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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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thehelpfulbirder

Good afternoon, friends! I'm making this quick pos Good afternoon, friends! I'm making this quick post because I've decided to take a break from Instagram, and I just didn't want anyone to worry.

Over the years, IG has become less and less about photography, and more and more about attention-seeking. I don't mean any of you specifically, but the way the algorithm works is something I just don't care for. So while I enjoy all of your photography so much, I really don't enjoy the medium!

I also find that I struggle to find things to post. I haven't been out birding much, and trying to keep up with a self-imposed posting schedule takes me away from the real work I need to do for my business.

I don't yet know if the break will be long or short. Funnily, I looked up what others had done in this situation, and almost every single person I looked at had started posting again since they'd posted about taking a break. Only one appears to not be doing that (the account was private so I could be wrong). So maybe I'll be back, who knows.

To all of you, I'll miss you, but feel free to reach out in the real world if you want. If you decide to unfollow me, no hard feelings.

See you on the flip side...if there is one!
Another beautiful Limpkin, I think among Queen Ann Another beautiful Limpkin, I think among Queen Anne's Lace aka wild carrot. We used to dye these flowers as a kid by cutting them and sticking the stems in a cup of water with food coloring. This Limpkin decided to make them look pretty all on their own!

Common Name: Limpkin
Scientific Name: Aramus guarauna
Location: Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, Florida US

#best_birds_of_ig
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A Great Egret stands sentry over the Orlando Wetla A Great Egret stands sentry over the Orlando Wetlands.

Common Name: Great Egret
Scientific Name: Ardea alba
Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL US
The beautiful Boat-tailed Grackle is ignored and d The beautiful Boat-tailed Grackle is ignored and dismissed by many birders, because it's common and loud to the point of being obnoxious. But look closely, as it's one of the most beautiful birds in the wetlands! The glossy, iridescent feathers, the dark eye (a trait unique to the ones in peninsular Florida), and the long tail make the males so handsome!

Common Name: Boat-tailed Grackle
Scientific Name: Quiscalus major
Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, US

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Skulky McSkulkerson wading through the ... um... w Skulky McSkulkerson wading through the ... um... water lilies? Spatterdock? I dunno, whatever all those swampy plants are. One day I am going to try and learn a bit more about wetlands plant identification, but right now I'm pretty clueless.

I do know this is a Little Blue Heron 💪

Common Name: Little Blue Heron
Scientific Name: Egretta caerulea
Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, US

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I couldn't believe my eyes the other day when this I couldn't believe my eyes the other day when this Black-crowned Night Heron flew right toward me and then over my head! It was so close that I can't even crop this vertically. These birds aren't rare, but due to their habits of being inactive during the day, they aren't seen as often as other herons. They generally feed early in the morning or late afternoon and into the evening.

Common Name: Black-crowned Night Heron
Scientific Name: Nycticorax nycticorax
Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, US

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I was reminiscing the other day about "hot limpkin I was reminiscing the other day about "hot limpkin summer", a term used back in 2022 and 2023 when these cool birds started showing up all over the country, in places they'd never/rarely been seen before. They are related to rails and cranes, and the only non-extinct member of their taxonomic family.

Limpkins are a common sight around central Florida, and we recently saw a number of them at the Orlando Wetlands a couple of weeks ago. This one was pretty tolerant of my approach at first...and then it wasn't! 😆

Common Name: Limpkin
Scientific Name: Aramus guarauna
Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, FL, US

#best_birds_of_ig
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#bestbirdshots
#birdfreaks
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#women_photographyworldwide
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#hotlimpkinsummer
#orlandowetlandspark
#floridabirding
#limpkin
Edit: likely a Great Blue Skimmer. Thanks @enchant Edit: likely a Great Blue Skimmer. Thanks @enchanting_florida_photography and bugguide.net!

I have submitted this to several groups for identification help, but so far, no one has come forth. I believe it is a Needham's Skimmer. Please feel free to chime in if you know!

Common Name: Needham's Skimmer (tentative)
Scientific Name: Libellula needhami
Location: Congaree National Park near Columbia, SC, US

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I had a blast watching this Purple Gallinule splis I had a blast watching this Purple Gallinule splish-splashing in the water for its bath. In the bright sun, its colors really stand out. From their candy corn beaks, to the bold blues on their heads and necks, and the more subtle greens and golds on their backs, these birds are like beautiful little rainbows!

Please swipe to see additional photos of this beautiful bird!

Also check my stories for a different individual and its babies. 😀

Common Name: Purple Gallinule
Scientific Name: Porphyrio martinicus
Location: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, 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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