Feeder portraints

I wanted to get some good close-ups of the birds that are my regular guests at my feeder, so I hung sheets across the room overlooking the windows, and voila, some good portraits of "the usual suspects".   ( I did have a hawk, probably a Broad-wing, land on the rail, 4 feet from the feeder. yesterday afternoon;  A great, if brief, sight.)

Here is the back room, overlooking the feeders.

And here it is, thanks to a few of Susan's sheets, loaned reluctantly.  I just hope the portraits
will mollify her.

All of these (except for the Blue Jay) photos were taken between 7:30-8:00 AM this morning, and between
4:00-4:30 this afternoon (3/22/2015)
Black-capped Chicadee

Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Magnificent!

Downy Woodpecker

American Tree Sparrow

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

R-b W

Tufted Titmouse

Black-capped Chickadee
It's impressive the way every feather is extended one inch from his perch.

Northern Cardinal (female)

The male, extravagantly

Red-winged Blackbird
(Right on time, due to arrive in March)

Black-capped Chickadee

Blue Jay
This was taken in the back yard, but a while back.
Now, if I can just get a good shot of the White-breasted Nuthatch!

A bit more of Florida

Here are a few more shots from Florida.  Our trip had three stages, St. Petersburg, Nokomis, and Sun City, and with the exception of two days of heavy rain at the start, we had exceptional weather. 
The video of the "Drum Circle" at Nokomis Beach did not upload, I will try to youtube it.
The photos:

Susan
Paynes Creek Historical State Park
Wachula

Brown Pelican
The Jetty
Nokomis

White Ibis
Absolutely everywhere

Snowy Egret
Saw Grass Lake Park
St. Petersberg

Jungle Park
Sarasota

The Jetty
Nokomis

Pinelands Park
Nokomis

Meadowlark
Pinelands
Nokomis

Little Blue Heron
Corkscrew Swamp
near Immokalee

Tricolored Heron
Corkscrew Swamp
If I were to list the three best locations I have birded, they would be,
in order,
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, near Wakulla
Corkscrew Swamp, near Immokalee
Pinelands Park, near Nokomis

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Sarasota

Spotted Sandpiper
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Palm Warbler
Pinelands Park
Nokomis

Anhinga
The Jetty
Nokomis

Turkey Vulture
Pinelands Park
Nokomis

Viceroy (Florida variant)
Corkscrew Swamp

Osprey
Lost River Preserve
Gulf City

Roseate Spoonbill
Lost River Preserve
Gulf City

Great Blue Heron
Lost River Preserve
Gulf City

Birding in Florida

My wife and I spent two weeks in Florida, leaving frozen New England, and it seemed that every time I went out to go birding, I saw something spectacular.  I added two birds to my life list (Florida Scrub Jay, Painted Bunting) and photographed not only those two, but several I had only seen once before in my life (Pink Spoonbill, Limpkin, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron).  I also got good photos (finally) of a Bald Eagle, a Pileated Woodpecker, and a Meadowlark.  Just a great and rewarding trip for me.
I took hundreds of photos, and was going to publish them by day, as in Peru, but decided to be really selective, and so here are the ones that made the cut:

Osprey
Fort Desoto, near St. Pete Beach

Oystercatcher
Fort De Soto

Great Blue Heron
Fort De Soto

Florida River Snake
Saw Grass Lake Park
St. Petersburg

young Alligator
Saw Grass Lake Park

Flamingo
Jungle Park
Sarasota

Florida Scrub Jay
Oscar Scherer State Park
This is the only bird that resides only in Florida,  It has lost 90% of its population
due to habitat loss, and I expect it will be extinct in the next decade.
O. S. St Park used to have over 100, and now they have 18.
Life list bird for me

Royal Tern
The Jetty, Nokomis

Caspian, perhaps?

American Kestrel
I believe these are in decline, but I did see them every day in Fla.

Mating Red-shouldered Hawks
Corkscrew Swamp

"And, was it good for you?"

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Corkscrew Swamp
Only my second sighting.

Limpkin
Seen at Saw Grass Lake Park,
and here at Corkscrew Swamp

One of two Barred Owls photographed
Corkscrew Swamp

My life list Painted Bunting
Corkscrew Swamp
Not the photo I would have wanted but I was delighted to see him, finally.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Sarasota

Meadowlark
Pinelands Preserve
Nokomis
This is a huge preserve of land surrounding the local landfill, and it
is one of the great birding places in Fla.
What a gorgeous bird!

Green Heron
Pinelands

Wood Stork
Pinelands

Bald Eagle
Pinelands
 

Pileated Woodpecker
Oscar Scherer State Park
I have wanted a great shot of this bird, and have not succeeded for 20 years, and
finally, one flew over and sat 40 yards from me.  What a thrill.

I believe this one is a female

Anhinga
Pinelands

This young Great Horned Owl (I believe) was in the tree
10 yards from the deck of the house we were in in Nokomis.
I truly believe he showed up the morning we were leaving
to say goodbye.

Totally unexpected photo of a Pink Spoonbill.
Only my second sighting, a trio flew in to the pool at
Lost River Preserve on the Gulf City road south of Ruskin.
This is a new preserve.