Ed's Indigo Buntings, etc./Highlands Plateau Audubon Society

Cindy and I found some interesting subjects to photograph on a day trip to the Cape Coral area yesterday. The scrub jays were particularly easy to get close to and photograph. We really enjoy observing them. There is tree surrounded by brush in a relatively remote location where three of them seem to be every day. Few people are aware of the site which is a good thing. During a prior visit, one landed on the end of my lens as I was behind the camera taking a photo of another one.

We took more shots of adult burrowing owls hoping we could find some owlets. I think many will hatch out during the next few weeks and we will have some good opportunities. Fortunately, we have a good friend there who is very involved with an organization that protects and maintains the many nesting sites. When they start hatching, he will let us now. There are now about 1,000 nesting pair in the Cape Coral area. Cindy and I have been fascinated by what we have observed and learned about the behavior of these owls.

Finally, we saw something that we thought we would never see in the wild. Our friend there told us of a location where caracaras are nesting. After a wait alongside a fence, separating a road from a pasture, we observed two of them fly in. They landed with the leg and claw of another bird to feed on, at a distance of about 100 yards away, and we were able to get some shots. Due to the distance and the overcast conditions, the shots are not real good, but I wanted you to see them anyway.

While waiting out the caracaras, a doe and fawn came by and stopped just long enough for the young one to feed off mom. We also saw several sandhill cranes with a colt, wild turkey, and a kestrel at the site. For a moment I thought I was back in the Masai Mara, seeing so many animals in one spot.

Florida has been experiencing unprecedented phenomena recently. Hundreds of razorbills have been seen during the past three weeks. During the Miami CBC, three teams counted over 600. By one account, there have been only 14 documented sightings of razorbill in Florida in the past. On Tuesday, Cindy and I were fortunate in locating ten of them and observe some of their behaviors on Anna Maria Island. I have attached a couple photos we took. Cindy also got some pretty good video.

Some have speculated that the Hurricane Sandy drove them much further south than normal. The more likely cause is the depletion of their food supply in northern waters. Unfortunately, a few have washed up on shore either dead or in bad shape. We were at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary yesterday and were told us that three of the birds were brought there in the past few days. They were not able to save them because they were in such poor condition. Those that we have observed appeared to be in good shape.

We are hoping to be fortunate enough to locate more of them and document some interesting behavior. There is some concern about the food supply heading for deeper water as our waters cool for the winter. We are hoping for the best.