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.

• Canal Park WebCam #1
• Canal Park WebCam #2

And my Limpkin photographs …

I am back in Minnesota having traded 70F and blue skies for 20F and blah weather. However, I am planning for my initial Northland birding outings including “Super B..owl” Sunday. However, here is my Florida Finale including a trip to the Babcock Webb Wilderness. This wildlife area about 25 miles north of Fort Myers is really cool with two distinctive habitats … pine savannah and a lake/wetlands region. I drove over at the wrong time of day … mid afternoon, but immediately realized it is worth a repeat visit at sunrise on a future trip south.

Wally Gator hanging out in Six Mile Slough

Blue Heron in a Pine Tree

Awwwck … Belted Kingfished coughing up fish remains

Burrowing Owls at Sunrise (video link for email subscribers)

It has been a delightful week down here in Florida, and tomorrow Molly and I head back to northern Minnesota where a minor owl invasion appears to be in progress. The last few days have seen a Boreal Owl spotted and a Great Gray Owl seen hunting right at the 21st Ave. East exit on I35 … not normal habitat for this deep forest bird.

However it is still warm sun and blue skies for one more day. This morning I took my first bicycle birding ride in a looooooong time … perfect vision on board thanks to my Botox treatment. While the birds did not exactly knock me over I thoroughly enjoyed my 18 mile ride. I did see a Common Gallinule for the second time in my life. This bird definitely has a wierd squawk which is what first attracted my attention.

Common Gallinule.