Birdwatching is an activity that always brings me peace. My mother, who pursued the hobby enthusiastically, inspired my interest. I love both identifying birds and observing their behavior. From a comparative psychology class, I learned that humans and birds share a wide range of behaviors extending back to a common ancestor, perhaps 320 millions years ago. Bird intelligence constantly surprises me, and to think it existed long before we humans came along. Here are some birds I observed on a trip to central Florida this past July:
Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) – 18 July 2021
Lake Rianhard. Sibley notes that limpkins are uncommon and in the USA are found only on the Florida peninsula. This bird was more interested in lunch than me, and I was able to get many shots. Nonetheless, I kept a respectful distance.
Common Gallinule (Gallinula Galeata) – 19 July 2021
Lake Toho. Although these plants are floating, gallinules can walk on them. The red face shield is distinctive. I did see one of these birds, a rare visitor to northern Utah, earlier this year on the Great Salt Lake.
Great Egret (Ardea alba) – 19 July 2021
Lake Toho. I was delighted to see this bird. Great egrets are year-round residents of Florida. This hunting posture is distinctive to great egrets.
Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) – 19 July 2021
Lake Toho. This bird took me by surprise. At first I thought it was northern harrier, a bird not likely to be in Florida during the summer. Fewer than 400 breeding pairs of snail kites live in Florida.
Apple Snail Shells – 19 July 2021
Lake Toho. These two shells were underwater. I just happened to notice them by chance. They are the preferred diet of both snail kites and limpkins. Apple snails are, indeed, the size of an apple.
American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) – 22 July 2021
SeaWorld Theme Park, Orlando. One cannot always tell which legs and necks belong to which birds. The early morning Florida sun lit up this scene beautifully. Utah was once home to a Chilean flamingo by the name of Pink Floyd. He roamed the intermountain west during the summers and hung out on the south end of the Great Salt Lake during the winters. He had escaped from the Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City in 1988 and was last seen on the lake in 2005.
When it comes to birding versus birdwatching. I put myself in the latter category. I do keep a life list in my head, but I just enjoy watching birds. The limpkin, great egret, and snail kite were first time observations for me. As much as I enjoyed the flamingos, I don’t put captive birds on my life list.
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Michael DeCaria
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