Halloween Pennant Dragonfly.

Sat in Ft Lauderdale airport as I am at the moment I have been reflecting on my my great trip to South Florida, mostly Broward County, Dade and Palm Beach. I have seen around 80 species of birds, not a great amount but most very special. My last morning trip to the park before I left for home was another very interesting bird day.

I spotted the Yellow bellied sapsucker again as well as Common Yellow Troat, Red Winged Blackbird, Least Tern, Coopers Hawk, Ahninga, Mottled Duck, Blue Winged Teal, Common Galinule, Green Heron, Blue Heron, American Crow, Blue Jay, European Starling, Boat Tailed Grackle, Double Crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, Ring Billed Gull and Palm Warbler. The highlight was a banded Kingfisher. I cant say why it chose today to show itself, but it was being harrassed by a Grackle and did a good fighter plane interpritation as it was chased back and forward accross the lake, at times turning the tables and chasing back! I manageed a photo from quite a way away which I was surprised and pleased with. Yesterday was incredible! In the morning first thing, knowing that it was to be my last full day I left the appartment at just after 7 with the sun rising above the adjoining ocean. I went to the Anne Kolb mature centre which adjoines the Intra-Coastal waterway to drink my first coffe of the day and watch the sunrise above the palm trees opposite. As I stood knee deep in water I disturbed a juvenile Barracuda in the shallows. A Red Bellied Woodpecker called above my head and the sand flies were eating away at my eyebrows, the only place that I had not smeared with repellant! Suddenly I heard a blowning amd snorting sound, the kind that Rebecca Addlington does at every length turn, I heard it for at least 10 seconds before I realised firstly where it was coming from and then, what was making it ………….. a Manattee. Just to my right only 10 feet away an absolutely massive anaimal that was probably as interested in me as I was her. I got a few photos but none that are worth posting, it ws such a magical and thrilling encounter. I literally tingled with excitement and I fumbled with the camera to try and get a shot or two. After a while the Manattees, there were 3 I think moved in to deeper water and showed themselves once more befor they dived deeper and were gone. As I walked back to the car my eyes filled with tears of joy…….. yes thats how priviledged I felt. Later in the day we went out west to the Burrowing Owl nests to see if the babies had fledged and got some great shots of a youngster by one of the burrows.