The star of the show . . .
at Green Cay Wetlands this week was this Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius, sometimes called a Marsh Hawk). While we used to see them often over the marshes of New Jersey, here in Florida they are more rare. This one has been causing quite a stir. He put on a really nice show for us, soaring above the marsh as he hunted for a meal.
A fun fact from Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website: “The oldest Northern Harrier on record was a female, and at least 15 years, 4 months old when she was captured and released in 2001 by a bird bander in Quebec. She was banded in New Jersey in 1986.” Click on an image to view it full screen.
This house sits diagonally behind us and we can see Santa in his helicopter from our patio. It takes him weeks to set this up and it includes a screen (on the left) where he plays Christmas movies each weekend night. We have actually seen folks in lawn chairs watching the show.
A few more pictures from this week around the ‘hood. Who knew herons did yoga? Actually, he is warming up on a chilly morning. The Grass Squid was about 1” - 1 1/2”. Click on an image to view it full screen.
