We had the pleasure of visiting Orlando Wetlands again two weeks ago. Always one of my absolute favorite places! Thereās so much to see there at this time of year, and Iām sure Iāll post other photos soon. But I just couldnāt resist starting with the Roseate Spoonbills. The Spoonbills were very actively flying back-and-forth […]
Category Archives: Birds
I loved watching this juvenile Purple Gallinule making his way independently through the marsh. Looks like heās just learning the ropes. āŗļø But how do we know this a Purple Gallinule, and how can we tell itās a juvenile? Several unique features make it unmistakable: long, bright yellow āchicken legsā, a distinctive red and yellow […]
The bright yellow eyes of a Least Bittern suddenly ļæ¼popped out of the dense marsh leaves as I walked by. Once I saw this furtive little beauty, I waited ever so patiently for him to make himself a little more visible so I could get a really good shot. š Knowing how elusive Least Bitterns […]
Fall is one of my favorite times of year in the wetlands. The weather is getting cooler and the humidity is gone. Everything is still mostly lush and green. But the Bald Cypress are beginning to look bare as their needle-like leaves turn rust-colored and fall to the ground (read more cool info about Bald […]
I spotted this handsome little Red-bellied Woodpecker foraging for goodies high up in a tree in the Morikami Japanese Gardens. His diet consists mostly of insects, spiders, and other arthropods, but he also may be enjoying bits of plant material here. Hereās a Cool Fact: āA Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 […]
This delicate little yellow bird was busy flitting from branch to branch when I caught sight of her. The Prairie Warbler “forages mainly by taking insects while perched or hopping on branches or twigs. Also catches flying insects in mid-air, and takes insects from undersides of leaves (and spiders from their webs) while hovering.” (Audubon) […]
Just came back from an evening walk at our favorite wetlands. A slight movement here in the dense marsh foliage made me take a closer look – and there he was! How lovely to encounter this Least Bittern climbing deftly from stem to stem right in front of us. āŗļø
Despite their prevalence here in our local wetlands, I haven’t posted in a very long time about Wood Storks. The Wood Stork is a “bald-headed wading bird [that] stands just over 3 feet tall, towering above almost all other wetland birds.” (All About Birds). The adult’s head is bald and scaly in appearance, and its […]
How much more beautiful can this lovely Great Egret make itself? š
Barred Owls are SO good at camouflage! We nearly walked right by this quiet fellow, hiding in plain sight just a few yards off the trail.
Birder's Journey 