Strolling White Ibises

A flock of White Ibis were strolling around the yards in my neighborhood yesterday afternoon.  It has rained a lot  so the big white birds were out for any earthworms or grubs they could find.  The birds search with their rubbery long bills for their prey.

The White and brown bird is an older juvenile.  These birds are a cocoa brown and white color as babies and gradually turn white as they age.  The White Ibis are flock birds.  I often joke that there are a “Herd” of ibis on the lawn as they tend to walk around in groups that resemble how cattle walk.  Yes, a group of Ibis are really known as a flock.

These ibis roost as a flock, together in trees. Usually their roost is in lower tree branches over swamp wetlands where American Alligators patrol.  Alligators below the roosts help the birds stay safe from Coyotes and Bobcats.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

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A Pair of Egyptian Geese

Drake (male) Egyptian Goose in breeding plumage

Egyptian Geese were spotted at Lake Paradise in The Villages, FL on Tuesday evening at dusk.  Until recently, I had not seen both genders together.  There are not a lot of Egyptian Geese here so it was not readily apparent what both genders looked like in breeding plumage.  I spotted two drakes and a single hen among  lot of Canada Geese and a lone Wood Stork there at the lake.

All of the geese and the stork, were browsing on the grassy shoreline next to the golf cart multi-modal path (and meandering on that very path!).  Note that in breeding colors, the males have the strong black barring and are a lot brighter in color than the females.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Pair of Egyptian Geese with a Canada Goose

A Great Blue Heron on the Water-Level Gauge

This lovely Great Blue Heron was perched on the water-level gauge on the far arm at Boone Park, of the little Lake Paradise here in The Villages, FL.  I took the pictures on Wednesday evening at around 6:30pm on a soggy night.  I took the picture from our golf cart as it was lightly raining at the time.  I think these big birds are often not too disturbed by people as the lake is a residential and recreational one.  There are a lot of small homes and three parks on its shoreline.  By the way, this morning is a bright Sunny one so our rain is diminishing!

This bird was out with a single duck, and Anhinga, and a wonderful Wood Stork.  I think these birds were probably trying to get their evening meal in all the rain.  It is fun to see the Great Blue Herons here as those big wading birds have a lot of personality.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Wading Bird Wednesday: A Wood Stork on a Rainy Evening

I just took this photo of the Wood Stork about a half-hour ago at dusk on a very wet evening.  We have had a lot of rain and the lake is full.  The lake is being lowered to accommodate the extra rain we have been having.   I took the pictures at Lake Paradise in The Villages.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

An Osprey (Sea Hawk or Sea Eagle)

I photographed this Osprey at Lake Paradise in The Villages, FL, from the lovely little Schwartz Park. I took the photographs on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 late in the afternoon.  The bird of prey was trying unsuccessfully to catch a tasty fish for its meal.  The lake is very high right now since we have had a lot of rain recently.  I have been seeing many Canada Geese, the resident Great Blue Heron, a few ducks, a few egrets and Anhingas but this is the first Osprey here in several weeks that I have photographed.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Great Blue Herons

I took these pictures at Lake Paradise in The Village in the last couple of days of two Great Blue Herons.  Please click on the thumbnail images to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Reflections

White Pelicans

I love it when a photo turns out to show a reflection in the water of the bird paddling around, standing on the shore or walking around the shallows.  There is something really beautiful about the reflections!  I took these pictures at various times during the last year.  It usually is easiest to get reflections in a picture on calm days at the end of the afternoon.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Drake Greater Scaup Duck

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret