Last Saturday, they opened Circle B Bar Ranch Reserve here in Polk County up for a 1/2 day for birders, etc. to visit. The reserve has been closed for most of the winter for renovations and won’t officially open back up until November this year. So it was a delight to get to visit the wetlands part of it. They have over 1,200 acres and is a tremendous place to bird.
We arrived at 7:30 am on a clear, calm, 75 degree morning. First thing I heard and then saw were Eastern Meadowlarks. Then the normal Redwing Blackbirds, Boat-tailed Grackles, Common Moorhens, and Cattle Egret made theirselves known. When a few Glossy Ibises flew over, I stopped to watch. Don’t see them too often. Anhingas were all around with their wings streached out or diving for food. Lots of cries were heard from upset Black-neck Stilt parents when the visitors were getting too close to their eggs (which were right along the pathway).
As I continued walking along the path by the water, I saw Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Double-crested Cormorants, Tricolored Herons, Great Blue Herons, White Ibises, Coots, Opreys, Sandhill Cranes, and heard a Bob White. Then off in a distance with a group of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets were several Rosetta Spoonbills (a favorite of mine).
Down another path, a man had set up a scope that was aimed at a tree. Looking through it, I saw baby Great Blue Herons and other babies unknown to me. That was the highlight of the trip for me. Retracing my steps making about a 1 1/2 mile trip altogether, I spotted Wood Ducks, a Bald Eagle, Cardinal and some Mourniing Doves.
Before going, I had asked the Lord to help me see lots of his critters and I sure wasn’t disappointed. He helped me spot the 26 different birds in about a two hour span. Watching their behavior, I now have some more articles running around in my brain for some more “Eye of the Beholder” blogs.