Great Egrets

Two Great Egrets were spotted last evening at dusk at our neighborhood small lake in two spots as well as a passing small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in flight.  This was the first time in a very long while I have been out of the house other than to take exercise walks around the block here.

We did stay in our golf cart and were never near other people during this very short bird watching jaunt.  I really hope you enjoy seeing these photos of the egrets!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.

Various Water Birds Around the Community

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes; Great Egrets; Great Blue Herons; White Pelicans; Mallard Ducks; Canada Geese; and Anhingas have all been regularly spotted each Winter, here on our small ponds and lakes in The Villages, Florida.  It is always a treat to go out and do a bit of bird watching!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Great Egret

Canada Goose, Mallard Ducks, Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

 

 

White Pelicans

Anhinga

White Pelicans

Wordless Wednesday: A Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Please click on the thumbnail image to see a slightly larger version of these photographs of the Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, taken on July 20, 2019 in The Villages, FL at Lake Mira-mar.  As ever, I hope you enjoy these pictures!

Male Red-Winged Black Birds

Red Winged Black Birds are commonly seen here in freshwater marshes such as the one at the lovely Sharon Wiechens Nature Preserve in The Villages, Florida.  These smaller birds flit from reed to reed and flower to flower in search of tasty insects for their meal.  The males are black with the gold and red bars on their wings.  The females are a streaky brown color.  The males have a buzzy call which is pretty distinctive.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

To and From the Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve

A Glossy Ibis was spotted on the multi-modal trail heading South from CR 466 near Morse Blvd. here in The Villages, FL.  We eventually piloted our golf cart to the lovely Sharon Rose Wiechens nature preserve were we saw a Great Blue Heron, a Common Moorhen, a lovely male Red-winged Blackbird, and a Snowy Egret.

It was quite windy and we also had several sprinkles of rain during our quick visit to the preserve.  On the way home, we were happy to have spotted a Limpkin, which is a rarely seen bird here in The Villages, as well as a trio of freshwater turtles basking in the Sun to keep warm.

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

Limpkin

Freshwater Cooter Turtles

Snowy Egret

 

 

Great Blue Heron

Common Moorhen

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Belted Kingfishers

The Belted Kingfisher is a very elusive small bird that is found near ponds, rivers, lakes, and even salt  marsh-lands.  The Belted Kingfishers fly over the water to catch fish for their meal.  They stab the fish with their thin strong and sharp bill.  These birds are a steel-blue in color with a white neck and breast, and a patch of rust-colored feathers on the flanks.  Belted Kingfishers have black eyes and a black bill.

Belted Kingfishers are shy birds that fly quickly.  They are wary of people and hard to photograph.  I am glad I got these long-distance (and cropped for good viewing) pictures.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Glossy Ibis at Lake Apopka in Florida

Several Glossy Ibis were spotted in various places along the shoreline of the beautiful and very large, Lake Apopka on the North Wildlife Drive, in Apopka, FL,  yesterday morning.

The Glossy Ibis like eating aquatic plants, seeds, small insects, and aquatic snails.  The Glossy Ibis wade through the shallows and often are seen among the reeds or perched in low trees.

These are very lovely wading birds with dark mahogany brown, dark cinnamon brown and highlights of blue on their feathers.  Like the White Ibis, their bill is rubbery and banana shaped, but the bill is a tan color rather than the pink bill that the White Ibis has.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Sandhill Cranes and a Little Blue Heron

Sandhill Cranes

A pair of Sandhill Cranes and a Little Blue Heron were seen at two ponds here in The Villages, Florida last week.  I saw the cranes on the shore of the small pond near Live Oaks Park on Morse Blvd. near CR 466, and the Little Blue Heron was at Freedom Pointe Lakes (The larger lake).  By the way, it has been very windy on several days here so a bit of blown-in trash is evident in the pictures.  Most of our shorelines are very clean here and this is a rare occurrence.

Both of these are wading birds that eat fish, frogs, aquatic snails, larger aquatic insects, small shoreline snakes, baby waterfowl, and baby Alligators.  The cranes also will eat grains and seeds.  I love seeing these beautiful big birds here!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of that photo.  Enjoy!

Sandhill Cranes

Little Blue Heron

Sandhill Crane

Almost Wordless Wednesday!

An Anhinga hanging on for dear life in high winds

I took these photographs here in The Villages, FL, during this past weekend at the Freedom Pointe Lakes.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Snowy Egret

Wood Stork

Great and Snowy Egrets

Some Avian Villagers

Drake Hooded Merganser Duck

Tai-Colored Herons, Wood Storks, Hooded Merganser Ducks, Sandhill Cranes, White Ibis, Double-Crested Cormorants, Anhingas, and many more large exotic birds are seen here in The Villages, Florida on and in our many ponds and small lakes.  It also is not unusual to see a Great Egret strolling through the shrubbery on street parkways.

There are always many varieties of large and small birds around this community and its many neighborhoods to observe!  It is such a pleasant hobby to go out bird watching!  I am sure many of the readers here will agree!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo!  Enjoy!

Wood Stork

Double-Crested Cormorants

White Ibis

 

 

Sandhill Crane

Tri-Colored Heron

Anhinga Drying its Wings