Pond Wildlife

 

Hooded Mergansers

Wood Stork

Anhinga

 

Big exotic birds and and a tiny Palm Warbler songbird, all were spotted here in The Villages, FL, at several ponds and smaller lakes this past week.  It is always such fun to take the camera and go see what animals and birds can be found on any given day.  I saw these at Paradise Lake, The Freedom Pointe Lake, and the Walmart ponds on CR466 at Buffalo Ridge.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

 

Pied-billed Grebe

Palm Warbler

 

 

Common Moorhens

Egyptian Goose

Great Egret

Waterfowl, Cranes, Birds, Squirrels, a Butterfly and Scenery!

A Great Egret

A Red-winged Blackbird, a Common Moorhen, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, a perched Great Egret, a partially submerged Anhinga, a trio of Double-crested Cormorants, a Pied-billed Grebe; Egyptian Geese; White Ibis; and a flock of Hooded Mergansers were all spotted here in The Villages, FL, late in the afternoon on Wednesday.  I also saw a most lovely Monarch Butterfly on some wild Aster flowers.

The Grey Squirrels here have become the rodent version of the ever-begging White Ibis!  When we parked the golf cart at Paradise Park, I immediately had four little squirrels come begging for any kind of hand-out treat that would be given.  I had to say sorry to the little cuties but someone else had already provided a few tasty peanuts.  I sure wish folks would stop feeding the wildlife here!  Oh well…

Such fun to get out in beautiful weather and see the birds squirrels and yes, butterflies.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of that picture.  Enjoy!

A hen Moorhen

Male Red-winged Blackbird

A pair of Sandhill Cranes

 

A Scenic View of “Larry the Gator’s Pond”

Egyptian Goose and White Ibis

A Monarch Butterfly on an Aster flower

 

 

Grey Squirrel

Grey Squirrel

Anhinga

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

Egyptian Goose on the Loose!

This is an Egyptian Goose that I spotted about a week ago, at a small park lake in Lake County, Florida.  These waterfowl are not true geese, but are an old hybrid mixture of Shelduck and Goose.  This species originally came from the Saharan regions in Africa.

There a number of Egyptian Geese out in the wild in Central Florida.   All Egyptian Geese here are  escapees from zoos or private farms, or are birds intentionally let loose for whatever reason (or descend from such).  Please click on the thumbnail image to see a slightly larger version of each photo of this beautiful bird.  Enjoy!