Rich joined me for an afternoon walk down the Lust Road entrance to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. We took some time off to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was actually the first time Rich joined me at the drive. It was fun to show him some of my favorite places!

I’m not used to being at the drive in the afternoon. The light is all backwards! I noticed things that I don’t usually see in the morning. Like this family of Fulvous Whistling-ducks with some chicks. They were pretty far out, but fun to see.

We walked up to the Crazy U and back. As we approached the U, we saw a soft-shelled turtle in the pathway. A biker scared it off before we got closer. Rich was happy to see a turtle!

I found some good birds near the metal walkway. A Least Bittern was fishing in the reeds. He grabbed a fish from the water and briefly showed it to me before he gulped it down.

A trio of Blue-winged Teal surprised me. I guess they missed the “you’re supposed to migrate north in March” memo. They were still hanging around on Memorial Day!

Then I spotted a juvenile Great Blue Heron at a nest that I’d never noticed. I wish they would reverse the traffic flow sometimes at the wildlife drive so I could see some of these things in the morning light!

A lone American Coot surprised me as we headed back to the car. While a few coots do summer at the lake, they are not always the easiest to find.

As the sun started to set, the Black-crowned Night Heron came out to hunt. He was still sporting his breeding plumage with that bright red eye and white plume at the back of the head.

I turned back and looked at the setting sun. A pair of ibis were flying in to where the birds are nesting in the tall grasses. They made a beautiful silhouette to end another great visit to Lake Apopka.