I saw an eBird report of 30 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Newton Park on the south shore of Lake Apopka. That’s a high number! It’s been a while since I visited Newton Park, so the Beast and I set out to find some gulls.

It was a slow morning. I did find a few Bonaparte’s Gulls, but certainly not a flock of 30 of them!

A couple of Forster’s Terns were hanging around, too. I’m not used to seeing either of these species around Lake Apopka.

I spotted a couple of Wood Ducks as they flew by. Both the male and female flew by. I caught a few frames of the female. Even though she’s not as colorful as the male, I think she’s quite pretty with her brown tones.

An Osprey caught a fish way out in the lake. He lifted it with one talon, then flew it towards the dock. He flew straight towards me and over my head. It’s a good thing he didn’t drop the fish on me. :)

My last bird of the day was a Great Blue Heron. He was sunning himself on the bank when he spotted a second heron. He had to fly out, fuss at the intruder, and then casually fly back to his original spot. I caught him in a fun pose as he came in for the landing.

Hopefully the activity picks up as nesting season continues. Even after a slow morning, I still want to go back!