“At distance, Glossy Ibises look uniformly dark, but a close look in good light reveals stunning colors: deep maroon, emerald, bronze, and violet.” (All About Birds) I was surprised to learn that the Glossy Ibis breeds throughout the world, but “they were almost unknown in the US, even in the 19th century. John James Audubon […]
Category Archives: photography
We are fortunate to have Wood Ducks like this handsome pair appearing in our wetlands regularly in recent years. These cavity nesters enjoy our freshwater marsh and have nested there in a hollow, dead palm tree overhanging the pond. But you have to be there at just the right moment if you hope to watch […]
It’s actually very easy to get this close to an alligator…. (though a photo like this is best taken with a long lens!) After all, we birders frequent many of the same natural areas that ‘gators do. When the weather is just right, alligators love sunning themselves along the edges of pathways and trails. But […]
Yellow-crown Night Herons are found throughout Florida, but we don’t often see them actually nesting in our local wetlands. This spring, however, there were three different breeding pairs nesting high up over the mile-long boardwalk! “Nests are constructed by both birds, but it is more the case that the male gathers sticks and the female […]
Red-winged Blackbird females have been very busy in the last few weeks! It was such a delight to spot the one above, singing her morning song. ☀️ This is the time of year we see the perfect little nests of Red-winged Blackbirds popping up everywhere in the wetlands. Often they are constructed in a V-shaped […]
Just one of those sunny mornings when you look out across the pond and spot a Snowy Egret reflected in the water~! 😌
It’s that time of year again~! 💙♥️. Just this week, BirdNote published a cool piece about Great Blue nesting behavior: A heron nest starts with just one stick. “Great blue herons don’t mate for life, but they do have elaborate courtship rituals that help pairs form strong bonds. Their mating displays include bill snapping, neck […]
Distinguished by its black legs and bright yellow feet, this elegant Snowy Egret’s ‘golden slippers’ are barely visible as it treads gently through the thick marsh looking for a tasty morsel. We are fortunate to have Snowy Egrets as year-round residents here in South Florida. They are truly a conservation success story! “The species was […]
We had the pleasure of visiting Orlando Wetlands again two weeks ago. Always one of my absolute favorite places! There’s so much to see there at this time of year, and I’m sure I’ll post other photos soon. But I just couldn’t resist starting with the Roseate Spoonbills. The Spoonbills were very actively flying back-and-forth […]
I loved watching this juvenile Purple Gallinule making his way independently through the marsh. Looks like he’s just learning the ropes. ☺️ But how do we know this a Purple Gallinule, and how can we tell it’s a juvenile? Several unique features make it unmistakable: long, bright yellow “chicken legs”, a distinctive red and yellow […]
Birder's Journey 