Florida Mottled Ducks
Here are some of the commonly seen ducks here in The Villages during the Winter and early Spring months (some do stay all year long). Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo. Enjoy!
Blue-winged Teal Ducks
Hooded Merganser Ducks
Mallard Ducks
Northern Shoveler Ducks
Lesser Scaup Ducks
Mallard Ducks
Mallard Ducks
Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of each of these photos I recently took here in The Villages, Florida. Enjoy!
Belted Kingfisher
American White Pelicans & Sea Gulls
Snowy Egrets & Double-crested Cormorants
Drake Lesser Scaup Duck
White Ibis
Anhinga
Hen Bufflehead Duck
Seldom seen ducks such as Pintails, Blue Winged Teal, and a lone Bufflehead (my favorite duck), were here in The Villages, FL, on December 26, 2019 in the Northern areas of the community (Souliere Villas ponds and Lopez Legacy Golf Driving Range pond). Other ducks such as Whistlers were seen at Lake Mira-mar and at the little Glenview Country Club ponds on Buena Vista at El Camino.
I can’t believe it is now the Tenth Anniversary of this blog! Wow! A big thank you to all who enjoy these posts!
Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the pictures. Happy New Year to everyone!
Mallards & Canada Geese
Pintail Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Pintail Ducks
Northern Shoveler Ducks
Hen Bufflehead Duck
Male Northern Cardinal
Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture. Enjoy!
Great Egret
Florida Mottled Ducks
White Pelicans, Mallard Ducks, Double-crested Cormorant
Last evening I did a bit of bird watching at Paradise Lake, Lake Mira-mar, and the Golf View Lake here in The Villages, Florida where I spotted many wild ducks. Most of the ducks were the native wild Florida Mottled Ducks, Mottled and Mallard hybrid ducks and a few Mallard Ducks.
All of these are dabbling ducks that tip their head into the water to grab small insects, worms and aquatic plants to eat. These ducks are here all year around. They are enjoying our many small ponds and lakes and have made themselves quite at home here. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture. Enjoy!
Mallard Ducks are commonly found here on ponds and lakes. They are handsome social ducks but are not highly appreciated here in Florida as they interbreed with the native Mottled Ducks and create hybrids. I have spotted these Mallard/Mottled Duck hybrids here.
One of the main characteristics of the Mallard Ducks is their loud quacking. they are very vocal and call when flocking up, when trying to attract a female mate, and when alarmed. These ducks have a true strong quack, quack, quack, unlike several other ducks that whistle, chirp or lightly quack.
The males have blue-green feathers on the top of their head and have a streaky tan-colored body with blue and white wing bars. They also have orange feet and a yellow-green bill. The hens are a streaky tan also with the blue and white wing bars, orange feet and yellow-green bill.
Please click on the the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo. Enjoy!
Whistling Ducks, a Glossy Ibis, and Mallard Ducks
Newly hatched Canada goslings, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mallard Ducks, a Glossy Ibis, an Anhinga, and a tree full of Great Blue Herons were all spotted here in The Villages during the past two evenings at twilight.
Please click on the thumbnail image to see the very slightly larger version of the picture. Wishing everyone who celebrates, a happy Passover, and a most happy Easter!
Great Egret and Anhinga
Great Egret Roosting
Newly Hatched Canada Goslings
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron Rookery
Great Blue Heron Rookery
Osprey
Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of each photo. Enjoy!
Kildeer in Flight
Mallards in Flight, White Pelicans, and Double-crested Cormorants
White Pelicans in Flight
Great Egret, Mallards, Cormorant
Mallard Ducks
Great Blue Heron
Canada Geese
Mallard Ducks
Great Egret
Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo. Enjoy!
Freshwater Cooter Turtle
Hen Hooded Merganser Duck
Great Egret
This Little Blue Heron and a pair of Mallard Ducks were spotted on the shore of a small pond in the Buffalo Plaza shopping area next to the NYPD Pizza restaurant on CR 466 in The Villages, FL on Friday at twilight. I have sometimes seen a Little Blue Heron at this pond at times in the past during the Winter months. There also was a camera shy Common Moorhen at the pond.
I have photographed birds at the pond before but it has been quite a while since I have seen much there. I did check out the larger pond just to the Northeast on the Eastern side of the Walmart parking lot but did not see anything there other than a Great Egret. Recently there has been some landscaping with the big grasses and reeds having been cut so perhaps that has affected the desirability of the pond for the big birds. I also did not see any alligators. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo. Enjoy!
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