It's been a while since we've seen one of these gentle giants, and it's always a great time.

A Loggerhead Shrike hides in the shadows as it looks for food for it's two nestlings

A Snowy Egret surprises a Roseate Spoonbill as he wanders down the culvert. I don't think I've seen a Roseate react that fast to something that wasn't food!

A Tricolored Heron proudly perches atop a snag in the late afternoon.

A Great Blue Heron freezes on the shore of the water, unsure of how to continue.

A małe Downy Woodpecker puts his all into searching for grub.

A Black-bellied Plover faces off against a small crab he found like an outlaw in the Old West

A tiny moth, a White Checkered Skipper, alights on a even tinier flower for a quick drink.

Sandhill Cranes are impressively powerful birds. While generally quite peaceful, the adults will protect their young fiercely and they're strong enough to pierce the skulls of predators with their beaks. So, when this individual came up to us while birding, it was a little intimidating to lock eyes so close like this.

Even though he was probably just wanting a snack.

Grackles, like this male Boat-tailed Grackle, get a bad rap as noisy and pesky. However, when you stop to look at them, they're really quire pretty.

An Osprey zooms by a palm tree and gives a disapproving glare towards us.

A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron skulks in the shadows above a culvert, watching for activity.

A Red-shouldered Hawk surveys the land for a meal before the storm really rolls in.

This Marsh Rabbit pauses eating briefly to listen to the raucous music of a passing bicycle

Is a butterfly. Bet you didn't expect that on this mostly-bird account!

A Tricolored Heron shows off the day's catch before stunning and swallowing it.

Is life hard on the young wood stork, knowing he'll be bald soon?

A young Laughing Gull looks for a good landing spot.

#bird #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography

Did you know that there's a little hole in the bottom of the spoonbill's bill? I didn't until we carefully watched this one forage!

A White Ibis tries to swallow a swimming bug that he caught at the Keller Water Treatment Facility near Brooker Creek Preserve. #birds #birding

Dreamer is a resident Eastern Screech Owl at Moccasin Lake's Raptor center, and he wishes everyone a happy (and safe!) Owl-o-ween

An immature Sandhill Crane peeks at the ground, looking for morsels.

Or at least, in a pine.

A Tricolored Heron sits in the shade, avoiding the strong sunlight warming the ground.

A Laughing Gull finds the rain no laughing matter.

A Tricolored Heron gets low and peeks under the edge of the shoreline, looking for food.

A young Black Skimmer starts a run for fish in the late afternoon sun.

This Northern Mockingbird is enjoying a good stretch.

A Northern Mockingbird looks as rough as I do on a hot, stormy day.

Even posed against a nice background!

Soulis: Nostalgic Tarpon Springs, Florida.

A Sedge Wren flits nervously amongst the reeds and grasses.

Like terns, only George could be pessimistic about the coming sunset.

A Red-winged Blackbird gets into position to start its song

A Killdeer parent surveys the area as one chick approaches and another hides underneath the wing.

A Tricolored Heron perches in a tree above the water

A squirrel adopts a slightly defensive posture as we walked by, surprising it and ourselves

A Grackle perches atop the highest bough of a tree,

Sometimes, all you get are the plain, but cooperative, subjects

Our resident snowy egret prowls cautiously for some small fish in the pale late afternoon sun

A Green Heron poses in the roots and low hanging branches by the water.

An Anhinga gets ready to toss a small fish in the air to swallow it after spearing it on its bill.

Some days, all you can do is put one foot in front of the other.

A beautiful (if skittish) wood stork poses briefly for the camera before going back to foraging.