A Perched Hawk: Which Species?

Is this a Red-tailed Hawk or is the bird pictured here Red-shouldered Hawk?  I will say it has yellow eyes so maybe it is a younger adult or older juvenile.  It appeared to be pretty large in size.  I took the photographs on Saturday June 20, 2019 in The Villages, Florida on CR 466, East of Buena Vista a bit.

I am mystified as to which hawk this is.  I am leaning toward Red-shouldered as that is the species I see most of here in my community, but it can go either way.  I did not see the bird from the front but only that side view as photographed here.  I cropped the bottom picture a bit for better view.  Please weigh-in if you have a good idea.  Many thanks!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Red-shouldered Hawk in The Villages, FL

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

 

 

 

More Lake Apopka Wildlife

Great Blue Heron

The North Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, Apopka, FL, visit last Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, was a huge success!  I enjoyed seeing a lot of birds and alligators.  Here are the last few photographs I enjoyed taking.  I hope you will enjoy seeing these beautiful birds!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Osprey

Anhinga in Flight

 

Little Blue Heron

Alligator

Tri-colored Heron

 

A Visit to Sunnyhill Restoration Area

View of the some of the fields near the parking area and educational building

Sunnyhill Farm Restoration Area near Weirsdale, FL, (19411 SE Hwy 42), is a spot I occasionally visit to just take in the beautiful river-side prairie swampland scenery.  This former working, now park,  is huge at over 2,000 acres!  Nearly all of the park is kept wild and is inhabited by river animals, prairie swamp animals and a variety of wading birds, ducks, and songbirds.

While we were there, we saw a pair of Sandhill Cranes along the road but there was not a good spot to stop to take the picture of them so we just went along our way (of course when we left the park, the cranes were long gone from the entrance road-way area).  My hubby and I spent about an hour walking along river and canal trails and enjoyed ourselves quite a lot yesterday afternoon.  The overcast and windy weather was not conducive for bird watching but we managed to spot a few different birds.  We saw a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks, a Great Blue Heron, a lone Eastern Bluebird and an Eastern Pewee bird.   We hope to go back again soon!  It is a lovely spot!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

A Red-shouldered Hawk

A Great Blue Heron

An Eastern Pewee Bird

 

 

The Ocklawaha River

A Red-shouldered Hawk

A male Eastern Bluebird

A Mixed Bird Monday

A resting Sandhill Crane

I spotted these birds last Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 at Lake Paradise, as well as on a golf course near Morse and CR 466, here in The Villages, FL.  Such fun to get out and watch the various types of birds we have around now.  The weather recently has been very windy rainy and cooler.  Hopefully I will find time to get out and take a bunch of new photographs to share here soon.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Canada Geese on Lake Paradise

A Double Crested Cormorant on Lake Paradise at Boone Park

Likely a Red-shouldered Hawk at Lake Paradise

A Serene Park

 

Sholom Park in Ocala is such a very beautiful place!  It is very serene.  That is the purpose of this gorgeous park which is designed for strolling and reflection.  It is not a sports or picnic type of place.  It is open to the public and is mainly used by the folks from the adjacent On Top of The World development along with those from the Del Webb development.  It is open during the day and is free of charge.

While my hubby and I were at the park on Monday, I spotted a male Northern Cardinal bird and a Red-shouldered Hawk.  No sign of any owls or Great Blue Herons at all.  No sign of the former Great Blue Heron rookery.  I think over the past couple of years, stormy weather has taken its toll on the great trees where these wading birds and owls had previously nested.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the image.  Enjoy!

I am dedicating this blog post in memory of my late friend Donna who passed away on Easter in California.  She will greatly be missed.

 

Songbirds, Ducks, Geese and Cranes

Red-shouldered Hawk

Here are some of the scenic views I have photographed around my community here in Marion County, Florida in the last couple of weeks.  I hope you enjoy them. By the way, on a side note – I went by Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, FL, on Saturday but saw few of the water birds I had seen back in February.  I think there were probably a tenth of the birds there this past weekend than had been there during the Winter months.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger view of that photograph.

Male Northern Cardinal

American Redstart

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Sandhill Crane Family at the Horse Farm Pond Pasture

Canada Geese

Common Crows