Orlando Wetlands Park, 3/23/2012

Limpkin

My kids are on spring break this week, and so I took today off to be with my kids.  Since they like to sleep in, I took the morning and went to Orlando Wetlands Park.  It was a pretty great morning.  I saw my first Barred Owl and Black-necked Stilt for this year, so that by itself was worth the trip.  But there were many photo opportunities as well.  A Limpkin posed for me for a while, and of the three American Bittern flyovers, one of them was close enough for a presentable photo.  The Little Blue Herons were out in force, especially away from the birding loop, and there were lots of Blue-winged Teal.  Two of them gave me some nice reflection shots.  And last but not least, there were lots of Marsh Wrens and Swamp Sparrows.  One of the Marsh Wrens I saw lacked a tail.  I guess he narrowly escaped some predator.

Blue-winged Teal

Black-necked Stilt

American Bittern

Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron 

Swamp Sparrow

Marsh Wren

Black Swallowtail

Here's a list of the 53 species I saw this morning:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 7
Mottled Duck 2
Blue-winged Teal 100
Northern Shoveler 1
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Anhinga 5
American Bittern 3
Great Blue Heron 10
Great Egret 7
Snowy Egret 5
Little Blue Heron 9
Tricolored Heron 15
Cattle Egret 2
Green Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
White Ibis 10
Glossy Ibis 4
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 4
Purple Gallinule 5
Common Gallinule X
American Coot X
Limpkin 3
Sandhill Crane 4
Black-necked Stilt 1 It was a flyover, and I confirmed it with a photo.
Wilson's Snipe 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 2
Common Ground-Dove 4
Barred Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Pileated Woodpecker 4
White-eyed Vireo 3
Fish Crow X
Carolina Wren 1
Marsh Wren 7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Parula 1
Palm Warbler 1
Savannah Sparrow 7
Swamp Sparrow 9
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Common Grackle X
Boat-tailed Grackle X