My dad and I headed to the Circle B Bar Reserve in late January. It was great to be back on the trails and seeing some of our feathered friends. Since it was the first sunny afternoon after a cold snap, the reserve was full of people, but it was also more birdy than I expected. Come and see who we found…

We headed up the Heron Hideout trail, glad to see that our “Treasure Tree” had survived Hurricane Milton. I turned at just the right time to see a Brown Pelican fly by. Brown Pelicans are a fun find in Central Florida. They are more common on the coast. I didn’t see any of the American White Pelicans that used to fill the skies in the wintertime.

This Anhinga was hanging out in the setting sun off the Wading Bird Way trail. I stooped down low to photograph him with a blurred watery background. He’s not yet showing off his breeding colors, but he will be soon.

It wasn’t till we hit the Marsh Rabbit Run trail that the birding got very interesting. Large flocks of white birds (ibises, cattle egrets, snowy egrets, and wood storks) were fishing in the marsh. Every few minutes, a bird would grab a snake and try to fly off with it. Adjacent birds would notice the flurry of activity and fly towards the victor. After all, it’s easier to steal your dinner than to catch your own, right? This Wood Stork made off with his prize after seriously annoying the White Ibis who caught it.

Sleeping in the marsh, in the middle of all the commotion, was a lone Roseate Spoonbill. He cracked an eye open for my photo, then went back to sleep. He looks like he’s coming into his breeding colors. I wished he’d fly around a little and show them off!

Other birds were flying though. Huge flocks of Black-bellied Whistling-ducks were roosting in the marsh that afternoon. Every few minutes, a group of them would take flight. I loved their playful chattering calls as they came in for a landing. Then when I saw this picture, I had to laugh…there always has to be the one who stands out in a crowd…

I didn’t see the small group of Sandhill Cranes until they started calling loudly. The next thing I knew, they were soaring up into the sky. I was loving the clouds as the sun started to set. The pink and blue and purple tones were a gorgeous background.

My last shot of the day was a lone White Ibis sitting on a branch. I’m not sure if he landed there after successfully stealing a snake, or maybe he went there to pout after his snake was stolen from him. Either way, he was a pretty figure in front of the pastel-colored clouds. His beak seems to be coming into breeding colors. He reminded me that I need to get out more this year to enjoy the spring!