Assorted Florida Birds

Tricolored Heron swallowing his catch, Cedar Key, FL. I remember how surprised I was when I first saw a Tricolored Heron in real life at how small they are. They are proportioned like a Great Blue, but they are half the size. (WS 36 vs WS 72)

Brown Pelicans in breeding plummage, Cedar Key, are quite dashing.

Female Anhinga on an island in Kings Bay, near Crystal River. Anhingas can rapidly transform from graceful to goofy and then back again. It is very cool to see them glide through the water and slowly submerge out of sight. When they call, they look very odd. I had a laugh out loud moment at an Anhinga's expense one day while working. I was crossing a bridge over a medium sized creek that had trees overhanging the water. I accidentally kicked the guardrail and woke up an Anhinga sleeping above the water, who let out a startled shriek and belly-flopped into the water in a very uncoordinated way. I watched the pool for a minute, and its head slowly came up and looked around. When it saw me, it glared at me and glided away out of sight underwater.

A Sandhill Crane shared a cattle pasture with us in Okeechobee County, allowing a fairly close approach.