Flying Birds and Ducks

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Here are a collection of photographs I have recently taken of  herons, ducks, geese, Anhinga and ibises.  I hope you will enjoy seeing these pictures.  It is tremendous fun to get out to the lakes, marshes and ponds to see these birds here in Lake, Sumter, and Marion Counties, here in Florida.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see a slightly larger version of that picture.  Enjoy!

Florida Mottled Ducks

Little Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

 

Canada Geese

Anhinga

American White Ibises

American White Ibises

American White Ibises seem to be around in this area in many spots.  Most are gathered on the shorelines of the little park lakes but some also are roaming the neighborhood grazing on lawns.  The American White Ibises eat insects and worms mainly but also enjoy seeds and sometimes plants.

American Ibises are found in marshes and along bodies of water in addition to parks and sometimes, neighborhood lawns, here in Florida.  Occasionally American White Ibises can be spotted in other warm weather semi-tropical states, usually along the Gulf of Mexico, and Georgia or South Carolina near or on the Atlantic coast (I have also heard of some Ibises being seen in Southern California once in a while).

The Ibises are big flock social birds and like being with geese, ducks, herons, egrets, and the Wood Storks.  Ibises seem to be quite placid and content and people can easily observe the birds from a distance without spooking them – at least here in suburbia that is true.  I took most of these pictures last evening at dusk, with the exception being that of the white adult with the brown-colored juvenile which I took back in August also at the same lake.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

 

Ibises Galore!

American White Ibises were happily lounging around the shore of one of the local small lakes when I stopped to take pictures.  The brown and white bird is a juvenile American White Ibis.  This crowd of Ibises were attracted to the sound of gas-powered golf carts.

Tourists and a few locals (some with youngsters) come in the golf carts and give the throngs of Ibises and other water birds, treats like crackers, bread, cereal and bird seed.  I do not participate in this.  The birds have come to expect that people in carts means that food will come their way.  They actually beg.  No wonder there are a lot of the birds around!  The natural foods for American White Ibises are aquatic and land snails, worms, insects, grubs, and they occasionally eat seeds.  Yes, there are Wood Storks in one of the pictures (first row at left).  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger photo.  Enjoy!

Water Birds on Wednesday

Pekin Duck

A Wood Stork; American White Ibises; Pekin Ducks; Florida Mottled Ducks, an Eastern Blue Jay (what?  He is not a water bird!); Egyptian Geese, and a  Tri-color Heron were all spotted on Monday night at twilight at a small lake behind the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center parking lot (Spanish Springs Square area), The Villages, Lake County, Florida.

Yes, one of the cute white Pekin Ducks does appear to have some sort of small cyst or tumor on its head.  The ducks, geese, and Ibises all are quite adept at begging for tourist treats along the parking lot.  Unfortunately, the Wood Storks are picking up on the begging routine (in their own quiet way).  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture.  Enjoy!

American White Ibises, Wood Stork

American White Ibis

Eastern Blue Jay

 

Pekin Ducks, Hybrid Florida Mottled Ducks (AKA The beggars!)

Tri-color Heron

Egyptian Geese

More American White Ibises

I spotted several small flocks of American White Ibises in the last two weeks.  Here are some of the views of the big white wading (and lawn) birds!  Ibis like rooting around in freshly mown lawns to seek out insects, worms, and grubs.  They also will wade in shallow water to get aquatic snails or other small water insects to eat.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger photo.  Enjoy!

American White Ibises at Tuscawilla Park

These American White Ibises were photographed on January 22, 2015, at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Florida.  The adult Ibises are white and have pink bills, legs, and feet.  The Ibises primarily eat small fish, small aquatic animals as well as insects and worms.  There were only a handful of those brown and white colored juvenile American White Ibises at the park.

There were maybe fifty Ibises at Tuscawilla Park when I visited on several recent days.  These birds seemed nonplussed about being around people.  American White Ibises live here in Florida all year-long.  I believe this flock of Ibises may have come from the Silver River and Silver Springs State Park area, which is only a few miles away from  Tuscawilla Park.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph.  Enjoy!

 

Reflections

Sometimes reflections in a photo are interesting.  I took these pictures on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014 here in my development.  These are the same Great Egret and juvenile American White Ibis that I shared about in Wednesday’s post,  but these are new photographs.  I just enjoy the look of the reflection of the large birds on the pond’s surface.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

At the Rainfall Retention Pond…

American White Ibises, a Great Egret, a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs and a songbird (a female Red-winged Blackbird?) were all busily trying to find their meal at the rapidly shrinking large rainfall retention pond on Friday, August 1, 2014.  As you can see, this, the largest of the ponds in this development, is drying up quickly.

The one adult Ibis , as well as that brown-colored  juvenile Ibis, had been at this pond all week.  The Yellowlegs had just arrived on Friday as far as I can tell.  All of these birds seemed to be in search of insects as there are no fish at the pond.  Perhaps there also were some small tadpoles  in the water there.  I was glad to have seen all these big birds here in recent days!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph.  As ever, I hope you enjoy seeing these pictures.

 

 

 

Wading Bird Wednesday

American White Ibises, Snowy Egrets, a Great Egret, and a Cattle Egret were all wonderful visitors to one of the rainfall ponds here in the development where I live.  This particular pond is between the golf course and a busy street.  I see wading birds there on occasion, especially after it has been raining a lot.

We have had rains almost every day for the last couple of weeks so there is enough water in this pond to attract these large birds.  The Snowy Egrets were pretty flighty while the Ibises just wanted to eat in peace.  The sole Cattle Egret watched the action from the far end of the very shallow pond.  This pond often does go completely dry.   I took these pictures yesterday afternoon (7/15/14).   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

 

Wordless Wednesday’s Wading Birds

Adult & Juvenile White Ibises, 6/30/14

Taken in my development here in Florida in last few days at dusk (on rainy days).  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Snowy Egret, 7/8/14

Adult White Ibis, 7/8/14

Little Blue Heron, 7/8/14