It was a gray, cloudy morning just before Thanksgiving. I arrived on the south shore of Lake Apopka with a camera and no expectations for any good photos. But it was so good to be outside, and the birds always put a smile on my face!

The eagles were the first birds to grab my attention. I heard their calls before I spotted them high in the skies over the lake. First I saw some juvenile birds flying together, then later, I saw a pair of adults. I hoped for some mating rituals but all they did was fly close. You can se their beaks both open in the photo below as they called to each other.

A group of pigeons gathered in the grass. The mostly-white one stuck out from his friends. Leucism is like being an albino, but it’s a partial loss of the pigmentation in the feathers. The bird seemed to be smelling the white flowers and made quite a pretty picture.

Next I heard the call of an Osprey. He was sitting high in a Cypress tree. He told me he was minding his own business, but the grackles didn’t agree with him. The grackles swooped at him, flying close trying to make him leave. He finally did…

…and then the grackles chased him. Repeatedly. The poor bird flew all over the place trying to outrun his chaser. It made for fun flight photography, even in super low light!

My last bird of the morning was a rare one. I can only assume that this is one of the Bronzed Cowbirds that visited Lake Apopka last year. This year I only saw the one, and thankfully, he showed up at the same time as the sun came out! He posed for a few minutes before I said goodbye.