Yup, I have just started “Year #9” of this blog, and it has been a fun journey. Starting the year off are some rare birds. I am down in Florida for two weeks, and while on my bicycle ride this afternoon I found a bird which is increasingly rare in Florida, a Limpkin. This wading bird mainly eats only one kind of snail, and with all the development in Florida habitat which supports its needs is increasingly rare. Amazingly enough, even though I had only seen a Limpkin once before in my life (eight years ago), I actually recognized this bird. Given there were two Limpkins, not just one, and the fact that these birds do not migrate, I suspect I now know their territory. Finally, having a Super Zoom Bridge Camera (Canon SX-70) in my bike bag allowed me to document the experience.
Meanwhile up at home on Lake Superior, an extremely rare Ivory Gull has shown up. These gulls belong up in the Arctic, mainly near Greenland. The gull spends part of its day at Canal Park. Six years ago when an Ivory Gull showed up in Duluth, folks actually put out smoked salmon for two weeks as an offering for the bird in the hopes of keeping it in the area. Use these two web cams each morning to see if birders are gathering. Last time people flew in from all around the country to see the bird.
And my Limpkin photographs …
