Great Blue Herons

Great Blue Herons are now beginning to raise young and are molting (losing breeding feathers) so they are mostly on their nests unless hunting for a meal.  They wade in shallow water in the early morning and late afternoon to catch fish, frogs, ducklings, shoreline snakes, lizards, and nearly anything else they can catch to eat.

We have a year-around population of Great Blue Herons here in The Villages, Florida.  These birds nest in colonies way up in sturdy Oaks and Pines near ponds or lakes.  Many are now proud parents and will be raising chicks for several more weeks.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

A Snowy Egret on a Windy Day

This Snowy Egret was spotted on the shoreline of the Freedom Pointe Lake here in The Villages, Florida, while I was riding down the multi-modal path in the golf cart.  This lake often has egrets, herons, ibis or ducks on the shore in this particular area.  This bird was actively hunting for its meal of fish or frogs.  The egret walks along in the shallows looking for its prey.  These are very good hunters!  Beautiful, too.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Black Bellied Whistling Ducks

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

Not so Soon About the White Pelicans?

White Pelicans apparently have decided to stick around here in The Villages in limited numbers.  I noticed about eight of the big white beauties a few days ago on the pond called “Golf View Lake” near Paradise Park, and probably the same group, at Lake Paradise the next day.  I had also spotted a small number of the pelicans on a different pond at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course (not the driving range pond).

So, I may have been premature about declaring that the pelicans had migrated North.  We will see if these few stay here in The Villages over the Winter as some did last season.  Who knows?  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egrets in Central Florida

Great Egret

Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Cattle Egrets are the three types of egrets that are commonly seen here in Central Florida.  The largest is the Great Egret.  The smallest is the Snowy Egret with the Cattle Egret being the chunky middle-sized one of the three.  There is a Reddish Egret that is rarely seen and I have only once gotten a photo of that egret.  That Reddish Egret looks like a magenta version of the Little Blue Heron.  The smaller herons are actually egrets so it is no wonder they all have similar characteristics.

The Great Egret is one that sometimes goes away from the water to forage in shrubbery for snakes and lizards, mice and larger insects to eat.  The Cattle Egret likes to walk around pastures where horses or cattle are present.  You also occasionally see Cattle Egrets at ponds and lakes where they will drink and occasionally hunt.  The Snowy Egret has yellow legs and feet and a slender black bill and is mostly seen on the shore or in shallow water of ponds and lakes and marshes.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Cattle Egret

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Double-crested Cormorants

Double-crested Cormorants are here for their Winter visit to The Villages, Florida.  These birds are at home on and in the water, as well as roosting in the larger trees over-night.  They are also excellent at flying from place to place.  These water birds will be leaving our area in coming days and weeks to start migrating North. Cormorants often accompany White Pelicans or Great Egrets in their migration.

Cormorants eat fish, frogs, small turtles, baby alligators, and larger aquatic insects.  The brown, rust. grey and black birds with orange bills, dive for their prey.  The birds like Anhingas, spread their wings to dry them before flight.

Sometimes, the Double-crested Cormorants will assist the White Pelicans in hunting by circling the fish to gather them and then sharing the bounty.  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!

Just Ducky!

 

Migratory and native ducks alike are seen here in The Villages, Florida during the Winter months.  Lesser Scaups, Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mallards, and even farm ducks like the Muscovy Ducks  and Tufted Ducks are here.  Occasionally seen also are the Green-winged Teal, Redhead,  Bufflehead, and Widgeons.  I have yet to get a good photo of those breeds.

We have a lot of small lakes and golf ponds in our lovely community where the ducks happily forage for their meals.  The Diving Ducks are a lot more wary of people.  The Mallards, Mottled Ducks, Muscovy and Tufted Ducks are happy on the shoreline as well as in the water.  The other breeds are mostly on or in the water day and night. The diving ducks are mostly meat-eaters and the dabblers are pretty happy with seeds, plants, insects, worms, tadpoles, and tiny fish.

It is quite fun to see the big variety of ducks here in the Winter season! Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Great Blue, Little Blue, & Tri-Colored Herons

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is the most commonly seen of the herons here in The Villages, Florida.  I also frequently can spot Little Blue Herons and occasionally see the gorgeous medium-sized Trim-colored Heron.  I very rarely see a Green Heron, and have not seen any Black or Yellow Crowned Night Herons here in this community.

The herons all fish for fish, frogs, baby alligators, aquatic snails, crayfish, and occasionally larger aquatic insects, snails, and worms.  These are wading birds that are primarily found on the immediate shoreline of ponds, streams, lakes and in the shallows of both fresh and salt water marshes.

All of these herons are great at flight and some flocks do migrate.  One generally only sees a single bird or just a small number of these herons in one spot unless the flock is  gathering for a migration or is resting during travels.  Our bird population swells in the Winter months here in Florida.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Little Blue Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Little Blue Heron

 

 

 

Tri-Colored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Wordless Wednesday: Little Blue Herons

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