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The Helpful Birder

Featured Posts General Birding

Where to Find Birds

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Featured Posts General Birding

Not All Blue Birds are Bluebirds

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How Nature Reuses Its Resources

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Bird Species Featured Posts

Species Spotlight: Swallow-tailed Kites

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  • Birding Travels

    Birding in Grand Cayman

    Post coming soon……

    April 1, 2025
  • Backyard Bird Feeding Station Ideas
    Backyard Birding

    Backyard Bird Feeding Station Ideas

    Watching birds visit your backyard can be a source of joy and wonder. If you’re a homeowner who loves the company of these feathered friends, creating a welcoming bird feeding station…

    September 28, 2023
  • green birds in Florida
    General Birding

    18 Beautiful Green Birds in Florida (With Photos!)

    Let’s delve into the enchanting world of green birds in Florida! As avid birders know, Florida is a paradise for bird enthusiasts, offering a diverse range of species. Among them, green…

    September 27, 2023
  • Bird Species

    Florida Birds of Prey

    Florida, a state renowned for its stunning landscapes and abundant biodiversity, plays host to a remarkable array of birds of prey. These majestic avian predators, often referred to as raptors, have…

    September 11, 2023
  • Florida Birding Hotspots

    Birding St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge in January

    Every year, my girlfriends and I take a trip to northwest Florida, near Tallahassee, to bird at St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a great way to start out the new…

    November 29, 2022
  • Florida scrub-jay
    Bird Photography

    My Favorite Bird Photography Gear

    It’s funny, I got into birding AFTER I bought my first camera. I didn’t set up to be a bird photographer; I just wanted a DSLR camera to use. I bought…

    October 21, 2022
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Susan Petracco - The Helpful Birder

thehelpfulbirder

Juuuuuust a few birds at Huguenot Memorial Park! T Juuuuuust a few birds at Huguenot Memorial Park! This dune was absolutely dripping with Royal Terns and a few Laughing Gulls!!!

Common Name: Royal Tern
Scientific Name: Thalasseus maximus
Location: Huguenot Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Florida US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
Willet? Won't it? The first picture is a Willet, t Willet? Won't it? The first picture is a Willet, the second is a sleepy "Won't It"! 😆 Hmmm...I hope that joke plays in writing.

Common Name: Willet
Scientific Name: Tringa semipalmata
Location: Huguenot Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Florida US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
I was always told that Amelia Island is wonderful I was always told that Amelia Island is wonderful for birds, that there are just so many of them! Well, now we know why! 😆 Please swipe for additional "antics"!

Common Name: Laughing Gull / Royal Tern
Scientific Name: Leucophaeus atricilla / Thalasseus maximus
Location: Amelia Island, Florida, US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
I think our trip to Amelia a couple of weeks ago w I think our trip to Amelia a couple of weeks ago was only the second time I've ever seen Gull-billed Terns. They are so pretty! Scroll for (many) more flight shots of this beauty.

Common Name: Gull-billed Tern
Scientific Name: Gelochelidon nilotica
Location: Spoonbill Pond, Big Talbot SP, Jacksonville, Florida US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
Class is in session!!! This Red Knot is presiding Class is in session!!! This Red Knot is presiding over a school room full of unruly Sanderlings! 

Common Name: Red Knot / Sanderling
Scientific Name: Calidris canutus / Calidris alba
Location: Huguenot Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Florida US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
I shared this duck before but a slightly different I shared this duck before but a slightly different photo from when it was on a different part of the lake. I have been saving this one for the next time I wanted to share a duck, which turned out to be today! 😉

Common Name: Lesser Scaup
Scientific Name: Aythya affinis
Location: Viera, Florida, US
The Eastern Kingbird is a bit of a nemesis bird fo The Eastern Kingbird is a bit of a nemesis bird for me; often when my husband and I see one, it flies off before I can even grab my camera. This one was much more cooperative and posed at the top of this tree for a long time.

Common Name: Eastern Kingbird 
Scientific Name: Tyrannus tyrannus
Location: Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida, US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
Have you ever thought you had a life bird, then ch Have you ever thought you had a life bird, then checked against your list and realized you'd already seen one? 🤦 Apparently I had the Red Knot on my list from Cley Marshes in England, so this wasn't a lifer. However, it's new to my US list!

Common Name: Red Knot
Scientific Name: Calidris canutus
Location: Huguenot Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Florida, US

#best_birds_of_ig
#best_birds_of_world
#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
#birds_captures
#birds_private
#birdsonearth
#eye_spy_birds
#feather_perfection
#nature_brilliance
#nuts_about_birds
#planetbirds
#your_best_birds
#women_photographyworldwide
#futurewomenphotography
#fbpc_birds
#universal_bird
#shorebirds
#ameliaisland
#redknot
We spent the weekend in Amelia Island and I can't We spent the weekend in Amelia Island and I can't wait to share some of those photos with you, but I am swamped right now, it's crazy! So here's a Prairie Warbler from a couple of weeks ago at Sebastian Inlet, one I had already processed and exported. Hopefully in the next day or two I can learn how to fold space and time... 😇

Common Name: Prairie Warbler
Scientific Name: Setophaga discolor
Location: Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida, US
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Red-cockaded woodpecker foraging for food in the woods at St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge in Wakulla, Florida (not far from Tallahassee)
Red cockaded woodpecker
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Recent Posts

  • Birding in Grand Cayman
  • Backyard Bird Feeding Station Ideas
  • 18 Beautiful Green Birds in Florida (With Photos!)
  • Florida Birds of Prey
  • Birding St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge in January

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