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 […]
Tag Archives: Orlando Wetlands
We enjoyed a magnificent morning watching the elegant foraging maneuvers of the Snowy Egrets. One of the highlights of our visit to Orlando Wetlands! The water was a perfect, beautiful deep blue! The temperature was heavenly! ☀️ Non-stop grace in action! . . . . . . . But every once in a while the […]
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 […]
When I visited Orlando Wetlands a couple of months ago, the Sandhill Crane parents were busy sitting on a nest. And now look at how big their adorable colts are getting!! The little ones are amazingly mobile not long after hatching. “Their down dries 2 to 3 hours after hatching, by which time their eyes […]
Endlessly having fun . . . 1. Chase away competitors, 2. make a quick landing and grab a bite to eat, 3. take off . . . . . . and Repeat!
The stately Sandhill Cranes, year-round residents throughout Florida, are called ‘iconic members of the Florida ecosystem’ by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Below is a Florida Sandhill Crane distribution map from the University of Florida IFAS Extension illustrating the species’ broad range throughout North America, including its widespread presence in Florida. The Cranes […]
I recently spent an overcast morning at Orlando Wetlands, one of my favorite birding spots . . . Despite the clouds, it was still as lovely as ever~! A new half-mile long curving boardwalk was completed last winter, taking visitors across one of the lakes and providing previously inaccessible views of the marsh and cypress […]
We recently encountered this handsome Great Blue Heron fishing off a concrete wall at the Orlando Wetlands. Even though I’ve blogged about Great Blue‘s more than any other species, he was just too good looking to pass up~! I used to think of the Great Blue Heron as THE iconic Florida bird, but later realized […]
Roseate Spoonbills gather, as if on display. What a sight to behold as we started walking down the trail recently at Orlando Wetlands 💕~!
All young birds are pretty darn cute, but this guy really makes me smile! Amazingly, Sandhill Crane chicks are able to leave the nest just ONE day after hatching and follow the parents around! They stay close to the parents for 9-10 months (Audubon Field Guide). We’ve seen much younger Sandhill Crane colts in the […]
Birder's Journey 