Misc. Birds in The Villages, FL

Mallard Ducks

Bald Eagles nesting in the high tension electric towers; Double-crested Cormorants perched on pilings in a pond; A Little Blue Heron on the hunt in a drainage ditch; a cute little Pied-billed Grebe; Ring-Necked and Lesser Scaup Ducks on a local golf pond; and a small flock of Mallard Ducks on the banks of Lake Paradise were all spotted last week in The Villages, Florida!

We have an amazing variety of birds here now.  We get many migratory birds down from the Midwest and other regions of North America.  Such fun to get out to our many ponds and small lakes to see what species has come to visit on any particular day!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Bald Eagle near it’s nest

Little Blue Heron

Ring-Necked and Lesser Scaup Ducks

 

Cormorants

Pied-billed Grebe

Bald Eagle on it’s Nest

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Merry Migratory Ducks

Lesser Scaup Ducks

Hooded Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, and Lesser Scaup Ducks are all here in The Villages, Florida right now.  I was out and about bird watching at a few local small lakes and golf course ponds and saw many small flocks of these migratory Winter visitors.

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and an outstanding New Year in 2019!

Northern Shoveler Ducks

Mallard Ducks

Northern Shoveler Drake (male)

 

Hen Mallard Duck

Hooded Merganser Ducks

Lesser Scaup (left) and a pair of Hooded Mergansers

Migratory Ducks

Northern Shoveler Ducks

Northern Shoveler Ducks; Hooded Merganser Ducks; and Lesser Scaup Ducks are here in The Villages, FL on various small lakes and ponds.  It is so much fun to see our Winter visitors!

The Scaups and Northern Shovelers mostly eat aquatic vegetation, seeds and grains as they are dabbling or tipping ducks.  These ducks tip their head down into the water to feed on aquatic plants.  The Hooded Mergansers dive under the water to catch fish frogs, tadpoles, crayfish, aquatic worms, and tender small frogs.  The Hooded Mergansers mostly paddle or float on the water when not hunting, while some of the other ducks rest on the immediate shoreline during some part of the day.

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

Hooded Merganser Ducks

Lesser Scaup Ducks, (drakes in black & white)

Lesser Scaups, Hooded Mergansers and a Double-crested Cormorant

Arrival of the Migratory Waterfowl

Hooded Merganser (drake)

 

 

 

Mergansers; Lesser Scaups; Double-crested Cormorants and Mallard Ducks have been arriving to our local lakes and ponds in recent days.  It is so much fun to see the new ducks and water birds here!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Hen Hooded Merganser at Silver Lake Pond

Drake Hooded Mergansers on Silver Lake Pond

Lesser Scaup Ducks on Pond Behind the Mark Twain Library

 

 

Lesser Scaups (hens) on Pond Behind the Mark Twain Library

Double-crested Cormorants on Pond Behind the Mark Twain Library

Mallard Ducks (drakes may be Mottled/Mallard hybrids)

Big Birds at the Golf Pond

White Pelican with Lesser Scaup ducks

White Pelicans, Lesser Scaup ducks, Double-crested Cormorants, Seagulls, a Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets, and a lone Wood Stork were all spotted yesterday afternoon at the beautiful Torri Pines golf course pond along Buena Vista Blvd. in The Villages, FL.  This spot is in a northern neighborhood here in The Villages.

The Wood Stork, the Double-crested Cormorants, Seagulls, Lesser Scaup ducks, and the White Pelicans are migratory birds from places up north and in the mid-west who have come south to enjoy our warmer weather during the harsh cold months.  By the way, last evening I spotted about 200 White Pelicans at the Freedom Pointe lake (both sides).  No pictures as I did not have my camera then.

I think a few of these pelicans pictured here were among those sleeping at Freedom Pointe as it was almost dark when I saw that huge flock last night.  We sure enjoy seeing all of these lovely birds!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!  P.S.  This pond has developed a sink hole in it today (2/15/18) and is now rapidly draining.  Don’t know when the needed repairs can be made by our community’s officials.  I will let you know when I hear more.  Wildlifewatcher.

Great Egret with Wood Stork

Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants and Seagulls

Great Blue Heron

Mixed Waterfowl

 

Hooded Merganser ducks

Hooded Mergansers, and Double-crested Cormorants were spotted at the pond in the Silverlake Community Center’s small park area here in The Villages, FL this past week.  I also spotted a small flock of Lesser Scaup ducks at the nearby Lake Paradise right at Paradise Park in The Villages.

I just am wowed by the huge variety of water birds we have here in The Villages during the winter months!  This bunch of scaups have become used to people and behave like typical park ducks begging for, and receiving hand-outs (please do not feed bread to ducks as it is not the healthiest for them).  Someone was flinging bread cubes to the seagulls and the ducks rushed over to get in on that action.

Most wild ducks are very wary of people so this behavior of coming near the shore when people are around is unusual in migratory birds. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Drake (male) Lesser Scaup

Double-crested Cormorant

A pair of Lesser Scaup ducks

Duck, Duck, Coot!

Hen Lesser Scaup Duck

What?  You thought I was going to say “Goose!”?  I spotted the pretty Lesser Scaup ducks along with the Common Coot at a local small park lake.  These cute ducks are pretty used to being around visitors so I was able to get pretty close to a lot of them.

I took the pictures yesterday, Jan. 31, 2016,  late in the afternoon.  It was a cool, cloudy day here, but the good news is that it is warming up a bit.  I am glad.  Not that Florida’s weather is anything to really complain about!  Please click on the thumbnail images to see the larger version of that photo.  Enjoy!

Drake Lesser Scaup Duck

Drake Lesser Scaup and Common Coot

A Pair of Lesser Scaup Ducks