Month: February 2024

Large ibis with pink body and white upper back and neck. Bill is long, gray, and spatulate. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is white with a hint of pink and has yellow bill. Eats minnows, small crustaceans, bits of plants, and insects; forages by swishing its spoon-like bill from side to side in shallow, muddy water.

Just a few images from our visit. Regarding the Anhinga:

Anhinga pair in breeding plumage in Florida. Female on the left and male on the right (darker). The anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The origin of the name is apparent when swimming: only the neck appears above water, so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nares (nostrils) and breathe solely through their epiglottis. This bird is often mistaken for the double-crested cormorant due to its similar size and shape, although the two species can be differentiated by their tails and bills.

Never know what you might run into here. First an alligator didn’t allow passage…hissing when someone wanted to get by and out for some sunshine and warmth. Next a pair of Sandhill Cranes who walked in tandem rather slowly, allowing us to pass them on the right side. They weren’t bothered at all by our presence.