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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Florida Pictures: Part Eight

One day we had the opportunity to go to a nature park and walk around.
It was one of our best days in Florida, because I love all the wild birds there.
I sure wasn't disappointed.

Right there on the shore were beautiful white birds with huge wings:



Entertaining me with standing on one leg and fishing about in shallow water:

Is there anyone in Florida who can tell me what kind of birds they are? They look like a white pelican, but I am not sure? A stork?

There were the regular pelicans I see all about, and I love them (as you know!):




And then I spied this bird!
I think it was a blue heron:






The clouds got dark and I got this profile of a pelican:







I think this is a baby Cormorant playing in the water:





These guys were spotted as we first arrived and didn't even walk into the park yet:






He was looking for fish so hard, he didn't even see me for quite some time:







I loved this weird position the pelican got in as the dark clouds shadowed him!
Perfect for a horror movie, right?:





The wing span was SO AWESOME:
I thought of Karate Kid when they were teaching him the position of balance!


We had such a good time there.

Sometimes, you don't need the glitz of Disneyworld, Sea World or Universal Studios...
you just need a wonderful park and a camera.

Disney=nice, but expensive

Bird hunting for tropical birds at the park=PRICELESS.....

24 comments:

Richard said...

In the sixth pic is a cormorant.Black feathers and reddish bill.

Lucy said...

When we're in Florida, we're always stopping by the side of the road to look at things. When you've just come from winter's coldness, everything is so lush and gorgeous, it's eye candy for sure!

Brian Miller said...

the just into flight pics make them look so regal...and the shadows against the sky...wow! happy saturday friend.

The Retired One said...

Richard: You are right! I should have recognized it. I have Pelicans on my brain. Thanks for the correction! I will revise the post!

Lucy and Dick: It sure was "eye candy"..good way to describe it!

Brian: thanks, Bri...and I hope you have a great weekend.

DJan said...

Such wonderful bird pictures! Of course I enjoyed them immensely. I think the world without birds would be so boring, and the world without YOUR pictures of them would be so sad. Thanks again for sharing them.

Unknown said...

You have some prize-winning pictures there! Have you ever submitted any to a contest or for publication?

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Absolutely Joan.... We don't have to spend boo-koos of money in order to see the beauty all around us. Love your bird pictures. My fav is the first profile one of the pelican... WOW!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

L. D. said...

Another set of great photos. I like how the pelicans just pose for you and don't make a move. What a wonderful sky shot you have there also.

Bernie said...

Amazing clear, crisp photos......so relaxing to come here this morning. SIL called last night from Florida, they are taking a bird watching course, zumba exercise, computer course, golf every day.....they love Florida even though it's cool right now. Yup if I can get my passport worked our in time I am going down for a couple of weeks for sure.........:-)Hug

The Retired One said...

DJan: You are most welcome! Thanks for the sweet comments you always leave me.

Eva: No I haven't but others are encouraging me to do so.

Betsy: Thanks so much!

L.D.: Yes, the Pelicans and I have an understanding. ha

Bernie: Oh, I hope you can do it and soon! And make SURE your camera is fixed in time for your trip. I will love hearing that you are going. We will be back down there at the end of April because our youngest daughter is due to have her baby then. I hope it is warm down there by then! ha

Steve said...

Your photographs are beautiful - keep them coming! It is very sad that so many creatures living in Florida are suffering at the moment because of the unseasonal cold spell. I never realized the temperature could get that low in Florida.

Insanitykim said...

I probably sound like a broken record, but awesome as always!!

Did u see the snowflakes I posted on FB?

VaBookworm87 said...

I love the silhouettes on the pylons!

lol Something in the back of my brain told me you don't do awards. I figured I'd go ahead and list your blog though... Yours is one of the few I read regularly, so I wanted to share the link with others :oD

Jientje said...

It's definitely NOT a stork, I would know. Storks are a familiar sight here in Belgium.
I would not know what he is though.
I can tell you had fun, your pictures are magnificent!

Amy said...

Great pictures! I grew up in the area you visited and it is great to see it from a vacationer's perspective. And, I believe the white bird is an ibis.

Pearl said...

Incredible, aren't they? Birds. :-)

Pearl

The Retired One said...

Steve: Thanks. Yes, I thought of them when I saw on the news all of the cold that Florida is getting. Did you see the news about the Iquanas just falling out of trees? It is so sad!

Insanity: I missed the snowflakes..I will go back and look at FB to see them!

VaBookworm: And I am so glad you did!
Thanks again for the award..it is such an honor to get one and so nice of you to list my blog as one of them...It was so nice of you.

Jientje: thanks so much! I love all of your photography too!

Amy: The white bird with the black wing tips that I showed in the first photo? They are Ibis? I will look that up on google..thanks!

Pearl: For sure! There is hardly a bird that I don't think is awesome.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

What beautiful pictures! I remember those white birds when we were at Disneyworld, they were everywhere and very brave about begging for food.
I love that last picture.

Elizabeth Mahlou said...

Absolutely awesome pictures!

The Retired One said...

Catherine: Thanks so much! Someone said they were Ibis?

Elizabeth: You are new to my blog, no?
I hope you join(ed) on as a Follower? I would love that! thanks so much for the nice comment on my photos. I loved taking them.

Rick (Ratty) said...

I think I only recognize the cormorant, and pelicans are famous. The other birds remain a wonderful mystery. It's strange to realize it, but after seeing these pictures I remembered seeing geese standing on one leg just like these birds.

S-V-H said...

Disney is for kids anyway... and Florida's shores have much more to offer for a photographer, right photographer? :)

Great shots, Joan!

SquirrelQueen said...

Gorgeous photos, you captures so much movement in the photos. I love the pelicans, it makes me miss the ocean so much.

I'm pretty sure Amy's right that your white birds in the first photos are Ibis.
Judy

The Retired One said...

Ratty: Don't you LOVE it when they stand on only one leg?

Susanne: You are right. Don't get me wrong, I have seen and loved all of those places...but if one does not want to spend much money, there is a lot you can do in Florida and still have a great time!! I sure was thrilled to be able to visit the bird sanctuary and nature parks and beach and just point my camera at all that beauty!

SquirrelQueen: Thanks so much...I just had to stand and click away..the birds did all the work. :-}

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I retired in June 2008 and started my blog in November 2008. I worked at several jobs as a Registered Nurse prior to retirement. I LOVE being retired! Blogging has offered me a whole new venue to start writing again and to share new hobbies such as gardening, birdwatching and sharing my nature photography. If you like my blog, PLEASE click on "follow this blog". Having a lot of followers reading my blog gives me incentive to continue to do photography and to continue to write. I also LOVE comments, so I encourage you to leave me a comment after you read my posts. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read me!!

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