Florida headshots

I recently took a trip to Southern Florida. Here is a quick series of "head shots" of some of the birds that allowed me to get very close. There is no particular order to these photos, I made an identification error last week while naming one of these birds. If you see anything that is wrong, please let me know. I hope you enjoy them.

Willet on the beach on Sanibel Island, Florida

Palm Warbler, Flamingo, Everglades National Park

Nesting Osprey

Male Boat-tailed Grackle bathing at a boat ramp along Interstate 75

American Alligator. I know it is not a bird but I could not bird in Florida with out being aware of how many Alligators, turtles and smaller lizards were present. I did not see living snakes.

Green Alone. I do not know how old you are but when I was a kid every pet store in Wisconsin sold these. I remember buying one for a quarter and it laid an egg the next day. I spent the following three months waiting for it to hatch in a makeshift terrarium I made out of a dill pickle jar. I was a strange kid, not much has changed.

Roseate Spoonbill in flight. These birds were difficult to get close to this will give you an idea of how bizarre they are.

I am not a big "Gull" fan. I believe this to be an adult Laughing Gull. He looks good in his winter colors.

This Millipede was about six inches long, just for that it deserves it's own head shot.

Great Egret at sunrise on Sanibel Island, Florida

Just feet away from the photo above this Great Blue Heron allowed to get just as close. Both birds allowed me to get with in ten feet. They are accustom to local fishermen and often mooch fish.

This is a HEAD SHOT, what is it? Think fast....ready? Scroll down and you'll see

Sandhill Crane. I stopped at a rest area on I-75 between Naples and Fort Meyers and found three cranes grazing in the picnic area. They allowed me to come within twenty feet and all three were posers.

Wood Stork at sunset on the golf course in Pembroke Pines, Florida. I love this picture, it came out so surreal with the sunset in back and the flash up front.

Drake Mottled Duck.
When I first saw this duck I thought it was just a hen Mallard. When it walked out of the water and I saw bright orange legs I had to look again. This is a new life list bird for me and I did not even know it until I looked at the photos.

Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Glossy Ibis

Soft Shelled Turtle

Green Heron. As I compared birding notes with two gentlemen from England in the Everglades National Park, This bird walked along the edge of the pond just feet from us.

Tri-colored Heron

Brown Pelican

American Crocodile. This big boy is at the Flamingo "marina" in the Everglades National Park. He was in the same spot a few years ago when I was there.

In the Puget Sound area I have found three crows with white on their feathers this year. In the Everglades I came across this fourth Crow with a color deviation. It's face had these white highlights and the wing feathers were more brown then black. The other crows in it's group were all the normal black.

Northern Mocking Bird

Anahinga

Grey Catbird

As I got of the car at the Everglades visitor's center early in the morning I caught this double head shot. The lizard is an Anole, the Bird a Great Crested Flycatcher

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I am not sure which was more surprising, the number of Iguanas I found or the number of places in which I found them.

Purple Gallinue. A stunning and interesting animal.

Common Moorhen. I do not see anything "common" about this bird. I find it rather noteworthy for a Coot.

Female Boat-tailed Grackle.

Another lizard I found in the bush. At times there were so many lizards scampering around in the tall grass and weeds I just left, they warned all of the birds in the area. This one has big feet and that awesome headgear.

Swan or Chinese Goose.

Muscovy Duck

White Ibis

Egyptian Goose

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk

Turkey Vulture. Take a minute to compare this bird with the following two Black Vultures.

A juvenile Black Vulture? I say that cause when you see the next picture you can not think anything else.

Black Vulture Adult? Do the wrinkles come with age?

Just something to do with all the snow on the ground now. Be safe and take care.