Great Blue, Little Blue, & Tri-Colored Herons

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is the most commonly seen of the herons here in The Villages, Florida.  I also frequently can spot Little Blue Herons and occasionally see the gorgeous medium-sized Trim-colored Heron.  I very rarely see a Green Heron, and have not seen any Black or Yellow Crowned Night Herons here in this community.

The herons all fish for fish, frogs, baby alligators, aquatic snails, crayfish, and occasionally larger aquatic insects, snails, and worms.  These are wading birds that are primarily found on the immediate shoreline of ponds, streams, lakes and in the shallows of both fresh and salt water marshes.

All of these herons are great at flight and some flocks do migrate.  One generally only sees a single bird or just a small number of these herons in one spot unless the flock is  gathering for a migration or is resting during travels.  Our bird population swells in the Winter months here in Florida.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Little Blue Heron

Tri-Colored Heron

Little Blue Heron

 

 

 

Tri-Colored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

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A Potpourri of Wildlife in The Villages, FL

Pied-billed Grebe

An American Alligator, a Pied-billed Grebe, White Ibis, a couple of Anhinga birds, a Tri-colored Heron, a couple of Great Blue Herons were spotted in The Villages, Florida last week on Monday, October 15, 2018.  I saw most of these birds at the Freedom Point Lakes on Morse Blvd.  I spotted the Alligator I call “Hacienda Harry”,  and the Anhinga in the tree, at the Hacienda Golf Course Pond on the multi-modal trail.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of each picture.  Enjoy!

Great Blue Heron

White Ibis

Tri-colored He

 

Anhinga

Hacienda Harry the Alligator

Anhinga

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 Little Blue Heron and Two Tri-colored Herons

Tri-colored Heron

This Little Blue Heron was spotted at a small pond near Morse and CR-466 in The Villages, FL.  I also saw two Tri-colored Herons on Lake Paradise also in The Villages.  Both types of these herons are occasionally seen here in The Villages on several lakes and ponds here.  I believe the Little Blue Heron is one that probably lives in the medium-sized nearby Lake Sumter and the freshwater marshlands around that lake.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Tri-colored Heron

Tri-colored Heron with Great Egret

Little Blue Heron

Great Egrets With Other Birds

Great Egret and Mottle Ducks

Great Egrets with Florida Mottled Ducks, a Wood Stork, and a small Tri-colored Heron were spotted here in The Villages, FL on a couple of lakes and small ponds.  We have a number of wading bird species that are all-year around resident birds here.  The community has many ponds and small lakes in addition to a few fresh water marshes and preserves.  There is plenty of food between the water and the many areas of landscaping along the streets and parking lots.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Great Egret and Wood Stork

Great Egret, Try-colored Heron and Mottled Duck

Great Egret

Hot Weather Bird Watching

 

Sandhill Crane

Birds cool off by opening their beaks or bills to breathe cooler air into their system.  So on a hot day or evening if you see a bird panting, they are just trying to keep cool.  They also will often try to sit or perch in a shady spot or wade in a stream, pond or lake.  I took these photos last night at dusk here in The Villages, Florida. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Mottled Ducks, White Ibis, Trio-colored Heron

 

Sandhill Crane

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Fresh Out of the Camera: Wading Birds

White Ibis at Silver Lake Park Pond

This evening here in The Villages, FL, I took a bunch of photographs of various wading birds, water birds, and waterfowl at several small ponds and small lakes.  We had a partial view of the Solar Eclipse yesterday but it only got a little dim; about like it would be at say, 6:00PM here (same as when I snapped these photographs tonight).  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Snowy Egrets, Trip-colored Heron at the Silver Lake Park Pond

Great Blue Heron at the Silver Lake Park Pond

Great Blue Heron at Lake Paradise