I love visiting Circle B bar Ranch Reserve, located not far from Orlando, Florida. Circle B’s 6 miles of trails encompass many diverse habitats, including marshes, swamps, hardwood hammocks, and the 4500-acre Lake Hancock. Following are just a few of the many delights I saw on a recent visit. ☺️
At certain times of year, the plant life in the wetlands just gets to be TOO MUCH! Even an alligator could get stuck! 🐊
Relaxing in an old wooden rocker on the back porch at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to keep out of the rain, I kept hearing a continuous chit-chit-chit call. I peeked over the balcony and discovered this sweet female Northern Cardinal hopping about in a steady light drizzle atop a small stone fountain. I’m pretty sure she […]
One of our most striking Florida birds is the Roseate Spoonbill. Adult Roseate Spoonbills, especially in breeding colors, look stunning in any pose. Their new, paler-pink fledglings have learned to open those great wings and take short flights, but they’re still a bit unsteady here! Getting ready for take-off . . . Sometimes they manage […]
As I strolled the boardwalk last week, one of my favorite birds, the elusive Least Bittern, suddenly appeared! What a treat to watch her in full view, slowly making her way through the marsh. But she was soon out of view . . . This video clip above is a more typical Least Bittern sighting […]
Very small fish make up more than 90% of the Tricolored Heron (TCH)’s diet, so it always amazes me how much energy they invest in catching these little morsels of food! ☺️ Unlike Great Blue Herons and Little Blue Herons, who are very deliberate, slow and patient foragers, the Tricoloreds are generally much more active. […]
April – May is a great time to spot VERY CUTE baby birds in the wetlands! ☀️ Two hungry Red-winged Blackbird fledglings beg mama to hurry back with more breakfast. Red-winged Blackbirds usually have a clutch of 2-4 eggs, which they incubate for about two weeks. But the chicks soon fledge and leave the nest […]
I’ve written MANY posts about Red-winged Blackbirds (RWBBs) (BirdersJourney) over the years, but it’s always exciting the first time I spot new nests – and eggs! – in the spring. The mom who laid these eggs was sitting on them but flew off just after I caught sight of her. This female was still working […]
Birder's Journey 