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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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Featured Posts General Birding

How Nature Reuses Its Resources

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Bird Species Featured Posts

Species Spotlight: Swallow-tailed Kites

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  • How to Photograph Birds in Flight
    Bird Photography

    How to Photograph Birds in Flight

    One of the hardest things to photograph in nature is a bird in flight. It’s a technique that takes both study and practice. If you’d like to improve your bird in…

    February 7, 2022
  • judging the size of a bird
    General Birding

    Why the Size of a Bird is Such a Difficult Field Indicator

    One useful way to identify a bird is by size. Everyone knows an eagle is bigger than a sparrow, a mallard duck bigger than a cardinal. In fact, it’s a great…

    January 12, 2022
  • Where to find birds
    Featured Posts General Birding

    Where to Find Birds

    Birds are everywhere, right? That’s totally true, except when you’re armed with your field guide, a pair of binoculars, a packed lunch, and a camera. Then they’re nowhere to be found.…

    January 6, 2022
  • Eastern bluebird, Flagler County, Florida
    Featured Posts General Birding

    Not All Blue Birds are Bluebirds

    For beginning birders, the easiest way to identify a bird is by color. Northern Cardinals are red, American Goldfinches are yellow, Eastern Bluebirds are blue. (After all, that’s why they’re called…

    January 6, 2022
  • Featured Posts General Birding

    How Nature Reuses Its Resources

    I find it fascinating how resources are reused by nature in many ways. One example of how nature reuses things is a basic hole in a pine tree. I have really…

    August 2, 2020
  • Florida Scrub-Jays
    Bird Species

    Species Spotlight: Florida Scrub-Jays

    Many of us here in eastern North America know and love (or hate) the beautiful Blue Jay. But there are many other jays present in the US as well, and one…

    May 27, 2020
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thehelpfulbirder

Happy Superb Owl Sunday!!! For those of you not i Happy Superb Owl Sunday!!!

For those of you not in the US and/or who don’t follow American football, today is Super Bowl Sunday. We birders like to shift the letters around 😂

All of these are Great Horned Owls, taken in various locations in Florida, US. The white one was a leucistic one, something I’d never seen before and haven’t seen since.

#superbowl #owls #greathornedowl
I'm trying to learn how to edit videos! I've taken I'm trying to learn how to edit videos! I've taken a bit of bird footage over the years, and honestly most of it isn't great. This is a clip I do like, though, despite it being handheld. I learned today that I could use software to stabilize it and reduce the visible shake. It's short but hopefully it posts ok and I hope you like it!

Great Horned Owl, taken January 2025
First image processed with my new laptop...a Mac. First image processed with my new laptop...a Mac. Boy, changing over to Mac has not been easy! Lightroom and Topaz are pretty straightforward but it has made work nutso for a couple of weeks. Hopefully this will look good and doesn't have the color skewed or anything... :)

Taken at Sebastian Inlet SP, the Indian River side, Florida back in November of last year.
Do you like my butt? DO YOU LIKE IT??? Atala butt Do you like my butt? DO YOU LIKE IT???

Atala butterflies now make their home in Brevard County, Florida, as their range has been expanding north. A type of hairstreak, they are easily identifiable by their bright red abdomens, complemented by a matching spot on each hind wing. 

Taken way back in 2019. (I'm culling and keywording, something I wish I had not neglected when just starting out!)
I thought this year I was going to have to miss th I thought this year I was going to have to miss the annual Christmas Bird Count for the first time since 2019. The one at Merritt Island conflicted with my work schedule last month, but it turned out the South Brevard County one didn't! I signed on at the last minute to go with leader Dee @deeat8am and friends Sierra @grackle_gang and Jessica @art_by_jessie_23. Thanks to Jessica for the pictures! 

We have no idea why this weird statue is in this oak tree.

PS - I'm the one in the middle sticking my head around Jessica's shoulder.
A sweet little Common Yellowthroat at the Orlando A sweet little Common Yellowthroat at the Orlando Wetlands. I enjoyed a trip there in November with @enchanting_florida_photography and @wendybeyda
It’s been a minute since I’ve posted. I’ve had a h It’s been a minute since I’ve posted. I’ve had a hard time this year maintaining my original love for birding. I think some of my challenges are self-made so my 2026 goal is to improve upon those and just try again to see if I can find that passion again. It will absolutely look a lot different than before but I’m excited for new possibilities. 

West Indian Whistling Duck, Grand Cayman, March 2025
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
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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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