Last Updated on August 1, 2019 by Kevin B Agar
Following the cruise, we hired a car and drove down to Marathon in the Keys via Coopertown in the Everglades so we could introduce our friends to the pleasures of doing an airboat ride. Saw a few Alligators as we were the 1st boat out in the morning as well as Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Anhinga, and Boat-tailed Grackles
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/5000 s. f/6.3 iso800 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/5000 s. f/6.3 iso800 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Boat-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus major
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/2000 s. f/6.3 iso800 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Western Great Egret, Ardea alba egretta
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/8000 s. f/6.3 iso640 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
After the boat ride we proceeded to our homestay on Marathon Key. From here we took day trips out to the Dolphin Research Centre
Dolphin
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/4000 s. f/8 iso800 105mm
Dolphin
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/2500 s. f/8 iso800 105mm
The Turtle Hospital and Key West. Most mornings we would also go for an early morning walk to see if we could see anything. Had several tries at finding the Burrowing Owls but it would appear they have disappeared since hurricane Irma. Osprey would fly past and fish in the bay that the homestay backed onto, so did manage a few shots of them. We managed to see Osprey, Brown Pelican, American Redstart, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, Sandwich Tern, and Red-winged Blackbird. Here’s a small collection of shots I did get during the week.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/1250 s. f/8 iso800 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
After an aborted dive it went down for a 2nd attempt and came up with 2 fish
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/1000 s. f/7.1 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/1600 s. f/7.1 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/1600 s. f/7.1 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
This was originally posted as a juvenile Little Blue Heron but thanks to Jim Greenfield for questioning the ID
Reddish Egret, juvenile, Egretta rufescens
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/2500 s. f/9 iso800 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/1600 s. f/6.3 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/4000 s. f/7.1 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/5000 s. f/7.1 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Sandwich Tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/2000 s. f/11 iso400 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
Green Heron, Butorides virescens
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1/3200 s. f/7.1 iso800 EF500mm f/4L IS USM
All shots from the trip will be posted in Recent Photographs and then moved to Birds of the United States and Fauna
Are you sure of the ID of the Little Blue Heron, Kevin? Doesn’t really look like one to me. Can’t really judge the size of it but it looks more like an immature Great Blue to me.
Some really nice shots from your USA trip
Jim
Hi Jim
thanks for looking and commenting, it’s greatly appreciated. I’ve looked at the photos again and I still think it’s a Little Blue Heron. It wasn’t that big and spent a lot of time running around chasing fish, which I’ve seen LBH do but I’ve never seen GBH doing. Also all images I’ve seen of GBH juvenile they have a dark crown, even from an early age, and striations down the throat, which my bird doesn’t. The bill is also very dark for a GBH. As you’ve put doubt in my mind I’ll post the image on http://www.birdforum.net and see what the consensus is and post the answer here ☺
Well we were both wrong Jim, the consensus is it’s a juvenile Reddish Egret
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=3718979#post3718979
Thank you for your comments as I’ve learnt something new as well as a new lifer tick.
That one crossed my mind too but have never seen an immature. The adults are spectacular when rushing about and stabbing small fry they disturb. Pleased its now sorted.