Wordless Whistlers on Wednesday

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

 

A Suburban Pond

Palm Warbler

Little Blue Heron

Anhinga

 

These two small ponds are on CR-466 in The Villages next to and near the Walmart’s parking lot.  I took these pictures on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019.  That ‘Gator looks to be about 9’ long by the way.  I took the photographs from the opposite shore of this pond! I have taken pictures at this location several times in the last few years.

In addition to the Alligator, there were two Little Blue Herons, a Try-colored Heron, a Great Egret, a Pied-billed Grebe, and two Anhingas.  Pretty amazing to see all that wildlife so close to commercial enterprises and parking lots!

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

Pied-billed Grebe

Little Blue Heron

Great Egret

 

Tri-colored Heron

Anhinga

Alligator

Juvenile & Adult Little Blue Herons

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Adult Little Blue Heron

 

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

The juvenile Little Blue Heron is all white until nearly an adult.  Once and adult, the bird has purple-blue feathers, a grey-blue bill, and yellow-green legs and feet.  These are called herons but are actually members of the egret family of wading birds.

Juvenile Little Blue Herons closely resemble the Snowy Egret, but the difference is in the color of the bill and a lack of yellow just above the bill.  Snowy Egrets have a black bill.  Snowy Egrets also have mustard yellow-colored feet.  I took these photos here in The Villages, FL.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Adult Little Blue Heron

 

 

Older Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Adult Little Blue Heron

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

For this “Almost wordless Wednesday”, I am showing a few  photographs of wildlife and scenic views around some of the natural areas here in The Villages, FL.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of that photo.  Enjoy!  Wishing all who celebrate, a most pleasant Thanksgiving.  I am grateful for my blog friends who have been so kind over the nearly decade this blog has been on the Internet.  Many thanks!

 

 

Wood Storks in The Villages

I am seeing a lot more Wood Storks right now here in The Villages, Florida.  They prefer wading in marshy areas like the edges of ponds lakes.  Wood Storks are aquatic meat-eating (small fish are preferred) birds and rarely will dine on seeds.

Wood Storks are terrific flyers and roost in tall trees in colonies.  These birds generally live about 11-13 years.  The juveniles are the ones with the bony plated head with light brown fuzzy feathering and light-colored big bills.  Wood Storks remain a threatened species here in the USA.

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

 

Tri-Colored Herons

Tri-Colored Heron was recently seen at a small pond here in The Villages, FL.  These medium-sized wading birds actually are members of the egret family and are lovely.   Tri-Colored Herons have a steel-blue color with cream and rust on the chest and neck and greenish yellow legs and feet.  These birds eat fish, frogs, small turtles, aquatic snails, crayfish, baby alligators, and larger aquatic insects.

The Tri-Colored Herons are excellent flyers but usually fly short distances by themselves or in very small groups.  They mostly flock up when flying long distances.  They roost in tall trees that are close to ponds, lakes, marshes or rivers.  I especially enjoy spotting the Tri-colored Herons here.   Tri-Colored Herons are not often seen around the local community except during the breeding season in Winter.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photograph.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Little Blue Heron

Hooded Mergansers, herons, a Pied-billed Grebe, Florida Mottled Ducks, and a Lesser Scaup Ducks were spotted on Nov. 12, 2019 at a neighborhood park pond here in The Villages, FL.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Florida Mottled Ducks

Drake Hooded Merganser

 

 

Hooded Merganser Ducks, Hen Lesser Scaup Duck and Pied-billed Grebe

Tri-Colored Heron and Little Blue Heron

Pied-billed Grebe