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Colorful trip to UCF: Bluebirds and red-headed Pileated Woodpeckers

Roger Simmons, September 4, 2023September 4, 2023

On a recent visit to UCF’s Arboretum just before sunset. I was rewarded with sightings of daddy and baby Eastern Bluebirds, and red-headed male and female Pileated Woodpeckers.

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Vacation photos: Birds, fish in Bahamas

Roger Simmons, September 4, 2023September 4, 2023

Like many folks who go on vacation, I take photos. It’s just my photos are usually of birds and fish. That was the case when my wife and I went on a cruise that stopped at Coco Cay in the Bahamas.

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Before I forget: Photos from weekend birding trips

Roger Simmons, August 20, 2023August 25, 2023

Over the course of the past three days, I visited three of my favorite birding spots: Orlando Wetlands (twice), Black Point Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island and Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. The Belted Kingfishers I photographed on Friday sort of stole all my attention, but I did get to take…

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What’s that bird? Maybe it’s a Yellow Warbler

Roger Simmons, August 20, 2023August 20, 2023

I’ve been birding since January, and just when I feel like I am getting the hang of identifying birds in the wild, one will throw me a curveball. Meet the latest to do that.

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Belted Kingfishers on a Freaky Friday

Roger Simmons, August 18, 2023August 19, 2023

While I think my photographs of Belted Kingfishers at Orlando Wetlands have improved, I still wasn’t satisfied and wanted another chance with these colorful but shy little birds.

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It’s not spring, but it’s still time for baby mockingbirds

Roger Simmons, August 14, 2023August 14, 2023

It’s the middle of August and not when you would expect to see some baby birds. But I spotted one poking its head out from a large cedar shrub.

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Prairie Warbler: ‘Little House on the Prairie’ for this bird is in Florida

Roger Simmons, August 12, 2023August 12, 2023

Whenever I hear “Prairie Warbler,” I think of Little House on the Prairie and the Midwest. But this little yellow and black bird is a year-round Florida resident.

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Barn Swallows at Lake Apopka: Challenging task for me

Roger Simmons, June 28, 2023August 5, 2023

I visited Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive this past Sunday knowing I would see a lot of different birds there but hoping to see one kind in particular: Barn Swallows.

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More to see at UCF than just the Knights? How about these birds

Roger Simmons, June 22, 2023August 5, 2023

UCF is one of my favorite places to spend time in the fall, cheering on the Knights football team with my family and friends. But it’s also become a place I like to go to in the spring and early summer, thanks to the variety of birds that call the UCF Arboretum home.

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Meeting an Eastern Bluebird family at UCF Arboretum

Roger Simmons, June 22, 2023August 5, 2023

I drove almost 2 hours to a preserve in Hillsborough County to see my Eastern Bluebird. Little did I realize there was a family of Eastern Bluebirds about 15 minutes from my house at the UCF Arboretum.