FEC Train 202 and the Drawbridge over the Loxahatchee River

On 10/28/11, FEC Train 202 crosses the Jupiter Drawbridge with SD70 101 in the lead followed by GP40 413. What's one to do after the bridge is down and lined for the train? Sightsee of course! We have people on the sandbar in the river, paddleboarders, and plenty of wading birds to keep us interested!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• FEC
• Railway
• railroad
• sd70
• gp40
• jupiter
• drawbridge

[anitacaboose]

You got the third one right for the Blue Heron, and we covered the white second one, but the first one is a cormorant, not an anhinga. Note the thick neck and rounded head with short beak. Anhinga is skinny neck with long pointed beak.

[Honestware]

@anitacaboose Thanks, Anita. I updated the annotations.

[anitacaboose]

That was a Common Egret (about 32"), then snowy egret (about 20") around water, then the cattle egret (17"), not around water. All egrets have long straight bills. The white water or yard bird with curved bill is a Ibis. You wil see them in flocks sometimes. A whooping crane(45") is quite rare, not in this area. We have the Sandhill cranes(not white)(37") with red on top of head. I don't know train engines, etc. but I know my birds since I was a lil girl. I luv bids, known as "birdwatcher

[Honestware]

@anitacaboose You're right, but you already knew that. I was thinking Ibis, but writing Egret.....

[anitacaboose]

Well done Jim, even with the rain drops. Like the spot and the elevation. Nice to see some other activity while waiting on the train. Keep it up! Only change is the whopping crane is a common egret.

[Honestware]

@anitacaboose I get a LOT of egrets around my house, and they're nowhere near as big as that, and they have a curved beak. I did some searching to ID that bird. I won't say you're wrong, but I don't think that's an Egret...

[GP49PHS]

I was there hours ago

[anitacaboose]

That was a Common Egret (about 32"), then snowy egret (about 20") around water, then the cattle egret (17"), not around water. All egrets have long straight bills. The white water or yard bird with curved bill is a Ibis. You wil see them in flocks sometimes. A whooping crane(45") is quite rare, not in this area. We have the Sandhill cranes(not white)(37") with red on top of head. I don't know train engines, etc. but I know my birds since I was a lil girl. I luv bids, known as "birdwatcher"