Babcock-Webb WMA - January 2013

All photos are © Marshall Faintich


Juvenile Little Blue Heron


Yellow-rumped Warbler

At one of our stops in this WMA, we saw a good sized flock of Pine Warblers. The bold and bright fresh plumage colors of the males were in stark contrast with the dull brown coloring of the first spring females. It was easy to see why this species is sometimes confused with Prarie Warblers, as some of the males had bold, dark facial and breast streaking.


Male Pine Warbler


Male Pine Warbler


Male Pine Warbler


Male Pine Warbler


First spring female Pine Warbler


First spring femal Pine Warbler


First spring femal Pine Warbler


Male Pine Warbler


Male Pine Warbler


Male Pine Warbler

We drove and walked along one of the less traveled roads, and saw lot of alligators, but only a few birds.


Alligator


Alligator

We planned to leave around 4 p.m., and had been to the three major Red-cockaded Woodpecker clusters a couple of times without any luck, but we decided to try a last time. We started at the first one, drove to the second and third clusters, and then back again. Just before we reached the first cluster (and our last one to try), I spotted a Red-cockaded Woodpecker in a tree about 50 feet from the road - success!


Red-cockaded Woodpecker


Red-cockaded Woodpecker


Red-cockaded Woodpecker


Red-cockaded Woodpecker

After taking lots of photos, the woodpecker flew away, and I saw a brightly colored Florida Giant Orange Grasshopper in the nearby grass.


Florida Giant Orange Grasshopper


Florida Giant Orange Grasshopper




Return to Florida 2013 page