Water Birds Around The Villages, FL

White Ibis

Migratory ducks, pelicans, cormorants, cranes and more have been spotted here in The Villages, FL, in the last several weeks.  So exciting to drive a few miles and visit several ponds teeming with wildlife!  Most of our small ponds, lakes, and prairie marshes, have at least a few exotic birds hanging out along the shoreline, so chances are great you will have a successful outing while bird watching!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Bald Eagle

Great Egret

 

Northern Shoveler Ducks

 

Double-crestedCormorants, egrets, white Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Wood Storks

Sandhill Cranes

White Pelican

White Pelicans at Local Ponds

 

White Pelicans are Winter visitors here in The Villages, FL.  In the Northern sections of the community, White Pelicans are mostly spotted at Freedom Pointe on El Camino Blvd. and at the lovely Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course on the driving range pond.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photograph.  Enjoy!

 

A Handsome Heron!

Great Blue Herons are now in their breeding finery.  I photographed one such heron on 12/26/19 at a natural pond area on the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course, in The Villages, FL, along the multi-modal path down the middle of the course.  What a lovely bird!  By the way, I have mentioned it before quite a while ago, but my real-life name is Linda Woody.  I am visiting other blogs a lot more and want to be clear about who I am.  I just like the moniker “wildlifewatcher” a lot.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

Winter White Pelicans

White Pelicans are annual Winter visitors here in The Villages.  In the more Northern areas of The Villages, these big white and black birds with pinkish orange bills, are found on the golf course driving range pond at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course near the multi-modal path in the center of the course, and at Freedom Pointe Lakes.

The pelicans are fish and frog eating birds and often cooperatively hunt with Double-crested Cormorants. The pelicans seen here are mostly young adults and not yet ready to find mates (the mature pelicans in breeding season will develop a disc-shaped hump on their top bill).  I took these pictures on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019 here in The Villages, FL.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

Winter Migrant Ducks

Mallard Ducks

 

Hooded Mergansers, Mottled Ducks, Mallard Ducks, Lesser Scaup Ducks, and Northern Shoveler Ducks are all frequent visitors here in The Villages, FL during the Winter months.  We also occasionally see Green or Blue Winged Teal Ducks, Northern Shoveler Ducks, and rarely, the Ring-necked Ducks and Wood Ducks.  I am always happy to see these pretty ducks here!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  I will have a brief post on Wednesday.  Enjoy!

Lesser Scaup Ducks

Northern Shoveler Ducks

Mottled Ducks

 

 

 

Drake Hooded Merganser

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Hen Hooded Merganser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Various Birds & Waterfowl

White Pelicans at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course Driving Range Pond

There are photographs I recently took here in The Villages, FL.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Mottled Ducks at the Freedom Pointe Lakes

Wood Storks & White Pelicans at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Driving Range Pond

Great Blue Heron at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Pond

 

Turkey Vultures & Great Egrets at the Freedom Pointe Lakes

Crows at the  Freedom Pointe Lakes

Tai-Colored Heron, Mottled Ducks at the Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Driving Range Pond

Wordless Whistlers on Wednesday

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