Today was rainy and overcast but Bill decided we should go ahead with a scheduled trip to Paynes Prairie anyway. I wasn't so sure but, once again, Bill knows best. We arrived just as the rain stopped and the birds came out. It wasn't the best light for pictures, but that didn't stop me!
Several Pied-billed Grebe swam among the alligators.
No Prairie blog would be complete without some Coots!
Bill was the first to spot the Wilson's Snipe.
He didn't seem to mind that I took lots of pictures.
I love that little bit of orange on his tail!
Fabulous coloring!!
He really blends in with his surroundings - much like the bitterns that we occasionally see here.
Take a close look at this Blue Heron's profile. There is a Green Heron in the background.
He looks like he still has his breeding feathers.
I always love the Belted Kingfishers! This one was especially beautiful and one of the few birds where the female has more color than the male.
Another regular - a Snowy Egret and, yes, that is an alligator in the background. We saw hundreds of alligators and most were huge - over 12 feet. Where's Troy and Lizbeth?
We saw lots of sparrows flitting around in the bushes. They rarely stay still long enough for a decent picture, but this Savannah Sparrow was cooperative.
One of the resident hawks - I assume it's a Red-shouldered as they are the most common here in Florida.
Bill trekked ahead with the camera to try and get a shot of a huge frog several people told us about. No frog, but check out the head-dress on this kingfisher. This must be the male.
Bill specializes in headless armadillos. He tried to catch up with it, but the armadillo was too quick.
I spotted him on his way back.
This is a juvenile male Red-winged Blackbird.
And, of course, this is a male Cardinal. They were everywhere.
Why does this remind me of Christmas?
As we were leaving, these two Bald Eagles stood guard at the highway. Despite the lack of sun, we had a great time and will return again soon!
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