Blog Site by Appointment to His Regal Majesty the Maalie King

He who would be a Leader, let him be a Bridge

Crown Copyright: The Royal Maalie Court

Thursday, March 12, 2009

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 fish-eating Osprey Pandion haliaetus makes its nest in the mangrove swamps

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!


36 Comments:

Blogger lorenzothellama said...

Brilliant photos maalie. Didn't you once do a post on that snail eating bird?

12:01 pm  
Blogger Maalie said...

You are quite right Lorenzo, I wrote about it in my post on Extinction, here .

3:17 pm  
Blogger Charles Gramlich said...

Very nice. Lana and I love to get out and do the swamp tours here. Such wildlife and so many birds.

4:10 pm  
Blogger SaraG said...

All very beautiful photo's!
Happy SWF

6:59 pm  
Blogger Rob Ripma said...

Great shots from an amazing park!

7:10 pm  
Blogger SandyCarlson said...

I really enjoyed these spectacular shots of the birds.

7:12 pm  
Blogger Trish ~ ♥ ~ said...

Pretty birds, ouch on the alligator.

7:27 pm  
Blogger Photo Cache said...

Simply beautiful post. The Everglades is a must when going to Fla. I wish to see it someday.

7:30 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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.

7:31 pm  
Blogger Randi said...

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.

7:38 pm  
Blogger EG CameraGirl said...

I was happy until I saw the alligators. ;-) Only kidding. You're right. what would photos of the Everglades be without alligators?

7:53 pm  
Blogger This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Jim: Beautiful captures of the birds of Florida. I like the Frigate bird best.

8:01 pm  
Blogger Craver Vii said...

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.

8:13 pm  
Blogger Tarolino said...

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.

8:43 pm  
Blogger Maria said...

Brilliant photos! The alligators are my favourites, they look so comfortably lazy :)!

8:51 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

Gorgeous set of shots!

9:06 pm  
Blogger kayleen said...

Gorgeous photos. Excellent timing on the limpkin! Thanks for sharing.

9:14 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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

9:29 pm  
Blogger VALKYRIEN said...

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!

10:12 pm  
Blogger Rose said...

All are wonderful images!

10:16 pm  
Blogger Brad Myers said...

It looks like you had a very productive trip when you were there. Great photos, I can look at bird photos anytime.

10:46 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

Yay! those alligators! I love the sky scenes more...

10:57 pm  
Blogger Modesto Viegas said...

Interesting blog!!!

11:25 pm  
Blogger B SQUARED said...

You have better shots of the birds than I do and I live here. Wonderful.

11:48 pm  
Blogger Coy Hill said...

Beautiful photos and great choices for Skywatch!

12:05 am  
Blogger Carolyn said...

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

1:02 am  
Blogger simon said...

brilliant, just brilliant.

2:43 am  
Blogger Unknown said...

Beautiful series, I particularly like the image of the Osprey. Amazing details and bokeh.

12:10 pm  
Blogger Inkivääri said...

So beautiful skies as well up and down:)

2:05 pm  
Blogger Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

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!

3:49 pm  
Blogger simon said...

I really like the swallow-tailed kite and the frigate bird

10:05 pm  
Blogger Shrinky said...

Some of these photographs are quite breathtaking, maalie. Er, just how close did you actually get to take that last shot? (Shudder..)

12:57 pm  
Blogger Ellee Seymour said...

Great pics Maalie. Is there anywhere that you haven't visited?

3:55 pm  
Blogger Linda said...

Those birds in flight are especially beautiful.

5:55 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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

7:45 pm  
Blogger Ted M. Gossard said...

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.

6:41 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home