boat-tailed grackle, Quiscalus major
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Welcome to Florida! It's flat except for those moving speed-bumps. |
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Another member of the welcoming committee. |
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Some of the animals we saw were familiar, like this double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) |
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I'd also seen common moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) before, in Texas. |
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And I've seen a few pied-billed grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) in New England... |
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But the ones here seemed particularly unafraid of me. |
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I think this is a Soldier Butterfly, Danaus erisimus |
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Next we encountered a family of Limpkins (Aramus guarauna) |
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One of the youngsters had a broken bill. |
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They kept an eye on us, but kept moving closer. |
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Close-up on a limpkin. |
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It's hard to be sure from the photo, but I think this is one of the two adults. |
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Limpkin crossing the trail. You can see the delicate construction of the beak. |
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This shot shows the feathers more clearly (the limpkin wasn't moving except for one leg). |
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This youngster seemed to have an eye infection. |
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Another view of the youngster with the broken bill. |
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One of the adults, scratching its back with its bill. |
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Then scratching its neck with its talons. |
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Standing guard over the broken-billed youngster, who tended to lag behind (probably going hungry). |
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Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) |
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This is a Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica), a relative of moorhens. |
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Another shot of the gallinule. |
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A turtle. |
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Another pied-billed grebe. Grebes have tiny bodies in relation to their heads. |
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Very common in the Everglades: a Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) |
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A White Peacock butterfly, Anartia jatrophae. |
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An anhinga, Anhinga anhinga. |
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Two turtles sharing a dead tree with the anhinga. |
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Back to the anhinga: a series of photos showing that long neck in use. |
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Anhingas have an unusual skull shape for a bird: |
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a very small head with protruding eyes. |
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A small alligator approaching the anhinga. |
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The anhinga is keeping an eye on the 'gator. |
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A cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) |
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Cardinals are common back home, but these are my best shots of one yet. |
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This one is my favorite. |
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Back to deeper water to photograph some more alligators. |
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This was a big one - we called him "Fred." |
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Fred got bored of having his picture taken after a while. |
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A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) perched on the sign where the cormorant used to be. |
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The photo didn't quite capture it, but a flurry of dandelion-like seeds was passing by. |
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This male boat-tailed grackle (Quiscalus major) was obviously hoping for a hand-out. |
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It can be hard to identify the species of a grackle, but brown eyes are unique to boat-tailed grackles of Florida and the Gulf coast. |
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See the eyes? (Did I mention he was unafraid of us?) |
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A nearly-adult purple gallinule under our feet (the "forehead" hasn't turned white yet). |
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This gar was an unintended catch - it snatched at the bait as the hook was being reeled in after a missed cast. |
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Having briefly flown elsewhere, the great blue heron returns. |
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A short series of in-flight shots. |
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Heron in flight |
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Trading speed for height as it approaches its perch. |
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Nearly hovering now. |
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Great blue heron making a landing. I like this shot because it shows the spread feathers of the alulas (thumbs). |
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I'll end with some more photos of the sub-adult purple gallinule. |
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Gallinule with ruffled feathers. |
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Gallinule showing white undertail while walking on floating leaves. |
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Look at the size of those feet! |