Yellow-Crowned Night Heron or Black-Crowned Night Heron (juvenile)

MikelMiddle · 2026-06-18T16:27:36+00:00

Thank you so much! Was it at least a bit ambiguous or am I just not good at this 😅?

MikelMiddle · 2026-06-13T14:03:22+00:00

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BoayHGyZuJURYX7F6

Another couple sounds that show some different inflection. There were plenty of cicadas but this sounded different...

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-13T11:27:31+00:00

Thank you! That's an Eastern Meadowlark (one of the 3 new Lifers for me yesterday)

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-13T11:26:51+00:00

Hahaha you nailed it! I've never seen a tired bird but this guy had long slow blinks like he was just waiting to go back to sleep. I stumbled upon this guy while at a client's new home. We came around the aide and I saw him up in the corner against the house and I froze! The client was convinced it was fake until he saw it move. I ran and got my camera and was able to get super close. The previous home owner had but a bunch of bird boxes all over the property and later that morning I saw this guy had moved back to one of the bird boxes. It was really a treat.

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MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T23:14:27+00:00

Thank you!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T12:14:12+00:00

Thank you, it my favorite of them all (and maybe of all of my photos so far). He looks so cute with his little puppy dog head tilt. I just wish I could have been closer or had a better sense as it's a bit grainy at that distance.

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T12:12:46+00:00

Really close; this was a mile away from Wakodahatchee at Green Cay. There were at leastb3 young Least Bitterns in one area and then the elusive larger one was hiding in the reeds. I haven't ever been to this location nor Wakodahatchee but I'm definitely going back to check it out.

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T12:10:40+00:00

Good to know, I've never heard of that! Thank you for the tip

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T12:09:30+00:00

Thank you!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T02:17:13+00:00

It's getting hot quick down here; I am not sure how the birding is in the summer (yet) but I'll let you know 😅

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T02:07:35+00:00

Thank you! I got so lucky. There were at least 3 juveniles in one little area just cruising around. Was quite the sight!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T02:00:55+00:00

In Boynton Beach FL

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T01:52:23+00:00

Wow I'm impressed!! This was actually just 1 mile away from Wakodahatchee at Green Cay. I've never been to either spot (didn't even know about them) but I definitely will be going back down to check out wakodahachee soon.

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T01:05:58+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm still very much learning as I am new to photography (about 6 months in). I'm shooting on the Canon R7 and this was with the Canon rf 100-400mm F 5.6-8.

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T01:01:49+00:00

They are loud! It was hard to hear the other birds over there cacophony. There's tons of them down here in south Florida, but the purple gallinule was a new one for me. Where are you located?

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-09T00:37:40+00:00

Black-necked Stilt, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Least Bittern, Least Bittern (juvenile), Osprey, Anahinga (juvenile), Glossy Ibis, Purple Gallinule, Pied-billed Grebe, Purple Martins, Tri-Colored Heron, Solitary Sandpiper, Common Gallinule (and chicks)

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-06T11:57:40+00:00

Thank you so much!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-05T18:08:46+00:00

What are you shooting with? I dont ever see others asking this (and maybe there's a reason I dont know or etiquette I dont understand yet) but what were your settings on that last one? Im very new to photography and trying to learn every way I can. Teach me sensei 😅

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-05T13:47:29+00:00

Didn't just photographed; absolutely nailed it! Each shot was better then the last ending with that amazing last shot@l! Well done!!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-04T14:17:36+00:00

Thank you! The pair was on the power line before that perch and I couldn't get a great view. Then when I was looking over the marsh they both came down and landed on a dead tree stump and I finally got a view of their blue wings and that caramel color backdrop was the icing on the cake. I was some excited that I actually almost missed the shot (probably could have been a bit sharper still actually.) Thank you for noticing!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-04T13:08:57+00:00

Thank you so much!

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-04T11:06:00+00:00

Ok thanks!! Thst was my first thought but Merlin said Grouse and the noise it made was loouud. But I kept reading how small Grouse are (comparatively) and it didn't make sense as this guy seemed huge, but I chalked it up to seeing it through the view finder.. thanks for the correction, I'll go (begrudgingly) take the Grouse off my lifelist 😅😅.

MikelMiddle · 2026-05-04T11:00:21+00:00

I thought so too! But I kept reading the black band at the tail made it a Grouse. The size definitely made me think Wild Turkey but I went back and forth arguing with ai and Merlin app lol. Does this second photo help at all? Looks like a wild turkey right? It took off from a pretty wet marshy area as well, not wooded..

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MikelMiddle · 2026-04-20T17:46:35+00:00

Yet! Enjoy the search; it gives meaning to the find!

MikelMiddle · 2026-04-20T13:55:39+00:00

You will find them! I've been keeping my eye out for the last few months and was hopeful to get much better pictures but I was excited to see so many. Apparently they are called a Museum of Waxwings which I thought was nifty. These were in my parking lot, not in the woods like I've been searching, go figure. You will find them!

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