Orlando Wetlands Park, 4/6/2012

Black-crowned Night Heron

This morning I went to Orlando Wetlands Park, and I had a pretty good morning.  Highlights form my morning began with a Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron perched in a tree, posing quite nicely in pretty good light.  Then I found several Purple Gallinules, one of them was close enough for photographs.  A couple Northern Harrier were patrolling the area, and Red-shouldered Hawks were seen too.  There were lots of Cattle Egrets about.  Unfortunately, I didn't see either an American or Least Bittern, but did hear one King Rail.

Purple Gallinule

Cattle Egret

Red-shouldered Hawk

Great Blue Heron

White Ibis checking for Danger

As I was headed back to the car, I saw a storm approaching, and it looked to me like I was going to make it back before it rained, but sadly, I had to run the last quarter mile.  Thankfully I had my backpack with me so I could hide my camera under my pack and keep it dry.  Otherwise, it could have been a pretty bad day.

Storm Approaching

Storm Approaching

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

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck X
Mallard x Mottled Duck (hybrid) 2
Mottled Duck 1
Blue-winged Teal X
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Wood Stork 8
Double-crested Cormorant X
Anhinga X
Great Blue Heron 20
Great Egret 5
Snowy Egret 2
Little Blue Heron 3
Tricolored Heron 4
Cattle Egret 55
Green Heron 15
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
White Ibis 15
Glossy Ibis 3
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
King Rail 1 Heard only
Purple Gallinule 5
Common Gallinule X
American Coot X
Limpkin 1
Sandhill Crane 1
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 4
Barred Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Loggerhead Shrike 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 1
Marsh Wren 5
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 1
Palm Warbler 3
Savannah Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Boat-tailed Grackle X