Palm Tree

Finally, lots of Monk Parakeets nest in the ballpark lights.