Nov. 21, 2010 - Other Birds at Gatorland

Snowy Egrets were in their breeding plumage when I was in Florida at Gatorland last May. In the late 1800s, their beautiful plumes were in great demand for hat decorations. Hunting of these birds threatened their very existence. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and they became a federally protected species.

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Here’s a Snowy Egret and its three fuzzy chicks.

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This Emu is the only captive bird that I photographed at Gatorland. They are native to Australia and are the second largest bird in the world (the Ostrich is the largest). Emus can run for extended periods at 30 miles per hour. Their stride is up to 9 feet in length.

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As I was standing near a pond, this Limpkin flew in and started to feed along the pond edge. That gave me a good chance to finally get some nice photos of this species. One of my early photographic experiences involved trying to photograph a Limpkin at Corkscrew Swamp. It’s a long story, but it resulted in dropping my first camera in the swamp. I have been trying to get some decent Limpkin photos ever since.

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Black Vultures are probably not on your “most beautiful bird” list. They do serve a valuable function, however, by eating carrion. Their featherless head makes it easier for them to keep themselves clean.

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This Carolina Wren was bringing a tasty morsel to its babies. The nest was located behind a sign in one of the gazebos overlooking the gator pond.

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I didn’t see many Little Blue Herons at Gatorland. This bird is in breeding plumage and you can see they don’t have the long, flowing plumes that the Snowy Egret (above) has. This, plus the fact that they have dark feathers, probably saved them from being hunted like the Snowy Egret was. Little Blue Herons have all white feathers during their first year. In spring, they gradually molt to the blue feathers of an adult. That can leave them kind of splotchy looking. Click on this link to see a juvenile with some blue feathers.
http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Birds/Birds-3/5689244_zUJm8#350681123_FURzk

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