Sweetwater Wetlands Park: 10-29-17, Gainesville, FL

Female Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly

Snowy Egret

Spotted Sandpiper (minus spots that it will get in breeding plumage)

Big American Alligator

Brown Water Snake, non-venomous

White Ibis

WoodStork, North America’s only stork

Foragine

When they find a prey item they will rapidly slam their bill closed with a speed that is one of the fastest reaction times in the animal kingdom.

Deck shots

Blue Jays

Anhinga

It’s long tail accounts for its nickname, “Water Turkey."

Fish Crow

Very similar to the American Crow but with a different call.

Fish Crows build a new nest for each breeding attempt.  The nests are well-made, and one small area may have existing nests from up to four different years.

Big Bird

Preening Brown Pelican

It’s amazing all the spots they can reach with that hooked bill.

Reddish Egrets at North Shore Beach: 12-12-17

Reddish Egret, our rarest egret

 These birds have a wide variety of feeding behaviors.  Here one stands still with partially spread wings; schools of small fish may instinctively seek shelter in the shaded areas thus created, thereby becoming an easy target for the egret.

They are often very active, running through shallows with head tilted to one side, suddenly changing direction or leaping sideways.

Sometimes they will feed more placidly

This species returned to our area in 1974 after a hiatus of almost 100 years.

Range Map

Both parents feed the young; diet consists of mainly fish

This species, and many others as well, are now threatened by degradation and destruction of its preferred coastal habitat.

There is also a White morph

Ft Desoto, North Beach

Reddish Egrets are either dark or light for life, beginning with the downy stage in the nest.  Mated pairs may be of the same or different color morphs and broods of young may include either or both morphs.

Over most of its range, dark birds are more numerous.

And occasionally some unusual feather patterns occur, possibly leucism of some degree (Three Rooker Bar- just off the coast of northern Pinellas county)

North Shore Beach: 12-12-17

Marbled Godwits, a winter visitor

Nests of these birds are not easily found, as they don’t tend to readily flush off their eggs.  Incubating adults can sometimes even be picked up from the nest.

Geographic variation does occur as birds breeding in Alaska have shorter wings and legs than those breeding in the Great Plains.

Black Skimmers