Wordless Wednesday: Little Blue Herons

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

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Tri-colored Herons

Here are a few photographs I have taken over the years of Tri-Colored Herons here in The Villages, Florida.  The Tri-colored Herons are not frequently seen here.  These birds are beautiful medium-sized herons with steel grey, orange, and cream coloring.

Tri-colored Herons eat aquatic snails, small fish, frogs, and smaller turtles with occasional ducklings, and larger aquatic insects.  I have always enjoyed seeing these Tri-Colored Herons!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see each photo slightly enlarged.  Enjoy!

 

A Few Pictures of Osprey Hawks

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Wordless Wednesday: Some Favorites

Great Blue Heron on its nest

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Bald Eagle

White Pelicans

Eastern Bluebird

 

 

Glossy Ibis

Wood Stork

Limpkin

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes are found here in The Villages, FL, in several spots all year long.  We have a native Southern Sandhill Crane population that mostly stays on or near golf courses or park areas near ponds.  These large birds eat grasses, seeds, insects, aquatic plants, aquatic snails, and occasionally small fish or frogs.

We usually see the Sandhill Cranes in pairs or family units with parents and one or two offspring, called “Colts”.  When traveling, the cranes will flock up and sometimes we will see ten or even twenty of the cranes here along the shore of our small lakes.  I am always thrilled to see the Sandhill Cranes!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of that photo.  Enjoy!

Mallard Ducks

Mallard Ducks are commonly found here on ponds and lakes.  They are handsome social ducks but are not highly appreciated here in Florida as they interbreed with the native Mottled Ducks and create hybrids.  I have spotted these Mallard/Mottled Duck hybrids here.

One of the main characteristics of the Mallard Ducks is their loud quacking.  they are very vocal and call when flocking up, when trying to attract a female mate, and when alarmed.  These ducks have a true strong quack, quack, quack, unlike several other ducks that whistle, chirp or lightly quack.

The males have blue-green feathers on the top of their head and have a streaky tan-colored body with blue and white wing bars.  They also have orange feet and a yellow-green bill.  The hens are a streaky tan also with the blue and white wing bars, orange feet and yellow-green bill.

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

 

Wordless Wednesday: Canada Geese

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