A Day of Prey

I decided to leave my camera at home today so I wouldn't be tempted to make a stop at the wetlands as I headed out for some errands. I'm happy that in the end I changed my mind and decided to bring my camera along.  Driving along a busy road, I happened to notice a Crested Caracara standing in the grass along a small patch of pines. I couldn't resist and pulled into the nearest parking area, loaded my son in his stroller, and took a quick jog to the area. Before getting to the trees where I had spotted the Caracara, I noticed this large hawk.

I spotted the Crested Caracara in a tall pine a few trees away. It's always a pleasure to observe this beautiful bird! All I needed was some sun.

Crested Caracara

I decided to continue on and make a loop back to the parking lot as there is a small pond on the other side of the trees. There were a few Mallards and Blue-winged Teals in the pond as well as a few Limpkins hanging around.

The Caracara flew by us as we continued on; I tried to follow his path, but lost sight of him. I was really  excited to see him perched on a broken light post as we entered the parking lot.

As I drove along my street, I noticed a Red-shouldered Hawk.

Red-shouldered Hawk

And later in the day, as the sun finally made an appearance, an Osprey stopped by for a visit!

Osprey