Our season in Florida is drawing to a close. This week we'll be getting ready to close up the house and getting the car and tiny trailer ready to head for Oregon -- and then we'll be doing exactly that.
I didn't even get to take advantage of the last normal week at the Canal Cottage photographically because our weather didn't cooperate. We had a lot of rain. And gray skies. But we're grateful that we missed the terrible rains that hit further South. Our area just caught the tail end of the Florida monsoon that hit last week.
Red shouldered hawks, Eagles, Osprey
So none of the pictures in this post are new. They are all from this Season however. Even though we were busy doing a lot of non-blogging work on the Canal Cottage and didn't do nearly as much Florida exploring as we have in the past, there were still many photo opportunities. All of these birds of prey were seen in our own neighborhood.
Ibis, Little Blue Heron (immature), Tri-Color Heron, Northern Shrike, Ducks, Kildeer, Blue Jay, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Snowy Egret
All pictures in the collage above were taken right here on the grounds in the resort where we live or at neighborhood parks or ponds. All were accidental sightings -- none were from special birding trips. You never want to go anywhere here without a camera. Normal activities like morning walks or short errand runs frequently turn into great birding opportunities.
These are frequently seen roadside birds. Almost every time we drive anywhere we see Egrets on the ground or in trees, Wood storks in roadside wetlands or even in water-filled ditches, vultures doing what vultures do, and Ibis everywhere.
Grateful for our season in the sun. For the views, the warm winter weather, and the many accidental birding opportunities right here at home. (But not-so-secretly hoping we'll have time for a little more Florida exploring in another season.)
Linking this week to the following sharing opportunities: Thank you to the hosts.
MOSAIC MONDAY; NATURE NOTES; THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; FRIDAY BLISS; SATURDAY CRITTERS ; and RATHER B' BIRDING