Green Heron

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Scratching – Orlando Wetlands Park – May 2015
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Lines – Orlando Wetlands Park – May 2015

“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”- Henry David Thoreau

The more I read in Florida’s American Heritage River by Mallory M. O’Connor and Gary Monroe the greater appreciation I have for the lands along the St Johns River. I need to schedule a trip north a bit to explore Payne’s Prairie and the Oklawaha River – a tributary of the St Johns. It may have to wait until fall, dawn is getting to be too early for long range exploring, unless I leave at 4 AM – early even for me.

Quote found at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/earth

Morning Gathering

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Morning Gathering – Orlando Wetlands Park – May 2015

I have been inspired by the Heritage Rivers book about the St Johns. So as the spring turns into summer here I’m going to focus more on landscapes. Here in Florida we are challenged by the terrain – there are vast expanses of flatness and this does not lend it self to traditional landscape photography. So please bear with me on my journey and perhaps we can discover something! But don’t worry there will still be ample birds, bugs, and flowers.

Bird Day #A

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Black-Belly Whistling Ducks – Orlando Wetlands Park – May 1015
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Pair 0 Owls – Lake Monroe Park – May 2015

“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings” – Salvador Dali

Whistling ducks are really pretty, their feathers appear like they are painted. It’s black belly whistling duck season – so these are probably not the last ones you’ll see.

As for the owls – not a great picture, just proud if myself for spotting them. So I wanted to share. And yes, screech owls really do screech, I heard them for quite some time after they left their roost.

Quote found at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/bird.html

Variety

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Feeding Time – Orlando Wetlands Park – April 2015
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Speaking of Eating – Orlando Wetlands Park – April 2015

Two wood Storks, a spoonbill and an ibis. The spoonbills were hunted to near extinction in the early 1900’s. Their feathers were prized for women’s hats. By the 1930’s there were 30-40 known breeding pairs in Florida. They have made a great comeback.

Speaking of comebacks the wood stork has “graduated” from endangered to threatened!

Second picture is an anhinga after just spearing his dinner.

Eagle

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Eagle – Orlando Wetlands Park – April 2015
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Eagle Profile – Orlando Wetlands Park – April 2015
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Eagle on a Snag – Orlando Wetlands Park – April 2015

“The eyesight for an eagle is what thought is to a man” – Dejan Stojanovic, Serbian Poet

The eagles talons, eyesight, and beak are formidable however the sound it makes is somewhat weak. Listen at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/sounds

Quote found at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/eagles