Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail

Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve is located in Milford, Connecticut only minutes from I-95 and dozens of other highly valued birding venues.

The American Wigeon above (image 1) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

The Pied-billed Grebe above (image 2) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

The Mallard above (image 3) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

Images presented in this blog article were capture on a pair of visits made to the trail, one in late October and one in late November. While the preserve constitutes nearly 36 acres, I would make my observations from one primary point overlooking the main pond behind the elementary school.

The Mallard above (image 4) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

The American Wigeon above (image 5) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

The American Wigeon above (image 6) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

Once taking a gander at the waterfowl that seems omnipresent on the water's surface, it pays to be looking skyward for bird activity flying overhead. eBird data indicates 181 species at this serene venue as of this writing.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 7) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

The American Wigeon above (image 8) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

The Red-tailed Hawk above (image 9) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in October 2017.

A future visit will certainly allow for a more thorough exploration of the property. The trail appears to primarily offer views of the main pond, although the four other primary ponds appear to be accessible.

The Hooded Merganser above (image 10) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in November 2017.

The Gadwall with American Wigeon above (image 11) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in November 2017.

Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve should definitely be on your itinerary when traveling through the area.

The Mallard with American Coot above (image 12) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in November 2017.

The American Wigeon above (image 13) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in November 2017.

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The Hooded Merganser above (image 14) was photographed at Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve Trail in November 2017.

CREW Bird Rookery Swamp

Bird Rookery Swamp shares 60,000+ acres of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) with Flint Pen Strand, Corkscrew Marsh, Camp Keais Strand and the National Audubon Society's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

The Little Blue Heron above (image 1) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

CREW is in Lee and Collier Counties situated East of Interstate 75 and predominantly between Corkscrew Road and Immokalee Road. While the watershed has favorable habitat for the Florida Black Bear and Florida Panther, the Bird Rookery Swamp's 12 miles of trails with a relatively short boardwalk is not an ideal venue to walk a dog with hopes of seeing such endangered beasts as alligators are known to be prolific and intimidating at times.

The juvenile Little Blue Heron above (image 2) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

The Pied-billed Grebe above (image 3) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

I have been following in recent years the journal of Dick Brewer who very rarely misses a weekly trip to Bird Rookery Swamp. He also compiles a list of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals as well as reptiles and amphibians he encounters on each of his visits to the swamp. Dick is a volunteer for the CREW Land and Water Trust. So on the cool morning of 22 March, Tom Obrock joined me on my first visit to Bird Rookery Swamp.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 4) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 5) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

While I chose to end my walk at the 1.25 mile marker, Tom continued further on. It was hoped to see a lot of warbler activity on this day, however they were very limited and were heard more than seen. Perhaps due to the cool temperature and relatively short distance walked I did not see any alligators. A low overflight of a Roseate Spoonbill was a nice surprise. Back at the parking area Tom pointed out a Purple Martin which I hadn't seen in years while a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was observed on the North side of Shady Hollow Boulevard.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 6) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

The Blue Dasher Dragonfly above (image 7) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

Bird Rookery Swamp appeared to offer a lot of opportunities beyond birds. In fact there was the largest concentration of dragonflies I have yet seen at any one venue. There were many dozens of Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies observed with the females outnumbering the males by at least 5 to 1. My future visits to this venue will require the use of my bicycle to fully explore the trails of the Swamp. CREW's Cypress Dome Trails allows bicycle use as well.

The Anhinga above (image 8) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

The Anhinga above (image 9) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

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The Swallow-tailed Kite above (image 10) was photographed at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2016.

6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part III

The blog continues with a series of images from my visit to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife Drive on 24 November.

The immature Snowy Egret above (image 1) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

Conditions were favorable along the drive with a low tide an important consideration. The scene was distinctive as always when making wildlife observations particularly with so many Roseate Spoonbills flying in during the morning.

The Double-crested Cormorant above (image 2) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The White Ibis with prey harassed by Laughing Gull above (image 3) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Snowy Egret with prey harassed by Laughing Gull above (image 4) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Snowy Egret with prey harassed by Laughing Gull above (image 5) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Tricolored Heron above (image 6) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Reddish Egret above (image 7) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Reddish Egret above (image 8) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 9) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey with nesting material above (image 10) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Ring-billed Gull above (image 11) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The immature Snowy Egret with Reddish Egret above (image 12) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey with nesting material above (image 13) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Roseate Spoonbill above (image 14) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Roseate Spoonbill above (image 15) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The juvenile Snowy Egret harassed by Ring-billed Gull and Laughing Gull above (image 16) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey above (image 17) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Roseate Spoonbill above (image 18) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Great Egret above (image 19) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey with nesting material above (image 20) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Osprey with nesting material above (image 21) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above (image 22) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above (image 23) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Roseate Spoonbill above (image 24) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Pied-billed Grebe above (image 25) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Reddish Egret above (image 26) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Reddish Egret above (image 27) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

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The Reddish Egret above (image 28) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

The Reddish Egret above (image 29) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

Earlier this week my mother, Marie Theresa Mazur Pelkey, passed away much too soon at the age of 80. It was wholly unexpected as I had seen her with great vitality weeks earlier. I present this series of posts on the beauty of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge as a simple tribute to her.

The Wood Stork above (image 30) was photographed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in November 2015.

Please also see 6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part I
Please also see 6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part II
Please also see 6 Days At Ding Darling's Wildlife Drive: Part IV