Snail Kite

Hello,

I never got around to sharing this Florida lifer, the Snail Kite. I was able to see this raptor a few times at the Circle B Reserve in Lakeland Florida.

 The Snail Kite is a bird of prey and is included in the group with the Eagles, Hawks and old World Vultures.

The Snail Kite has a dark deeply hooked beak.

The female has dark upperparts and streaked pale underparts.

I believe the Snail Kite migrates in the winter, breeds in the Caribbean, South American and Southern Florida.

Thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday's Critters #173

Saturday's Critters #173

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

I have not been many places since being home, one reason is the weather has not been cooperating. But luckily, I have tons of photos from my visits to the Circle B Reserve in Lakeland Florida. I do not think I will ever get around to showing all of them. I am trying to pick out my favorite birds and critters. 

Another favorite the Belted Kingfisher. 

 A couple of Sandhill Cranes on the trail.

A pretty Tricolored Heron.

Common Moorhen and reflection.

A soft shelled turtle, look at that nose.

My favorite, the Green Heron

Baby gators

I am pretty sure this is the Eastern Phoebe.

Bald Eagle and nest.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Hello,

I am sharing another great Florida park called Sweetwater Wetlands Park near Gainesville Florida. Sweetwater is considered a thriving habitat of 125 acres of wetlands and ponds. We met a Florida resident and birder at the Paynes Prairie Park earlier in the day and he told us that Sweetwater was a great place for seeing birds. Thankfully our Garmin GPS and my Iphone were able to take us there.

At Sweetwater Wetlands there are 3.5 miles of gravel trails and boardwalks. It was a pretty day for a walk on the trails and a lovely sky.

A Sora, a small secretive rail that hangs out in the marshes. It has a triangle body shape with a small yellow bill.

Black-bellied Whistling ducks with some Cormorants in the background.

This shot below looks better enlarged, there is a Belted Kingfisher perched on a stick in the background, a Great Blue Heron, two Wood Storks and a Limpkin far lower right.

Cormorant with fish.

A pretty blue sky with the white puffy clouds.

I believe these are two Savannah Sparrows below. These sparrows have a little telltale yellow colors near their eyes.

A Wood Stork showing off it's pretty wings.

I am sharing two videos, one with a large group of Whistling Ducks and Cormorants. the second video was of an alligator crossing the trail.





Be thankful for each day, because not everyone gets to see another one. 


For my thankful list today:
I am thankful for my Garmin GPS
I am thankful for friendly and nice people we meet on our outings.
I am thankful for blue skies and puffy white clouds.

Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday
I am also linking up to Skywatch Friday, I hope to see you there.

Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

Crested Caracara

Hello,

I am sharing the Crested Caracara, a raptor seen in Florida. We saw this bird in several places and up close in the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State park. It was also seen along the roads hanging out with the vultures eating road kill.

The Crested Caracara is a resident of these Florida prairie lands and range land.

This raptor has a crest, naked face and a heavy bill.

The Crested Caracara are on the decline due to their habitat being converted to housing development.

This is one of my Florida Birds. My first sightings of this raptor was in Costa Rica. I also saw it in Panama and Curacao. Thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday's Critters #172

Saturday's Critters #172

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

I am sharing our sightings from a visit to the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Gainesville, Fl. This park was fantastic, where can you go where you see alligators, wild horses, bison or buffalo, thousands of Sandhill Cranes and more wild birds all in one place.

I have to admit the numerous gators around were a little scary, I was glad they were on the opposite side of the water.

They are able to come up on the trail and there were warnings to keep your distance from the wild animals in this park. Can you see the gators laying on the ground across the pond? There is nothing stopping the gators from walking up on our side of the trail. This is a park and not a zoo, the animals are wild and free to roam. The La Chau trail is 2.5 miles starts out with a boardwalk and then goes out to a lookout tower.

There had to be a thousand or more Sandhill Cranes and possibly one Whooping Crane seen on the day we went to this park.

I have to work on my flight shots. Besides the Sandhill Cranes on the grounds we saw hundreds of them in the sky.

Buffalo or are they called bison roam this park.

A pretty sighting of a Cattle Egret.

A few Killdeer were seen off the trail.

I made a collage of the birds sighted at this park:
Top row: Anhinga male and female, Mockingbird and a Great Blue Heron
Second row: Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron, Blue-winged teals, Wilson's Snipe.
Third row: Yellowlegs, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron.
Bottom row: various shorebirds, Sandhill Cranes, Shoveler, various Teals and ducks.

The wild horses roam free along with the buffalo.

The wild horses and some Sandhill Cranes.

A very distant look at the Sandhill Cranes and one brighter white Crane that may possibly be the Whooping Crane. It was seen at this park on the day we went.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.