Okay - I think I have been through all this year's photos and I have chosen these examples to demonstrate a small portion of the avian (bird) creatures that we have seen around here - just in our neighbourhood. You may recall last year I posted a photo of two large grey birds - which Uncle Brian identified as sand cranes. These birds are normally seen in couples and we were surprised to find this lonely fellow all by himself this year.
He's quite majestic looking - don't you think? I'm not sure where his mate was, but we saw him all by himself, wandering around, several times.
A little farther along our walking route we noticed this big guy spreading his wings to catch a few rays and soak up some of the Florida sunshine. I don't know what kind of bird he is, but I think a heron or egret of some variety.
We strolled a little further, and suddenly Poppa stopped and stared into the aquatic growths at the edge of the water. Just on a hunch I got my camera ready - I thought maybe he had seen an alligator. Nope, not an alligator, and I'm not even sure how he was able to see this guy in the greenery. We may have spooked him, I'm not sure, but he came wandering out onto the grass. You can see how well he would be camouflaged amongst growing plant life, he just about disappears in the grass.
On the way back home, as we passed by that small body of water again, the large black egret (heron?) was still in the weeds, but was more relaxed now.
With the glare of the sun on the camera, I couldn't catch him with the camera, so Poppa got this shot for me! He looks very different when he isn't stretched out! We were very pleased a few days later to get this shot, on the boulevard right across the road from the villa.
Yes - two sand cranes. I don't know if the other fellow found his mate, a new mate....or maybe it was a totally different bird, but they just posed so well for me! Then there is this other kind of bird. I didn't get a good closeup...whenever I saw them up close they were.....oh wait! I'll show you the picture first....
See those large black birds up there on that roof. They are buzzards! Every week on garbage day they hang around waiting for some unsuspecting tourist to put the garbage out in a plastic bag instead of the large bins provided. Then they swoop down and tear it open to get at anything edible that might be stashed in the plastic bag. They make a terrible mess and we always wish that visitors would use the garbage bins. I did manage to see them up close and personal a couple of times - the first time they were surrounded by garbage and I didn't have my camera with me. The next time they were having a dinner of armadillo. Yes - armadillo. I didn't get a picture because it was just too nasty - and the car was going too fast. We think some poor armadillo got hit by a passing vehicle - and once it was hit, the buzzards came honing in. It presented them with a bit of a challenge, but they got it turned over and managed to have their dinner. Yuck! They actually look a lot like very large crows and we frequently see them circling above, scanning the area for their next meal.
Here is a new picture of little Smiley..........soooo adorable!
And.....here is Munchie in his new back yard with Gramma. I hear they built a snowman, but Mommee didn't get a picture of that - she was busy unpacking and looking after little Smiley.
It'll sure be different for Munchie to have that big back yard to play in! He is used to the apartment building - I think he's going to love it. Mommee has found her camera in one of those big packing boxes - so I expect more "new house" pictures soon!
