Around the Neighborhood Lake at Schwartz Park

A pair of Egyptian Geese, a White Ibis, a Great Blue Heron and a drake Mallard Duck, were spotted today on a hot afternoon here in The Villages, Florida, on and at the shoreline of Paradise Lake at Schwartz Park.  Always fun to see the Egyptian Geese!  We have probably fifty Canada Geese on the lake so those Egyptian Geese have plenty of company among the waterfowl here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Thursday: Tri-Colored and Little Blue Herons

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

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

Tri-colored Heron

Tri-colored Heron

Adult Little Blue Heron

Black Bellied Whistling Ducks

Whistlers as these ducks are also known, are charming and beautiful wild ducks.  They have a blue bill and feet as ducklings which turn a vivid pink as adults.  Black Bellied Whistling ducks are a rich cinnamon brown with black and white feather accents.  They actually don’t quack but do emit a whistle sound to communicate.

These whistling ducks sit on the grassy shoreline quite a bit but do venture into the water from time to time and tip down into the shallow water to hunt for aquatic worms, insects, snails and aquatic plants.  They also eat seeds, grasses, fruits and terrestrial insects snails and worms they can find fairly close to the water’s edge.  Black Bellied Whistling ducks are both migratory and native here in Florida.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Juvenile and Adult Little Blue Herons

Here are several Little Blue Herons I have photographed here in Central Florida with most being here in The Villages.  The juveniles are the white phase of their coloring and they turn a purple blue as an adult. The Little Blue Herons are wading birds and they eat fish, frogs, small turtles, aquatic snails, and larger aquatic insects.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

White Pelicans Flocking Up

I spotted this large gathering of American White Pelicans at the Freedom Pointe Lake here in The Villages, Florida. There also were a few cormorants mixed-in with the pelicans.  The pelicans will soon be making their way back up North.

Like many others, I am now staying at home as much as possible these days.  I am sharing mostly older photos that have not appeared here before.  I hope all of you readers and I, can stay as healthy as possible!   Please click not the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

A Cormorant with a Catch

These two Double-crested Cormorants were diving in a local pond for fish.  One was successful and the other was out of luck.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Central Florida Ducks

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

Almost Wordless Thursday: Wading Birds

Great Egret

These photos were taken last week in The Villages, FL.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Little Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron &  Double Crested Cormorants

Snowy Egret

 

 

 

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Great Blue Heron

Almost Wordless Wildlife

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

Wood Storks (Up Close)

Wood Storks have been spotted here in The Villages at Glenwood Country Club pond, at Freedom Pointe Lake, and at Lake Mira-mar.  The two I saw at Lake Mira-mar were quite curious and came up close to me when I shot the photo from the golf cart (hence the close-ups).  I think tourists are still feeding the White Ibis and Wood Storks at Lake Mira-mar which is at Spanish Springs which is why the storks have lost fear of people and beg.  Sad.  Yes there is a sign telling people not to feed the birds but some still do so.  I do not.

The other lakes I mention, had Wood Storks that decidedly were not going to be near people at all.  Very wild and good.  Wood Storks stop by in the late Winter and again in about July.  Occasionally the Wood Storks are here at other times but not as many individual birds.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!