Everglades revisited
I visited the Everglades National Park in Florida in April 2004, before I started blogging. So I have dipped into my travel folders to bring these out to remind me of a wonderful birding trip.
All pictures are my own.
A view of the Everglades near Homestead, the Gateway to the National Park, showing a couple of raised "hammocks" in the wetland
The Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus is one of the most elegant and graceful birds I have ever seen
The Everglade Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis is an endangered species. Its highly specialised bill has evolved to pick out the meat from an aquatic snail (the apple snail). If the snail becomes threatened (for example by wetland draining) the kite is unable to adapt to eat other prey.
The Turkey Vulture Cathartes aurais is the most numerous of the large birds of prey on the Everglades
The Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus is commonly seen sitting on trees a=or telegraph poles along the roadside
A visit to the Florida Keys was required to see this Magnificent Frigate Bird Fregata magnificens (also known as the Man o' War Bird)
The diving and fish eating Anhinga Anhinga anhinga (also known as Snakebird and Darter) needs to sit out in the sunshine to dry its feathers after diving for fish
The curious Limpkin Aramus guarauna is a bird I was especially hoping to see. I found one with just an hour to spare before having to leave the Everglades for my flight home from Miami!
Would any account of the Everglades be complete without a picture of alligators?
Sky Watch Friday
Maalie selects images from his albums of travel pictures for Skywatch
Click here for a complete list
of all the participants
of this week's Sky Watch!
posted by Maalie at 7:25 am
36 Comments:
Brilliant photos maalie. Didn't you once do a post on that snail eating bird?
You are quite right Lorenzo, I wrote about it in my post on Extinction, here .
Very nice. Lana and I love to get out and do the swamp tours here. Such wildlife and so many birds.
All very beautiful photo's!
Happy SWF
Great shots from an amazing park!
I really enjoyed these spectacular shots of the birds.
Pretty birds, ouch on the alligator.
Simply beautiful post. The Everglades is a must when going to Fla. I wish to see it someday.
Gorgeous! Each and everyone! I do share your sentiments on the Swallow-tailed Kite. Excellent selection today!
Cheers, Klaus
P.S.: My shots were from the Space coast - close to the Kennedy Space Center.
ohh...lovely photos all. I cant imaging how you manage too take this nice photos. To capture a bird in the sky is not a easy job.
I was happy until I saw the alligators. ;-) Only kidding. You're right. what would photos of the Everglades be without alligators?
Jim: Beautiful captures of the birds of Florida. I like the Frigate bird best.
I'm glad it was 2004, because I was just in Florida for two weeks, and I would have kicked myself if I had missed such an opportunity to meet you face-to-face.
These birds are beautiful and your camerawork is masterful! While I was in Florida, the profusion of the Turkey Vulture was not enough to help me get a good picture off, but I see you got all kinds of good stuff!
Later, Gator.
Oh Maalie, what a wonderful series of shots. How lucky you were to be able to capture so much wildlife and how well you did it. All but the Osprey so exotic to me. Makes my little posts of Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, Swans, Mallards and Great Tits etc. quite insignificant in comparison. I really enjoyed this post.
Brilliant photos! The alligators are my favourites, they look so comfortably lazy :)!
Gorgeous set of shots!
Gorgeous photos. Excellent timing on the limpkin! Thanks for sharing.
You get around lot. Finland, Florida.. Must be nice? I like those birdshots. Something I've never have done.
Have a nice weekend!
prkl from Finland
Oh - great captures! There are some birds I have never seen - and probably never see! And of course the crockodiles.. even more scary than the road in my post!
Thanks for visiting my SkyWatch!
All are wonderful images!
It looks like you had a very productive trip when you were there. Great photos, I can look at bird photos anytime.
Yay! those alligators! I love the sky scenes more...
Interesting blog!!!
You have better shots of the birds than I do and I live here. Wonderful.
Beautiful photos and great choices for Skywatch!
What a wonderful adventure and beautiful photos. Your bird shots are exquisite....I'm not sure I like that last photo!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Smiles
brilliant, just brilliant.
Beautiful series, I particularly like the image of the Osprey. Amazing details and bokeh.
So beautiful skies as well up and down:)
The photos are lovely Maalie - and make me long to be back in the warm part of the US again - it is way too cold here yet in Chicago!
I really like the swallow-tailed kite and the frigate bird
Some of these photographs are quite breathtaking, maalie. Er, just how close did you actually get to take that last shot? (Shudder..)
Great pics Maalie. Is there anywhere that you haven't visited?
Those birds in flight are especially beautiful.
WOW. These bird photos are great. The set reminds me of a visit I had in a bird's park in India in October. With alligators as well :-9
Simply magnificient! Wow. Yes, I was there way back in 1969, but we just passed through.
Interesting to see how there's a dependence of the species on each other for survival.
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