After Easter photos

About a week ago, we took a drive through Ding. I finally found some time to get the photos off of my camera so I could share. First is one of my favorites, a Black-Crowned Night Heron.

The Yellow-Crowned Night Herons were plentiful while getting their nests ready.

Waiting for hubby to bring home some building materials.

There he is with the right stuff!

This pretty little guy flew over and landed on the rail right beside me.

The female (brown neck) and male (black neck) anhinga were posing so nicely for me. The male has the mating plumage turquoise eyes.

That look when you are trying to be cool, but you stumble and then pull it back together.

Once he’d gotten his cool back on, the little blue heron in the white phase decided to go fishing.

A school of alligator gar were catching the light in the water at the culvert.

Many of you know that I’ve moved from Sanibel Island just over the causeway to Fort Myers. We have a lake behind our home with lots of wildlife to photograph. We will still go to Ding, so you will still see photos of all that is Wild On Sanibel. Following are some photos taken from my back yard in Fort Myers.

It’s so funny to catch birds flying overhead and scratching their face.

Love is in the air along the boardwalk

We started with a walk down the Indigo Trail to the boardwalk at Ding this morning. We were treated to many yellow-crowned night herons starting to build their nests and getting amorous.

Teamwork wins out every time!

There’s almost always a couple of anhingas around. This female looks as if she is smiling at me.

The water was extremely still in the creek at the boardwalk and the sky was bright blue. My husband pointed out an anhinga reflection.

We saw a few green herons, too.

What are you looking at, lady?

Maybe if I look away, she will move along

Mama, I don’t like the mud. Can we go home now?

Ugh . . . mud

We were even treated to a Black-crowned Night Heron. It was hiding back in the trees. Every time I see one, I always have to comment that they are larger than I remember.

A pretty great blue heron was standing in the shade at the edge of the water, near the end of Wildlife Drive.

We made a stop by the beach to soak up some of the beautiful sunny, clear day.

A week ago, the hawk below was in a dead tree across from our yard. It was a dreary day, so the photo isn’t good, but he was a pretty hawk.

Birds of February

February always seems like a good month for birds at Ding. I think they know that high season just started and they want to have their photos taken. The white pelicans are still around, along with some roseate spoonbills, wood storks, egrets, and herons. We started out the drive through Ding by seeing an osprey overhead with breakfast.

Then, we were treated to watching a feeding frenzy with the snowy egrets.

A great white egret with the pretty green eyes showing off mating plumage came flying by.

The Great Blue Heron always has a regal look.

The lucky wood stork below found an alligator gar and the other guys wanted it!

Mine. Mine. Mine!!!!

EEEEK!!!

They finally gave up and let him eat in peace.

It’s fun to see so many wood storks in one location.

A walk around Pond Apple Trail found some anhingas and brown pelicans. Both of the birds below are showing off their mating plumage.

We checked out the osprey nest at the end of Dixie Beach Rd. The osprey in the nest also checked me out!

A zoomed-in look at those eyes!

Back home, there was a male osprey with a fierce look, in the top of a tree across the street.

Pond Apple Trail day

My photo opportunities happened to be better at Pond Apple Trail today, than they were at Ding. It’s just the luck of the draw most days. I think we probably went a little too late to Ding this morning. But never fear, there’s always some wildlife to be found on the island, starting with the pretty Green Heron at Pond Apple.

This male Anhinga, with his beautiful mating plumage turquoise eye and fresh hairdo, is ready for a mate!

This female Anhinga was just a few feet away, looking interested!

Hey! Psssst!! You know, those American White Pelicans will be heading north one day soon and you’ll just have to take photos of us! Might as well start now!

The juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron below was in the exact spot that I photographed one a couple of months ago. I wonder if it is the same one? He was trying to catch a nap.

And, just like last time, there was this huge alligator hanging out below.

As we were walking back to the car, we saw several Magnificent Frigatebirds gliding around overhead. I’m always in awe of their size. They have around a 7 foot wingspan and are around 3 1/2 feet long. They are so prehistoric looking. The male has the red neck pouch and the female has white on the head and neck. The younger the female, the more white they have. Due to how high the sun was in the sky, the photos didn’t turn out as well as I’d have liked.

There was a buzzard pretending he was cool and soaring around with the Magnificent Frigatebirds.

Girls gotta stick together!

Back at home, this cool metal bird feeder was a Christmas present from our daughter. This grey catbird thinks it’s a great gift! Maybe it is demonstrating where “being in the catbird seat” came from?

You may have already seen the following on my Facebook or Instagram. If not, I was out taking photos of the “wolf” moon on Thursday evening. I just happened to catch a plane going between the moon and me.