A few months ago, I went to Payne’s Prairie State Park and saw about 6 species of birds in over 2 hours, but last week when I went to Sweetwater Wetlands Park I saw 15 species of birds plus a large alligator in less than 30 minutes. The preserve was established to replace parts of Payne’s Prairie that had been drained and to restore water flow into the prairie. It is manmade. The list of species I saw included coots, common gallinules, a mallard duck, turkey vultures, great egrets, a snowy egret, a cattle egret, great blue herons, green herons, a white ibis, a glossy ibis, cormorants, anhingas, an unidentified species of sparrow, boat-tailed grackles, and red-winged blackbirds. On this trip to Florida I saw 2 species of birds I had never seen before–glossy ibis and ground doves. I was unable to get a photo of the former. For the first time I was also able to take some nice photos of sandhill cranes. I have seen them before, but I was driving on the road and couldn’t stop to take a photo.
Green heron
Boat-tailed grackle.
Common gallinule.
Flock of coots.
Snowy egret and common gallinule.
I estimate this is an 8 foot long alligator.
Outside my mom’s nursing home in Bradenton, Florida we ran into a pair of sandhill cranes. They were not afraid of us at all.
I think these are common ground doves and not mourning doves (which I also saw) perched on a roof in Bradenton, Florida. This species does not range north of Florida, south Texas, and southern California. It’s common in Mexico.
GeorgiaBeforePeople 
March 3, 2019 at 4:19 pm |
Hoping your mother..and others there..do feed the birds, or at least..get to watch them..as they , ankle about..on the grounds. Here..last evening..the sandhill cranes..were sounding their particular, low..huming type call. I hear that,.,and am back in the central Oregon wetlands. For oregonians..it is..a ‘home call’. Thank you for the news..and the pictoral news.