More Favorite Waterbirds

One of the most familiar large birds is the Great Egret. They are often seen in ditches and wet areas along the side of the road. They are just over three feet tall and fish much like the Great Blue Heron.


Take a close look at this one. You might notice the green patch from the eyes to the bill. This is only seen during breeding season.






These two birds certainly look different enough to be separate species, or at least male and female. Actually, they are both Snowy Egrets during the breeding season. But, for some reason, the one on the right has a raised crest.

There are three ways to distinguish these from the Great Egret. The Snowy Egrets are much smaller, they have black bills, and the most amazingly bright yellow feet.







White Ibises are a common sight in South Florida, usually in flocks walking though the grass looking for insects.

They are easy to identify because of their long, down-turned bills. The young White Ibises are brown or splotchy.

When you take pictures of birds, it's always nice to find them with nice reflections as in this picture.

One of my very favorite birds is the Green Heron. They are much smaller that the other herons at only a foot and a half long, but that's misleading. Sometimes their neck is stretched out and a shaggy crest raised to make them appear larger when they are alarmed. Most of the time they are hunched down looked smaller than a chicken.


They are most likely to be found along small streams, ponds or marshes in areas with overhanging bushes and trees. 


Check out the feet on this Green Heron.  I took thirty or forty pictures of this bird and no, he really doesn't have one foot turned backwards in any of the other pictures. I guess he just has flexible ankles.







We were very lucky one day in the Everglades to see this baby Green Heron

Their color provides good camouflage making them hard to see most of the time.

It took us a little while to guess who he might be.

And four other common waterbirds.


The Osprey is the bird who often wakes me in the morning, announcing that he has just caught a fish. Unlike the other birds described, the Osprey flies above the water and, when he spots a fish, dives down with his legs extended to reach down and catch the fish. Eagles fish in much the same way. The Osprey must be careful not to catch a fish that is too heavy or he won't be able to fly away with it.

They carry their fish to a branch, or a convenient dock piling where they tear off bites with their sharp bill.

The laughing gulls have been congregating on my dock in recent weeks. Their heads are mostly white now in January but we can see traces of the black that will be there in another month or two.

I'm not sure how they got the names "laughing." They certainly don't sound like they are laughing at anything. Their call, unlike other familiar gulls is more of a screeching sound.








I admit to having problems identifying most of the little shore birds like the sandpipers, but I don't have a problem with this graceful-looking bird. This is the Willet.

Sometimes they walk along the shore, but here he is getting his feet wet.

Favorite Florida Birds

Favorite Waterbirds in South Florida  
                                                                                



The Double-crested Cormorant is a familiar Florida bird.



We believe they spread their wings to let them dry but they might also be warming their wings.

Notice that the tail is very short.

We rarely see the double crest. We have seen them only once. We were at Everglades National Park and were lucky to be there during breeding season. 

In the picture on the right, you can see the double crests clearly. They look like feathery ears.

They usually swim on the surface and then dive for fish.

In this photo, you see a close-up view of a double-crested cormorant who has caught a catfish and, for some reason has brought it to shore to eat it. It took several minutes for the cormorant to position the catfish properly for eating - with the bird's head pointed up so the fish will go down more easily.







The Anhinga (or snake-bird) is often confused with the cormorants. Both perch on a branch to spread their wings. Both swim underwater to catch fish.

The Anhinga, however, spears their fish. They are also frequently seen swimming with only their head and neck above water.

                                                                                                                                                                                    The Anhinga has a longer and thinner neck and long pointed bill. It can also be identified by it's


The two birds to the left are females. They are easily identified by their pale, light brown neck and chest.

In the lower picture you can see that the female has caught a small fish. Their necks are too narrow to swallow large fish. 


                                                                       



Below are two pictures of  male Anhingas. It would be easy to think this was a different species from the birds above, but he has the same long narrow neck and long pointed bill.  During the breeding season, his wings show these distinctive black and white patterns.








On the left is a close-up of the male Anhinga.








This lovely scene near the Everglades shows a Great Blue Heron in a scenic wetland area.

In spite of the name, the bird is actually gray - those some refer to it as "blue-gray." Blue Herons are majestic birds about four feet tall and with have a wingspread of six feet.


It always comes as a surprise to me that the Osprey I often hear in the morning has a sharp but sweet call as he brags about the fish he just caught.

The Great Blue Heron, has a loud and raucous squawk.

They generally stand in shallow water, motionless, and then move suddenly to catch their fish. They will throw the fish up in the air and catch it several times until the head is down for easiest swallowing.