To and From the Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve

A Glossy Ibis was spotted on the multi-modal trail heading South from CR 466 near Morse Blvd. here in The Villages, FL.  We eventually piloted our golf cart to the lovely Sharon Rose Wiechens nature preserve were we saw a Great Blue Heron, a Common Moorhen, a lovely male Red-winged Blackbird, and a Snowy Egret.

It was quite windy and we also had several sprinkles of rain during our quick visit to the preserve.  On the way home, we were happy to have spotted a Limpkin, which is a rarely seen bird here in The Villages, as well as a trio of freshwater turtles basking in the Sun to keep warm.

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

Limpkin

Freshwater Cooter Turtles

Snowy Egret

 

 

Great Blue Heron

Common Moorhen

Male Red-winged Blackbird

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Songbirds at Lake Apopka

Female Boat-tailed Grackle

A pair of Boat-tailed Grackles, a couple of male Red-winged Blackbirds, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a male Northern Cardinal were all spotted at the North Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive on the shores of Lake Apopka, in Apopka, Florida on Sunday, March 3, 2019.  I did not see many songbirds but saw a lot of wading birds and Osprey on the trip to this large lake.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Male Northern Cardinal

Male Boat-tailed Grackle

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Male Red-winged Blackbird

A Green Heron at a Wet Paynes Prairie Florida State Park

Green Heron

This Green Heron was spotted on Sunday afternoon in the flooded marshland off of FL 441 at the overlook at Paynes Prairie State Park.  We have had a lot of rain in the last week and it also rained earlier on Sunday.  I do not recall ever seeing the marshland looking like a lake before!  I also spotted a Great Egret and a male Red-winged Blackbird during our very brief visit to the overlook area.  I don’t know the name of the aquatic flower I photographed but it sure was a beautiful blossom!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Green Heron

 

 

Green Heron

Green Heron

Temporary Lake on the Prairie

A Happy Visit to the Sharon Rose Weichens Preserve

A Mother Common Moorhen and Chicks

A Least Bittern, several Red-winged Blackbirds, and a tender family of Common Moorhens were all spotted at the very lovely Sharon Rose Weichens Nature Preserve here in The Villages, FL on Saturday, May 12, 2018.

The Least Bittern was hunting immediately to the side and below the boardwalk observation deck so it was very hard to get good photographs of it but I did my best.  We were trying hard not to disturb the bird and there were several people in the area watching the same bird.

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

Northern Mockingbird

Least Bittern

Male Red-winged Blackbird

A Visit to the Sharon Rose Wiechens Nature Preserve

Great Blue Heron

A couple of days ago at dusk, I went to the Sharon Rose Wiechens Nature Preserve here in The Villages, Florida.  It was the first time I have been to the preserve since Hurricane Irma.  Not much has changed except for one large tree being cut down.

While at the preserve I spotted Common Coots, a few Common Moorhens, a few Boat-tailed Grackles,  a few Red-winged Blackbirds, and toward the end of our visit, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, a Great Blue Heron , and a flock of ducks that suddenly appeared way up in the sky flying Northward.  The preserve is a lovely spot and I am glad to have been there again.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

A Common Coot

Boat-tailed Grackles

Male Red-winged Blackbird

 

Sandhill Cranes

A male Common Moorhen

A Flock of Ducks

Waterfowl, Cranes, Birds, Squirrels, a Butterfly and Scenery!

A Great Egret

A Red-winged Blackbird, a Common Moorhen, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, a perched Great Egret, a partially submerged Anhinga, a trio of Double-crested Cormorants, a Pied-billed Grebe; Egyptian Geese; White Ibis; and a flock of Hooded Mergansers were all spotted here in The Villages, FL, late in the afternoon on Wednesday.  I also saw a most lovely Monarch Butterfly on some wild Aster flowers.

The Grey Squirrels here have become the rodent version of the ever-begging White Ibis!  When we parked the golf cart at Paradise Park, I immediately had four little squirrels come begging for any kind of hand-out treat that would be given.  I had to say sorry to the little cuties but someone else had already provided a few tasty peanuts.  I sure wish folks would stop feeding the wildlife here!  Oh well…

Such fun to get out in beautiful weather and see the birds squirrels and yes, butterflies.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of that picture.  Enjoy!

A hen Moorhen

Male Red-winged Blackbird

A pair of Sandhill Cranes

 

A Scenic View of “Larry the Gator’s Pond”

Egyptian Goose and White Ibis

A Monarch Butterfly on an Aster flower

 

 

Grey Squirrel

Grey Squirrel

Anhinga

More Wildlife Sightings at the Walmart Pond

Juvenile Alligator, Early March 2016

The area where this Walmart shopping center is located on CR 466 is generally called the “Buffalo Ridge” area near The Villages, FL. It is across the highway from the charter schools.   There are two small ponds at the right side of the shopping area and I often visit these bodies of water to spot a variety of wildlife.  By the way, the juvenile Alligator is now about four feet long!  Alligators grow quickly and especially so when there is a lot of food in their environment.

I often see Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, a Little Blue Heron, Anhingas, Coots, Moorhens, and various ducks in the two ponds.  This also is where I saw that big flock of Cattle Egrets a few weeks ago.  The larger of the two ponds is directly at the side of the Walmart parking lot.  That larger pond often has more going on as far as bird life.  Always fun to see which big birds are around!  By the way, I love love love, the pizza at NYPD Pizza, which is at the shoreline of the smaller of the two ponds!  No, they have not given me any consideration for this unofficial review!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Anhinga

 

 

Snowy Egret

Double Crested Cormorant

Juvenile Alligator, April 9, 2016