Feb. 14, 2010 - More Florida Photos

Now there’s a bird with an attitude! Can’t you just imagine this Northern Mockingbird admonishing you and saying, “This is MY holly bush!” Mockingbirds are very common in Florida so most people don’t pay much attention to them. But they are interesting to me because they are not at all common in Minnesota. They get very territorial and aggressively defend their feeding territory. Five states have chosen the Mockingbird as their official state bird (Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas). This photo was taken at Salinas Park.

Northern MockingbirdYauponHollySalinas Park

This cute little bird is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Only males have a ruby crown and it is often hard to see. So, we can’t really tell if this is a male or a female. Kinglets are tiny; only about 4” long. They forage for insects on tree branches and seem to be constantly on the move. They have a habit of flicking their wings a lot when they are feeding. This might serve to startle small insects and make them reveal their location. Kinglets spend the winter in the southern United States and Mexico. In summer they migrate to Canada, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains to raise their young. I took this photo at Bald Point State Park.

Rubycrowned KingletBaldPoint State Park

Before the current cold snap we were seeing Monarch Butterflies on St. George Island.

ButterflyMonarchSt.George Island

I took this photo of the full moon over the Gulf of Mexico from the deck of the house where we are staying. I like how the hazy sky forms a ring around the moon.

Full MoonGulf of MexicoSt. George Island