Thursday, November 16, 2023

Florida Birds - Part 1

I took a trip to Florida recently and had a wonderful time with the birds down there, seeing several species for the first time.

First up, Sandhill Cranes.  I'd previously seen them in captivity, but never in the wild, so this was really exciting for me.

Sandhill Cranes

In the photo below, the crane out front on the left is missing a foot. These two flew over a wetland area where I was standing, but they didn't land, so I never found out how this crane dealt with its missing foot while foraging on the ground.

Sandhill Cranes

After a traumatic experience with mosquitoes from hell on a trail on the gulf coast, I was rewarded with this scene of a Great Egret, White Ibises, and a Roseate Spoonbill hanging out together at a pond.

A Great Egret with two White Ibises and a Roseate Spoonbill.

Again, I'd previously seen Spoonbills in captivity, but never in the wild, so this was a magical moment. I might never have stumbled upon this scene if the monstrous mosquitoes (I am not kidding!) hadn't chased me there.

A Great Egret with a White Ibis and a Roseate Spoonbill.

Egret in the sun:

A Great Egret with White Ibises in the background.

Spoonbill flying at sunset:

Roseate Spoonbill.

Roseate Spoonbill.

Ibises flying on a bright afternoon:

White Ibises.

White Ibis.

A string of Ibises fly to their roosting island at sunset:

White Ibises.

A trio of Brown Pelicans prepare to dive for fish late in the evening:

Brown Pelicans.

These guys are always spectacular, and there will be more photos of them coming soon.

In the mean time, you can see photos from some previous Florida birding trips here and here.

Stay tuned...

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