Gatorland, Kissimmee, Florida

When good friends come to our neck of the woods, we try to take them where they want to go.  This time, with both of them being birders, Gatorland in Kissimmee was the location.  They had heard about the rookery that was teeming with Egrets, Herons, Anhingas and various other Florida birds, nesting within, at times, literally feet of the boardwalk.  They were eager to get there!

Upon arrival we immediately stopped at the first "pit", (a large water and alligator filled enclosure), to take pictures of the Great White Heron waiting there, amongst the alligators for a hotdog hand-out.  Note:  Hotdogs are sold to the customers to feed the alligators, but the birds find stealing them a real treat and sometimes a challenge.  We proceeded to see pretty much all of Gatorland, save the wetland boardwalk, which is new and not yet a picture taking adventure, (especially during the hottest part of the day).

The rookery was, as expected, full of photo opportunities.  There were nesting water birds of all kinds, (most in their breeding plummage), some with eggs in their nests and some with almost full grown chicks.  It was a fun watching the birds build their nests, fight over placement of the sticks and grouse to one another about all sorts of 'birdy issues'.



We love when our friends visit.  We wish that they'd come up more often!

A Perfect Day At The Viera Wetlands

And the definition of a perfect day for me, would be taking pictures outside in the beautiful Florida weather, of something nature oriented, with people I care about.  I can truly think of nothing more wonderful than having a camera in hand, focusing on, let's say in this case a beautiful green heron hunting for fish, poised and seemingly frozen, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, while at the same time being able to watch the excitement on the faces of my friends, and or loved ones, as they enjoy this spectacle as much as I.  Yesterday was that perfect day!

After receiving a call from a long time dear friend and a brief discussion, we decided to meet at the Viera Wetlands for an afternoon of birding.  She, her husband and I, cameras in hand, (the only sad part of this day was that W.W. couldn't be there with us.  My life is so much richer and more fulfilling with her in my general proximity), formed a car caravan and started our photographic journey.  Having never been to the Viera Wetlands, they decided that I was sort of the ad hoc tour guide, so I was designated to the lead car.  My instructions were simple; stay to the left, stop when you want, pass me if need be, enjoy yourself and take lots of pictures!

It was about 3:00pm when we started and as usual at Viera, the birds were everywhere.  American Coots and Common Moorhens greeted us upon entry with their guttural call, (a sort of grunt-quack).  A quick scan of the area assured me that it would be another great day, as an Osprey called, in flight, from a short distance, a Green Heron perched on a stand-pipe just to our right, (which put him clearly on the picture agenda), and numerous Grackles flew very low overhead from the dead snags deep in the bog to the pine trees lining the scenic drive-way.  

Our first reason to stop was a Great Blue Heron posed for us, standing on one leg, scratching his beak with the other.  At this time of day the sun is pretty much directly in front of you as you enter the park, (you are driving due west) and it's only after you get to the back of the park are you afforded the perfect photographic opportunity, with the sun now at your back.  However, this doesn't stop very many people from taking pictures, (some because they know what they are doing and some because they don't)!

Our second subject was a rare find, (for me anyway), a Least Bittern.  This allusive bird usually stands stock still, head pointing directly up, so to look like the cat-tails surrounding her, until she strikes with deadly accuracy, grabbing an unwary fish or crustacean.  However as I was slowly driving by a small group of cattails, I was just lucky enough to see her flex her wing, (she was probably cramping having stood in the same position for a long period of time).  I had to point her out to my friends, (she did blend in quite well with her surroundings), and we did get some wonderful pictures of her as she moved stealthily through the reeds.

The day was filled with many, many different birds.  We saw the usual, aforementioned American Coots and Common Moorhens, along with all types of herons, (Great Blue, Tri-color, Little Blue, Green and the ever present Cattle Egret), Grackles, Crows, White and Glossy Ibis, Red Winged Blackbirds, (who along with the Grackles were in the process of gathering nesting materials for the coming nesting season), and many, many others.  Even a snake was seen, sunning itself on the bank of the bog in the short weeds.

As I said, it was a perfect day!   This wetlands is a "must see" for any serious birder or nature lover.

Squirrels

This morning the sky was a crisp blue, the wind had died down to a gentle breeze and the sun was shining brightly.  I had such high hopes for a great birding photo shoot.  I was wrong.

Oh sure, the birds were around, flying from branch to branch, chirping from the deep recesses of the copse and pretty much teasing me to let me know that they knew I was out there, but they must have gotten together late last night and decided that they didn't want their pictures taken this morning.  It's a good thing that the squirrels of the neighborhood weren't invited to their meeting!  And why would they?  That's like inviting a cat to a dog park!

After putting out our usual mixture of seeds, peanuts and this morning an added bonus of peanut butter filled pretzels, I waited.  A Blue Jay did a stop and go, grabbing a peanut never to be seen again.  However, here came the squirrels.  First one, (I suspect it was "Mom", as she looked like she'd just weaned a litter of pups), then another, (this one was smaller and he gave "Mom" a wide berth, going to the other feeder twenty feet to the north.

Since no birds were cooperating, I decided to take pictures of our little furry friends.  It's so nice to have a family of squirrels in the copse that never bother the birds, wreck the feeders or eat all the food, (as they are purported to do).  Ours are rather docile and let me get quite close before jumping to the safety of a nearby tree.

 Some days you just have to take what nature gives you.  Today it was squirrels.  Tomorrow????