There's a bunch of bird stuff on my Facebook feed this morning that I thought I'd share with my bird enthusiast pals. In extremely local news, Mom got buzzed by the hummingbird the other day and isn't sure how she feels about it.
If you just like pictures of birds, you need to be friends with the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail. Today they were warning us all to be prepared for the hurricane and had a bit of interesting trivia. They say the White Ibis are rumored to be the last bird to leave an area when a storm is coming. They're also the first to return when it's over. I guess it's time to evacuate when the Ibises leave! Or, you know, when the cops knock on your door.
The Tampa Bay Estuary Program had this to report: "Another jewel in Tampa Bay preserved! Congratulations to Audubon Florida on the purchase of Terra Ceia Little Bird Key, a small mangrove-blanketed island in Terra Ceia Bay that annually hosts up to 400 nesting waterbirds, including Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Reddish Egrets, White Ibis, and Roseate Spoonbills. Audubon Florida will be conducting a fund-raising campaign to reimburse the purchase costs plus management expenses for this important bird rookery."
The Audobon Society also owns Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary which is south of me and also home to the famous Ghost Orchid. They've been doing these "Folklore Fridays" where they talk about the folklore associated with different animals. Today was the egret and I thought it was really interesting. Here's what they say: "Folklore Friday: The Great Egret in flight has been the symbol of the National Audubon Society since 1953. Great Egrets were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, prompting early conservation movements and the enactment of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
In mythology egrets are said to be messengers from the gods. They are believed to bring a change in luck, good or bad and are also thought to be signs of wealth and fertility. The Chinese believed keeping an egret would bring good luck. Egrets are associated with peace and harmony by many Native American tribes, and play the role of mediator or wise elder in some legends. In southern tribes like the Cherokee, egret feathers were associated with peace and were worn by diplomats. In Celtic mythology, water birds were important religious symbols because of their ability to live in many elements; water, land and air. The egret was the symbol of the Celtic God Esus. To the Maori of New Zealand, the great egret, called Kotuku, symbolized everything rare and beautiful. “Rare as the Kotuku” is a Maori proverb, because great egrets are extremely rare in New Zealand. To see an egret is a blessing. When a person is referred to as a Kotuku, it is a great compliment given to someone of strong character and integrity. The feathers of Kotuku were highly prized by Maori and were used to adorn the heads of chiefs, both in life and after death. Many folklore stories show egrets as being loyal and devoted parents, who refuse to leave their young in the nest. Egrets convey a message of serenity, reminding us to stand tall and take in the beauty that surrounds us. What better place then Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, where beauty and egrets are not a rarity, but a daily treasure."
In the caption for one of their Egret photos, they had this to add, "During the nesting season, Great Egrets grow long feathers called "Aigrettes". They are not tail feathers. The plumes grow from the upper back of the bird. Due to the fashion trade in the late 1800's, the demand for these plume feathers was so great that they were worth twice the price of gold."
Twice the price of gold! No wonder we almost extincted them! Hope you enjoyed my little news update from Florida! I get all excited when I learn new things and I want to share them with everyone!
How wonderful that you see so many birds in your area, especially 8 Sandhills at once! 
This is an old photo.
