Sing it, Little Guy!

Ounce for ounce, I don't think there is a louder bird than a Carolina Wren.  Coming in at 4.7-5.5 inches (12-14 cm) they are very tiny.  However, when they start singing to mark their territory - wow!   I heard this little guy a good 5 minutes before I finally spotted him.  And I only got a quick glimpse of the second wren, who was answering him.  I'm guessing it was a courtship display, but could also have been two males having a territory dispute.  Whatever the case, I liked this shot of the little guy in full voice.  It's technically a poor shot - grainy owing to high ISO and heavy crop.  But you know that it isn't always about the best photo...

I took a quick walk at Lake Seminole this afternoon - it's only about a mile from me so very convenient.  On one of the smaller ponds, I saw two osprey on a nesting platform, easily visible from the trail - looked like they were putting the finishing touches on it.  And on a nearby pine tree, I counted at least 4 Great Blue Herons.  And based on the beaks full of twigs being carried to the tree, it looks like it will be a mini-rookery.  Should be fun to watch over the next month.  

I've posted some pics of herons, egrets, ducks and osprey as well as a fiddler crab on Flickr, starting here - ten pics in all, so only visit if you're feeling brave!  The first shot, however, will probably make you laugh.  Something about hooded merganser hens that just always makes me giggle.

My plan is to get up early tomorrow and head down to Ft. DeSoto.  No telling what I'll see, but I'm kind of hoping for some egrets in breeding plumage.  Then home to pack for our early morning departure on Thursday.  Really looking forward to seeing the family in Alabama later this week!

Happy Tuesday, people.

Debbi