Skip to content
Roger Simmons Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

  • Home
  • All Posts
    • Orlando Wetlands
    • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
    • Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
    • Joe Overstreet Road
    • UCF Arboretum
    • Fort DeSoto Park
  • My Bird Catalog
    • All Birds Catalog
    • American Flamingos
    • Bald Eagles
    • Barred Owls
    • Belted Kingfishers
    • Black-and-White Warblers
    • Eastern Bluebirds
    • Florida Scrub-Jays
    • Green Herons
    • Little Blue Herons
    • Northern Parulas
    • Ospreys
    • Reddish Egrets
    • Red-Shouldered Hawks
    • Roseate Spoonbills
    • Sandhill Cranes
    • Whooping Crane
  • Orlando TV News/History
    • Orlando TV Schedules
    • Florida TV History
  • About this Site
Roger Simmons
Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

My red, white and blue birds on Memorial Day

Roger Simmons, May 29, 2023June 13, 2023

I spent Memorial Day morning exploring Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County, and I was able to photograph a very patriotic trio of new-to-me birds.

There was…

  • The RED-headed woodpecker
  • The WHITE-eyed Viero
  • And the Eastern BLUEbird.

I didn’t plan it that way, but that’s what happened. And, to be fair, my new birds weren’t discovered in the red-white-blue order.

I decided to check out this wildlife area hoping to see a Bluebird. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, a bright male Bluebird was waiting there to greet me. What a great start! Later I was able to photograph a female Bluebird, too.

A male Eastern Bluebird checks out the scene from a fence post at Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.
A female Eastern Bluebird snacks on a grasshopper at Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.

As I started exploring the area’s pine scrub and forest paths, I came across several Red-bellied Woodpeckers — but it was a different woodpecker that caught my eye.

It was a Red-headed Woodpecker, which is a pretty rare bird. It flew off quickly from a dead pine tree to a perch up high in another dead tree. I wish I had better lighting for my photos, but it was still great bird to see in person.

A Red-headed Woodpecker perches up high in a dead tree at Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.
A Red-headed Woodpecker looks down from a tree at Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.

Finally, as I was walking around I kept hearing a somewhat familiar birdsong, and my Merlin app told me it was the White-eyed Vireo.

This shy, little bird hops around a lot in brush and trees, so it too me awhile to locate it and then photograph it.

I certainly understand how it got it’s name — its bright white eyes were mesmerizing.

A White-eyed Vireo, a great little song bird, perches in the branches of a small tree at Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.
A tiny White-eyed Vireo tries to hide out in the branches of a small tree at Fish Hawk Creek Preserve South in Hillsborough County on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.

But that’s how I ended up with a red, white and blue birding day on Memorial Day.

Share on Social Media
x facebook reddit email
Across Florida All Birds Eastern BluebirdFish Hawk Creek SouthRed-headed WoodpeckerWhite-eyed Vireo

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

All

Christmas visit to Merritt Island

January 9, 2025January 9, 2025

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful gift to birders and nature-lovers, so why not spend part of Christmas Day there?

Read More
All

Growing up quickly at Orlando Wetlands

July 20, 2024July 22, 2024

One of the cool benefits of visiting the Orlando Wetlands regularly is witnessing how the little baby birds grow into big birds. Here are two examples.

Read More
All

Finally met Barred Owl babies at the wetlands

April 23, 2024April 22, 2024

I’d met their parents before, but I finally got to see the two Barred Owl owlets at the Orlando Wetlands

Read More

Latest Posts

  • Spending a magical morning at Orlando Wetlands
  • Finding some very colorful characters at Lake Apopka
  • Story of Merritt Island flamingos still being written
  • You never know what you’ll see at Orlando Wetlands
  • Reddish Egret puts on a sunset show

Top Locations

Orlando Wetlands

Posts about visits to Orlando Wetlands


UCF Arboretum

Posts about visits to UCF Arboretum


Merritt Island

Posts about visits to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge


Lake Apopka

Posts about visits to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive


Fort DeSoto

Posts about visits to Fort DeSoto Park


Galleries

Roger's Favorites

An ever-changing collection of my favorite pictures


American Flamingos

Photos of American Flamingos in Indian River


Belted Kingfishers

Photos of Belted Kingfishers across Central Florida.


Oystercatchers

Pictures of American Oystercatchers at Fort DeSoto Park


Spoonbills

Pictures of Roseate Spoonbills in Central Florida


Whooping Crane

Pictures of one of the last Whooping Cranes in Florida


MORE GALLERIES


Topics

American Flamingo American Kestrel Anhinga Bald Eagles Barn Swallow Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Black-and-White Warbler Black-Crowned Night-Heron Caspian Tern Common Gallinule Common Yellowthroat Digital TV Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Limpkin Little Blue Heron Loggerhead SHrike Northern Cardinal Northern Parula Orlando Wetlands Park Osprey Palm Warbler Prairie Warbler Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-shouldered Hawk Red-Winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Roseate Spoonbills Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron Tufted Titmouse WESH-2 WFTV-9 White Ibis WKCF-18 WKMG-6 WMFE-24 WOFL-35 Wood Stork WRDQ-27

©2025 Roger Simmons | All Rights Reserved