Autumn Colors
I don't recall the leaves on the live oak tree at our previous house in Orlando "turning" colors this early in the season, but this stand of trees near Clermont are in full "autumn display". Around here we have been used to raking leaves in January and February.
Lone Cypress
I'm always fascinated by the "knees" that develop on these old cypress trees. Judging from the water marks on this tree, the water level in this lake is down by at least 7 feet this year due to the drought we've been experiencing in Florida for the past few years.
Pelican and Egrets at Honeymoon Island
Here are some other pictures I took at Honeymoon Island State Park.
Cardinal
This cardinal was very close, but also very fleet of foot. Every time I would get a bead on him he'd move before I got the camera lens focused in. He stood still long enough for me to snap this shot, but as you can see he was a little camera shy.
Grey Squirrel Stockpiling Food
I stopped at a restaurant a few days ago in Bradenton. When I returned to my truck after eating I found this squirrel stockpiling food in a tree near the parking lot.
Palm Sola Botannical Park
I took a short drive to Bradenton, FL this morning and snapped this photo at Palma Sola Botanical Park.
Great Egret
The Great Egret is a white heron with long, black legs, and feet. It's yellow bill is long and straight. In flight, the neck is pulled back in the S-curve. For more information, click here.
Ducks
There's a lot to be said for bigger zoom lenses. I guess I got a little too close in my attempt to photograph this duck and frightened him away, but the trail of water he left behind made this photograph more interesting.
Little Blue Heron
I was driving around today during lunch time and ran across this Little Blue Heron perched near a local retention pond.
Common Moorhen
I thought this bird was a duck, but when I looked it up the only "duck" with a similar appearance is found in Mexico to Argentina and not in the United States. I since learned that this is a Common Moorhen. There were five of them in a local retention pond when I snapped this photo.I should have known it wasn't a duck from it's antics. The ducks in the same pond were very jumpy and skitterish. The ducks would fly off with the slightest movement. But the Moorhen was very at ease and allowed me to snap several photos and walk closer and closer. In fact, I grew tired of watching the Moorhen before it got tired of posing.
Florida Manatee Pictures
Here is an unusual manatee picture that I took at the TECO manatee viewing area in Apollo Beach. With the cooler water temperatures, the manatees were in close to shore and very active in the sunshine.
Wood Stork
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service there are 8,000 breeding pairs of wood storks in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina. They are currently considered an endangered bird species.
Weedon Island Preserve St. Petersburg, FL
I took this picture from a platform that overlooks one of the inlets in Weedon Island Preserve in Pinnellas County Florida. The preserve is just off U.S. 92 near the Gandy Bridge.
I love it when I get lucky with a mirror image photo like this one.
Roeseate Spoonbill
It was very overcast when these photos were taken and the color quality of these roseate spoonbill pictures suffered a little bit, but they are still a rare capture in Florida.
Prior to taking the first picture, he'd been stirring around in the water quite a bit. He used the spoon bill to ruffle up the feathers to help them dry out.
I've also noticed that these birds spend quite a bit of time with their eyes closed. In many of the shots I took the eyes were closed.
If you're wondering about the funny looking bird in the background - it's a wood stork. The spoonbills and wood storks are often found together. They like similar water depths for feeding /hunting and are often found in the same areas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
