A Green Heron at a Wet Paynes Prairie Florida State Park

Green Heron

This Green Heron was spotted on Sunday afternoon in the flooded marshland off of FL 441 at the overlook at Paynes Prairie State Park.  We have had a lot of rain in the last week and it also rained earlier on Sunday.  I do not recall ever seeing the marshland looking like a lake before!  I also spotted a Great Egret and a male Red-winged Blackbird during our very brief visit to the overlook area.  I don’t know the name of the aquatic flower I photographed but it sure was a beautiful blossom!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Green Heron

 

 

Green Heron

Green Heron

Temporary Lake on the Prairie

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Wordless Wednesday

 

Great Blue Heron

These two ponds are located next  the Walmart and NYPD Pizza, on CR 466 in the Buffalo Ridge neighborhood of The Villages, FL.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Juvenile White Ibis

Male Boat-tailed Grackle

Great Egret

Update on the Bald Eagle Family

Adult Southern Bald Eagle

The Southern Bald Eagle family that I photographed a couple of weeks ago has had both juveniles fledge and fly but one seems to like hanging around the nest area a bit.  I suspect that this is the younger eagle.  One of the parents was perched on the next power pole down the row about a quarter-mile from the juvenile.

No sign of the older juvenile or the other parent eagle.  I really have enjoyed following the growth of this family of Southern Bald Eagles here in the Rio Grande area of The Villages.  This nest is East of Morse and South of Rio Grande – basically in the neighborhood behind the preserve marsh (Power line easement is easy to follow).  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Adult Southern Bald Eagle

Juvenile Southern Bald Eagle

Juvenile Southern Bald Eagle and nest

Birds in the Air at Bourlay Historic Nature Park in Leesburg, FL

Osprey

When I was taking photographs of the Purple Gallinule and the American Alligator the other day at the lovely little nature park in Leesburg, Florida, I saw a trio of Little Blue Herons.  One was an adult in the typical purple-blue coloring of breeding season, one of the Little Blue Herons was a transitional older juvenile in the process of turning blue, and the last was the juvenile in white phase, which was the youngest of all three of the birds.

I also spotted four Osprey, a Great Egret, a few Anhingas, and a few small songbirds like Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles while I was at Bourlay Nature Park.  This park has a short hiking trail along Lake Griffin and a small wooden pier for bird watching.  There also seems to be a kayak landing area and a nature talk sitting area.  There is a small parking lot and restrooms as well.  This park is just about a half mile or so East of Highway 441 on Canal Street.  I enjoyed about a half-hour there as it was at dusk and there were Alligators in the area.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Osprey

Little Blue Herons

Anhingas

 

Great Egret

Osprey

Anhinga

Cormorants, Egrets, Goose, Turtles and Herons!

Double-crested Cormorants and a Seagull

Water birds, wading birds and turtles were all spotted at Freedom Pointe and Paradise Lakes in The Villages, Florida this past weekend.  I am happy that the weather was nice enough to permit a bird watching jaunt both on Friday at dusk and on Saturday afternoon.

The Double-crested Cormorant flock will be flying North in coming days.  I was surprised that this flock did not follow the White Pelicans that left for their migration on Friday morning.  The Great Egret, Snowy Egret, the Cooter Turtles, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, and what is probably a Try-colored Heron, are all resident birds here in The Villages, Florida.  These birds are mostly meat eaters while the geese love seeds and grasses.  I love getting out and about at the many small ponds and lakes and preserves here!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Double-crested Cormorant in the Live Oak Tree Roost

Tri-colored Heron

Great Blue Heron and Double-crested Cormorants

 

Double-crested Cormorant, Cooter Turtle and a Canada Goose

Great and Snowy Egrets

Cooter Turtle

Some Songbirds and White Pelicans

A flock of White Pelicans

Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, and a fly-by of a flock of American White Pelicans were all spotted early this evening (March 16, 2018) here on my street in The Villages, FL.

The Northern Mockingbirds are residents of the neighborhood, while the Cedar Waxwings and White Pelicans are Winter visitors.  The pelicans were headed North in a definite flock pattern.  The Cedar Waxwings likely are on the way North but have stopped here to feed on berries.  Many of the Holly Bushes and small Holly Trees are full of berries and there are also a lot of other small fruits in season here such as Loquats.

The Waxwings love various kinds of berries and sometimes get tipsy on fermented fruits and berries.  I love the Winter visit here by the beautiful waxwings.  The former Juniper across the street that was a favorite place to perch for the waxwings got cut down a few months ago so the birds are in a few trees here including the big Live Oak in my backyard.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Northern Mockingbird

White Pelicans

Cedar Waxwing

Birds Ducks and Waterfowl at Paradise Park

Osprey

Please click on each thumbnail image of wildlife at Lake Paradise in The Villages, Florida, to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  I took these photos a few days ago.  Enjoy!

Drake Mallard Ducks

Great Blue Heron

Double-crested Cormorant