January 29: Ding Darling
Today we made our first visit to J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Ron has been to Ding Darling many, many times but it was Joyce's first visit. We saw an awful lot, especially considering it was cool (by Florida standards) so a lot of birds were hiding in the bushes for warmth. Here are some of the creatures we saw (many with comments thanks to the brochure from the visitor center!):
The Roseate Spoonbill is a large pink wading bird. They feed by swinging their flat bills from side to side, using them to filter out food. When this bird hatches it is nearly white and gets pinker with age. 
The two in the back are brown pelicans. Their white cousins get more attention, but they are nice, too. Joyce doesn't know the name of the guys in the front.
This guy is a Mangrove Tree Crab -- yes, I know it's a very bad picture but it turns out exceedingly difficult to take a picture of a tree crab, especially when you can only see two and you know the hundreds of others are probably heading for the warmth of your ankles! And that is a mangrove tree that the tiny beast is clinging to.
This Great Egret's larger size, yellow bill, and black legs and feet distinguish it from the snowy egret. Like herons and egrets, this bird holds its neck in an S-shaped posture in flight.
The White Ibis will never be confused with another when seen at close range because its orangish red face and curved bill are unique. Immature birds are all brown or brown turning white. The immature plumage is kept for one year. That's a crab the ibis has caught and is about to eat!
The Anhinga is often called the "Snake Bird" (although Joyce did not hear that once all day). It swims underwater and then uses it's sharp beak to stab fish. Afterward they dry out their wings showing the feathers that resemble white piano keys on its sings. The female has a light brown head and neck.
This is a Gulf Fritillary butterfly. We spotted four along a path.
After Joyce recovered from her tragic trip over a root (at which time she fell so completely down that she hit her nose and forehead on the ground!), she was rewarded with the sight of a mama raccoon and her four babies. This is one.
We took a lunch break to a restaurant called the Bubble Room. It was really cute with literally thousands of things, mainly old toys and movie star photos. The food was good (but they charge full price for a Diet Coke refill). After lunch we visited a couple of beaches on the way back to Ding Darling. One that used to be solid shells isn't anymore. Another did have a lot, repeat lot, of shells.
The tide was coming in so there were a few dramatic waves but the tides are less extreme here in the south than they are up north.
Back at Ding Darling, this Snowy Egret paraded back and forth. It is similar in appearance to the Great Egret but is often called the "bird with the golden slippers" because of its yellow feet. Again, Joyce did not hear this reference all day. These birds can be identified by the black bill and legs and yellow feet.
This was an exciting find, according to the birders standing there and also according to Ron. This is an immature Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron. It is a medium-sized, stocky gray herson with a black head and buffy-white crown. It feeds mostly at night. The juvenile bird is grayish brown overall with fine white streaks on its breast and dots on back and wings. This immature plumage is kept for two years.
These white pelicans are seasonal visitors to Ding Darling. This large white bird with up to a ten-foot wingspan, the largest birds to visit Ding Darling. They winter here and summer in central Canada. Using teamwork these birds swim and encircle their prey together while scooping up their meals. The four airborne birds above are landing in unison, demonstrating the vaunted teamwork.
This is a Tri-Color Heron. This bird is bluish gray with the distinguishing mark of white underparts and a rust stripe down its white neck.
The last wildlife was this three- to four-year-old alligator. Supposedly there are many more there but the cool weather kept them away from their usual haunts.
On the way home we paused at the beach in Fort Myers Beach. It was a lovely end to a delightful day!
The Roseate Spoonbill is a large pink wading bird. They feed by swinging their flat bills from side to side, using them to filter out food. When this bird hatches it is nearly white and gets pinker with age. 
The two in the back are brown pelicans. Their white cousins get more attention, but they are nice, too. Joyce doesn't know the name of the guys in the front.
This guy is a Mangrove Tree Crab -- yes, I know it's a very bad picture but it turns out exceedingly difficult to take a picture of a tree crab, especially when you can only see two and you know the hundreds of others are probably heading for the warmth of your ankles! And that is a mangrove tree that the tiny beast is clinging to.
This Great Egret's larger size, yellow bill, and black legs and feet distinguish it from the snowy egret. Like herons and egrets, this bird holds its neck in an S-shaped posture in flight.
The White Ibis will never be confused with another when seen at close range because its orangish red face and curved bill are unique. Immature birds are all brown or brown turning white. The immature plumage is kept for one year. That's a crab the ibis has caught and is about to eat!
The Anhinga is often called the "Snake Bird" (although Joyce did not hear that once all day). It swims underwater and then uses it's sharp beak to stab fish. Afterward they dry out their wings showing the feathers that resemble white piano keys on its sings. The female has a light brown head and neck.
This is a Gulf Fritillary butterfly. We spotted four along a path.
After Joyce recovered from her tragic trip over a root (at which time she fell so completely down that she hit her nose and forehead on the ground!), she was rewarded with the sight of a mama raccoon and her four babies. This is one.
We took a lunch break to a restaurant called the Bubble Room. It was really cute with literally thousands of things, mainly old toys and movie star photos. The food was good (but they charge full price for a Diet Coke refill). After lunch we visited a couple of beaches on the way back to Ding Darling. One that used to be solid shells isn't anymore. Another did have a lot, repeat lot, of shells.
The tide was coming in so there were a few dramatic waves but the tides are less extreme here in the south than they are up north.
Back at Ding Darling, this Snowy Egret paraded back and forth. It is similar in appearance to the Great Egret but is often called the "bird with the golden slippers" because of its yellow feet. Again, Joyce did not hear this reference all day. These birds can be identified by the black bill and legs and yellow feet.
This was an exciting find, according to the birders standing there and also according to Ron. This is an immature Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron. It is a medium-sized, stocky gray herson with a black head and buffy-white crown. It feeds mostly at night. The juvenile bird is grayish brown overall with fine white streaks on its breast and dots on back and wings. This immature plumage is kept for two years.
These white pelicans are seasonal visitors to Ding Darling. This large white bird with up to a ten-foot wingspan, the largest birds to visit Ding Darling. They winter here and summer in central Canada. Using teamwork these birds swim and encircle their prey together while scooping up their meals. The four airborne birds above are landing in unison, demonstrating the vaunted teamwork.
This is a Tri-Color Heron. This bird is bluish gray with the distinguishing mark of white underparts and a rust stripe down its white neck.
The last wildlife was this three- to four-year-old alligator. Supposedly there are many more there but the cool weather kept them away from their usual haunts.
On the way home we paused at the beach in Fort Myers Beach. It was a lovely end to a delightful day!
3 comments:
Great photos! Saw many of the same species in the Rio Grande Valley over the years. Keep on having fun.
Joyce & Ron - enjoying your blog...but you left out the answer to the biggest mystery: Why is J.N. Jay Norwood) Darling's nickname "Ding" and what does it mean?
Heide
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