A Gorgeous Tri-colored Heron

 

This Trip-colored Heron was spotted on Thursday, February 9, 2017, at the pond beside the Walmart parking lot on CR 466 in The Villages, FL.  This small pond is where I have photographed many wading birds in the last year, as well as a couple of small alligators (no alligators yesterday).  There also were ducks, a grebe, and a glorious Little Blue Heron.  I will share additional pictures of those other birds in coming posts.

This Trip-colored Heron flew in and was wading very close to where I was observing from the shoreline.  The bird was oblivious to my presence for about a minute and then I slowly backed away.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

Random Pictures

A Turkey Vulture, a Snowy Egret, an Anhinga, a Swallowtail Butterfly, a pair of Common Moorhens, a hybrid Mallard and Mottled Duck, a Snowy Egret, and a Great Blue Heron, all were spotted an photographed this past week here in my area.  I so enjoy getting out with my camera and taking pictures of the wildlife!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see a slightly larger version of that same photograph.  Enjoy!

A Little Blue Heron

A Little Blue Heron was spotted standing with a Snowy Egret in a small rather swampy pond along Sumter County Road 466 near The Villages, Florida.  I also saw that same beautiful bird fly up to a nearby Cypress Tree. That same Cypress had a few egrets resting in it a few moments earlier.  A really fantastic sight-seeing all of that wading bird action!  I took the pictures on Sept. 13, 2015 early in the evening.  An interesting thing about this little pond, is that it is located very near a shopping area.

Little Blue Herons eat fish, frogs, tadpoles, small tender turtles, large aquatic snails, aquatic worms, ducklings, eggs, small snakes and small rodents.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see a slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Reflections on the Pond

The reflections on the pond are always interesting to me.  Sometimes I will see reflections of animals or birds and other times, the reflection will be of the large cattle barn, a tree limb or the reeds, bushes and natives plants surrounding the pond.  I took these pictures on several different days during the past year.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph.  Enjoy!

This post is in memory of a friend of ours (Not my family member by same nick-name) “Bud” who passed-away a few days ago.  He will be missed and his family has my sincere condolences.  R.I.P. Bud.

Views of Wildlife on a Rainy Tuesday

Yesterday I was out walking in the yard and  in front of our place here.  The first bird I saw was the Mourning Dove which perched on the electric line.  The interesting sighting of the afternoon was the Grey Squirrel that scampered out to the road.  It then scooted right across the pavement to a nearby grove of Oaks.  The squirrel had a Hickory Nut in its mouth.  I seldom see any squirrels here so it was a nice sighting.

Canada Geese were  here on the pond.  I accidentally spooked those geese and off they flew.  I wanted to see how things were at the small private community lake across the street and down a small hill.  I noticed that there were a number of Canada Geese there so I snapped away.  I took these pictures on Sept. 18, 2012.    Today I am thrilled to tell you that we have sunny skies and mild cool temperatures here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

The Canada Geese

We have a small flock of “resident” Canada Geese here.  The geese come and go between the lake that is down the small hill from this little farm and the pond here.  Because of the nasty cold weather and high winds we have recently been having, the geese were here on the pond for several mornings in a row recently.  These big geese eat grains and grasses for the most part.  They are plant eaters.  This group I have been seeing occasionally get noisy with their honking.  When the geese get alerted to any perceived danger, or when they travel by flying, they tend to honk loudly.  This is for the protection of the flock.  The funny thing is that the honking stirs up the cattle and sometimes, the cows and steers will start mooing.  What a ruckus at times!  I don’t really mind because this is short in duration and is just another part of nature.  I took these pictures in my yard and at the street end of my driveway (lake picture) on two days this last week.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph.  Enjoy!

The Grey Squirrel Poses for its Picture

This Grey Squirrel likely lives in the small gulch or gully wooded area just under the pond’s dam.  There are a lot of medium-sized trees in that area with quite a lot of privacy and water.  The Squirrel basically sprints from the gulch across open grassy lawn over to the grove of Oaks next to the pond.  The Squirrels run full-tilt as fast as they can in order to avoid possibly being seen by predators.  The attraction is the plump acorns that the Squirrels are so fond of.  I was looking out my window yesterday at almost 4:00 in the afternoon and spotted this Squirrel.  The Squirrels here are quite wary of people so I had to quietly go out of the house and take the pictures.  The Squirrel did spot me and sprinted away.  I seldom see the Squirrels here (that will assuredly change once my bird feeders get put up) so I was happy to see this one.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!