'"Click" Ponds 11/10/12

Great Egret

I spend a short time at the "Click" Ponds yesterday. It was really quiet. The Redheads and Ring-necked Ducks were still there. The Palm Warblers were plentiful. All the Egrets were busy preening.

Snowy Egret 

Black-crowned Night Heron

American Alligator

While the focusing isn't so good on this photo, I like how you can see the pollen collecting on the bee's back.

Zebra Longwing

There were hundreds of Zebra Longwings fluttering around.

Zebra Longwing

Black-crowned Night Herons

We headed back to the Click Ponds once again yesterday. If you like herons and egrets, you would not be disappointed at the ponds right now. In addition to the large numbers of Great and Snowy Egrets, there are also numerous Little Blue Herons, juveniles and adults, Least Bitterns, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, and Black-crowned Night Herons. Today I saw three adult and two juvenile BCNHs.

Black-crowned Night Herons are stocky, medium sized herons typically found in wetland habitats. They most often forage for fish, frogs, lizard, and snakes.

Black-crowned Night Herons typically forage at night or early morning, however these BCNHs were out late morning.

This juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron made several passes above us as it searched for a place to land.

Black-crowned Night Heron

I came across a bird I haven't seen in quite some time at the Viera Wetlands yesterday morning. The Black-crowned Night Heron, typically most active in the evening, is most often found foraging for prey in the reeds along the edge of the water. This heron was soaking up some rays after the previous night's cold front significantly dropped the temperature.

Black-crowned Night Heron
Viera Wetlands

Here are a few others I've seen this week.

Canvasback and Ring-necked Ducks
Viera Wetlands

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Blue Heron Wetlands

Pied-billed Grebe
Blue Heron Wetlands