Lake Apopka North Shore Drive, Pt. 2

Time for pass Number 2! Back at the first jog, I stopped to get another family shot to the Black-necked Stilts still feeding in the marsh.



My second American Alligator of the day was a tiny guy. Maybe 2-years-old.



Nearby, I had a nice surprise by spotting an American Coot in the canal. This species typically is found only in Winter in these parts though I have had one stay in Orlando through one Summer a few years ago.



I hurried down the first stretch realizing I hadn't taken a good shot of the Pump House the first time around.



Common Gallinules in all age ranges are present right now along the Drive. This little newborn reminded me of a tiny dinosaur just up and walking through the reeds.



I only saw a few grackles during my visit today and only got a shot of a female Boat-tailed Grackle at one spot.



The last American Alligator sighting of the morning was a good one as this fella was basking in the rays of the rising Sun.



I was now back at the Barn Swallow curve and was taking shots of a juvenile calling for food when this bird flew in next to the youngster. My photos made quite a stir on the local forums and I will talk about it in a future posting.



You cannot imagine how hard it was to get a shot of any of the Cattle Egrets. They were all over but flushed any time you got close to them. At the swallow curve I had a small flock that let me get close enough for a couple of shots. They look great in breeding plumage.



A Common Ground Dove was walking along the roadway and I tried to get a shot of it on the ground but it kept flying ahead of me until finally cruising up to the wires.



Most of the Snowy Egrets were further out in the canals but every now and then I would find one close to the Drive.



Same with the Great Egrets.



White Ibis were mostly fly-overs but this one was sitting in the marsh fairly close.



It is fun to see so many local birds in breeding plumage, including the Glossy Ibis.



Usually you could only see their backs as they fed in the grasses so I took a shot to catch some iridescence on one of the birds.



The last bird of the morning was a solitary Osprey up in a snag before the road turns toward the highway. The last mile is pretty quite and more forested. It may be more interesting when the Winter birds come our way but for now...



This is a remarkable trail along Lake Apopka and I hope to visit it more in the future. However, I fear it will be a madhouse come Fall/Winter. Could be bumper to bumper. We shall see.