Black Vultures in the Dora Canal

These two Black Vultures were spotted in the mysterious jungle-like Dora Canal area near Lake Eustis in Lake County, Florida.  The Black Vultures live in Florida and in other states along the Gulf of Mexico.  These birds also are found in Mexico, around Central America and all the way down into South America.

Like the other Vultures, these are nature’s clean up squad.  Even though they are buzzards, they are handsome big birds.  I took these pictures during a day-long boat trip around several lakes canals and the Dead River in central Florida on April 25, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!   Wishing all Moms a happy Mother’s Day on Sunday!

Anhingas and Dora Canal Scenery

Anhingas are wonderful large birds that almost look as if they are living dinosaurs.  They closely resemble the Cormorants.  They are water birds and also are quite at home sunning themselves in trees here in Florida. The Anhingas eat small aquatic animals, and larger insects.

I took these pictures of several Anhingas while gliding through the oh-so-beautiful and tropical wonderland that is the Dora Canal.  The Dora Canal is just off of Lake Eustis in Central Florida.  I highly recommend that if you are in this area, you take a boat tour through this short canal.  There are commercial tours, and boat rentals.  I went as a guest on my friend’s boat.

Most of the canal is in a natural state but dotted here and there, are a few mobile home resorts along the shore.  This canal has Alligators, Herons, Egrets, Anhingas, Osprey, Moorhens, Turtles, and several other species of wildlife.  There is a lot of tropical foliage and beautiful, towering Cypress Trees.   The photo of the row of Cypress Tree trunks may have been taken  en-route to the Dora Canal.   I took these pictures from the water while seated in an open top pontoon boat.  The pictures were taken on Friday, April 25, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Osprey in Florida’s Dora Canal Area

These Osprey were spotted just above the pontoon boat that I was a passenger in while sailing along the Dora Canal in Central Florida near Lake Eustis.  These birds of prey are also known as Seahawks or Sea Eagles.  They are common birds along rivers, fresh and salt marshes and along the sea coasts.  Inland they also frequently live around larger lakes.  They hunt for fish, ducks, coots, turtles, very small alligators and sometimes rodents and small birds.

I was quite amazed to see these two birds up close.  Each was on a stout branch of trees overhanging the water of the canal.  Both were eating some sort of meal – clearly one ate a fish.  I also saw a few other Ospreys circling above the Dead River.  I think that some of the Osprey on the Dead River were hoping for a fine meal (gasp!) of Wood Duck duckling.  I took these pictures while out boating on April 25, 2014.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!