Winter Brings White Pelicans!

American White Pelicans migrate South and visit our ponds and lakes here in The Villages, Florida every year in the Winter months (We do have about 10 White Pelicans that stay all year-long now).  The two main places in the Northern end of The Villages to spot the pelicans are The Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course and Freedom Pointe Lakes.

Both Lopez Golf and Freedom Pointe lake locations have quite a few pelicans although sometimes pelicans do fly between these areas.  Always a fun sight to see the young adult pelicans massed! Sometimes there are large groups of accompanying Double-crested Cormorants, too!  I took these photographs last week here in The Villages.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

 

Wild Wordless Wednesday!

White Ibis

I took these photos last week in The Villages, Florida.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of that photo.  Enjoy!

Anhingas and a Snowy Egret

Wood Stork

Great Blue Heron

 

 

Great Blue Heron

 

Great Egret

Wood Stork

Great Egret

Quite a Few Wood Storks Visiting

Wood Storks are among my very favorite of the big birds.  There are a lot of Wood Storks around the various ponds and lakes here in The Villages, FL, right now.  They seem to come several times every year to feed and enjoy our lovely small lakes.

Wood Storks are still on the “Threatened Species” list so I am glad to see so many here.  I think due to conservation efforts these birds are happily on the rebound!  Wood Storks mostly feed on small fish, tadpoles and small frogs, as well as aquatic worms, snails and occasionally, grains and seeds.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Egrets, Cormorants, Canada Geese and Tri-colored Heron

Great Egret and Cormorants

Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Tri-colored Herons, Canada Geese, and Double-crested Cormorants, are here this Winter at many of our ponds and lakes in The Villages, FL.  Most of these birds are now in the beginning of their breeding season and the egrets will be developing long billowing plumage with which to attract their potential mate.

Egrets hunt by wading in shallow water to spear a small fish or frog with their sharp bill.  They also will occasionally root in the mud for aquatic worms and snails.  On land, the Great Egret sometimes hunts for mice, lizards and snakes in the landscaping around yards and parking lots.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Great Egret & Canada Geese

Great Egret

Snowy Egret, Tri-colored Heron

 

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Winter White Pelicans

White Pelicans are annual Winter visitors here in The Villages.  In the more Northern areas of The Villages, these big white and black birds with pinkish orange bills, are found on the golf course driving range pond at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course near the multi-modal path in the center of the course, and at Freedom Pointe Lakes.

The pelicans are fish and frog eating birds and often cooperatively hunt with Double-crested Cormorants. The pelicans seen here are mostly young adults and not yet ready to find mates (the mature pelicans in breeding season will develop a disc-shaped hump on their top bill).  I took these pictures on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019 here in The Villages, FL.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

Christmas Wishes

 

Merry Christmas from Central Florida!  Wishing you happy nature walks and bird watching in the coming new year!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Herons

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Great Blue Heron

 

Great Blue Heron

 

Tri-colored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Adult Little Blue Heron