Circle B Bar Reserve

I have an ever-growing list of places I like to visit in Florida for birding and photography. At the top of the list for the last few years has been the Circle B Bar Reserve near Lakeland. I was all set to go last year but came down with the flu the day before we headed south and so ended up with an unproductive visit as far as photography or much of anything else. 

This year I was not going to miss another chance and so we headed inland on the day before Christmas with my mom and dad in tow. We had not been able to find out much on-line or by calling so were disappointed when we arrived to find the nature center closed for the holiday and a large portion of the paths closed to hiking. 

Even so, I have to say the experience was memorable and it is definitely a place I will continue to visit every chance I get. The sheer amount of birdlife was amazing. And what was there seemed to have very little concern for the excited public walking the well-marked trails through their habitat. 

 Some of my favorites were the Limpkins. Their strident voices could be heard from the time we arrived and there seemed to be brown and white birds everywhere we looked. At one point I heard an especially loud voice and when I tracked it down I discovered an adult Limpkin apparently warning her youngster who seemed to be wandering too close to a large alligator.

 I think these birds are beautiful and the shape of their bills is a study in evolution as they seem perfectly designed to get into the apple snails that make up most of their diet.

 Although birds are the most abundant inhabitants of the reserve, they are certainly not the only ones. This turtle seemed to pick a questionable location in the middle of one of the lesser used trails to lay its eggs.

 We spotted Sandhill Cranes in a number of locations. Although I have seen many of the big birds in the past, it was fascinating to watch them apparently hunting in water that reached up to their bellies.

 One of the more unusual birds that makes the marshland of the reserve its home is the Black-bellied Whistling Duck. They are easily identified by their beautiful colors, including the reddish bills.

This Snowy Egret, below, was nice enough to walk through a patch of wildflowers that mimicked the color of its lores.

Other birds we saw were Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Glossy Ibis, Coopers Hawk, Red Shouldered Hawk, Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles and even a few Pied-billed Grebes. I am sure I am missing some but one of my goals for this year is to finally start recording my sightings so hopefully next time I visit this amazing place, I will be able to relate all the things I see!

A Tale of Da Feet

I spent a week in Florida over the Christmas holidays. While the main purpose was to visit family, I admit I was thrilled at the opportunity to photograph birds. It is not that I have no chance of doing so in Northern Wyoming in the winter but there is no doubt the avian population here is greatly reduced in terms of species this time of year. 

This first collection of Florida birds is not representative of my best shots - instead it is a small study in the incredible diversity of feet!  

It is easy to see why Anhingas are commonly known as Darters in many places! In this shot I was able to get a really good look at the bird's large webbed feet which it uses to propel itself through the water as it swims in search of food. 

 I wasn't planning on including this photo of a Great Blue Heron flying overhead but I was struck by the length and straightness of the bird's legs and feet as it soared by. I am sure it is incredibly aerodynamic with its neck pulled in and its legs stretched out behind it.

The Common Moorhen has really impressive feet with remarkably long toes that help it walk on floating vegetation. I am not sure I have ever seen one perched on a branch before but it really allowed me a good look at the oversized yellow-green appendages!

One of the easiest ways to identify a Snowy Egret is by its "golden slippers". I usually try to avoid photographing birds and animals from behind but in this case the easily seen feet were the focus!

Wood Storks use their feet as well as their bills to stir up prey as they move through the water. It is not unusual to see them standing at rest with one foot raised and relaxed. I always think "tree pose" of yoga should be renamed "stork pose"!