We woke up this morning to wind chill warning as low as 10 below zero. Can cause hypothermia if you are out in this too long. Temperature is 12 degrees F. People east of us have worst conditions than we do, and probably further north. Please stay safe out there. Gregg just sent me this from his cell phone. Neither of us remember experiencing this before.
Now back to my ‘warm weather’ post.
The information below was found years ago, so may not be up to date, though I have checked and fixed the links when needed for this redo post. They do over the years keep changing. What you read below was done in 2013.
Today I thought I would share some photos I took when we were on vacation in Florida a while back. It was a fun experience taking photos of birds we don’t get in our state, definitely a bird-lover’s paradise. Some of these were taken in the Everglades and others at a bird rehabilitation centre found while driving down to Key West.
We found this beautiful Green Heron when looking around a Marina.
The Stork was having fish for lunch under a pier in Sebastian. A fishing boat had just pulled in and one of the men from the boat tossed a bucket of leftover fish bait to the birds.
I have included a couple of maps showing Florida in the first map, and the Keys in the second. You can see the location of the rehabilitation center. It's very much worth a visit.
I was surprised to see all the restaurants pinpointed too. If you travel down Rt. 1, you can see the sanctuary approximately two-thirds of the way down. You can enlarge any of the photos for better details by clicking on them. I sometimes forget to do that when I am visiting blogging friends.
But now we are in the Everglades where there were many, many photo opportunities to take photos of Cormorants close up without using a zoom. It was an incredible experience. They must be very used to visitors and they should be. The Everglades typically welcome 1 million visitors per year (I added this information on Sunday, 2/7/26)
I saw several with outspread wings, drying them in the warm sun after diving and swimming for fish.
2-7-26: thank goodness for old photos when the well is running dry, so to speak. I have been trying to take photos of bird out back and am not very successful at capturing them. My reflexes are definitely slowing down and the camera with our zoom is getting heavier it seems. Still, I never give up, says I smiling.
Thanks for looking everyone.
Have a great day.
Never thought I would think a grasshopper is beautiful! It is always such a treat for me to see a Green Heron, they are so secretive and somehow mysterious to me. I have seen a real Cormorant too. But none of these others. I bet Florida is a birdlover's paradise.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Ginny :) I feel the same way. It is a birder’s paradise and have never seen anything like it.
DeleteLovely birds and photos of them, Denise. Always good to look back on photos and share - thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret :) it certainly is.
DeleteWhat a wonderful trip to revisit. Florida really is a bird lover’s paradise, and you captured such a beautiful variety. The Green Heron and those pelicans must have been a thrill to see up close, and the Everglades with cormorants drying their wings sounds unforgettable. Old photos are treasures, they carry the light of another season and let us relive it all over again. Wishing you a peaceful and happy Sunday. I just shared a new travel post and you are warmly invited to read it www.melodyjacob.com
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed Melody and I do agree, old photos are treasures. Beautifully worded! I will look forward to visiting your new post :) Thank you, I wish you the same.
DeleteHello there. How is your Sunday?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your Florida photos are beautiful, especially the herons and pelicans. The Everglades sounds amazing, and the rehab centre is inspiring. Thanks for sharing these memories
Thank you and you are very welcome :) Sunday is going well so far and thank you for asking. I hope yours is also.
DeleteI am sure you are familiar with plague of Burmese Pythons in The Everglades, Denise. They are having a devastating effect on native wildlife, including colonial nesting birds. We do know how to screw things up, don’t we?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately only too well David. It is a sad state of affairs, these invasive species, not just here but around the world. People seem to be trying hard to get rid of them, but it’s like telling the tide not to turn back.
DeleteAwesome post! Have a nice Sunday!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anne and you also :)
DeletePiękne fotografie ptaków. Nie lubię zimy wolę lato. Miłego tygodnia życzę😊
ReplyDeleteBardzo dziękuję za komentarz. Nie mogę się doczekać cieplejszej pogody :)
DeleteThey’re good quality photos.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated, thank you :)
DeleteYou took some great pictures, Denise. Love that stork! Have never seen one here.
ReplyDeleteKind of you to say Angie, thank you :)
DeleteStay safe and warm. We've got the extreme cold here too.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed seeing the bird pictures and the grasshopper looks huge in those pictures.
You too Ann :) They are quite big and range from 2.5 to 3.5 inches, with the females being larger. Thank you, happy you enjoyed the photos.
DeleteAs a northerner I am not laughing because my brother lives in Virginia also and when it gets cold I know it causes issues. You guys are getting the cold weather and we are warming for the next two days up to 40 F!
ReplyDeleteWind chills are not to mess with!
Your FL pictures were great! Thanks!
Good to know you are getting warmer weather Val :) My sister-and-brother-in-law lived in Norway for several years and I remember them telling me about their winters. We are very lucky in comparison and this is a rare event.
DeleteWe have the same weather here in New Hampshire, and we took a similar trip in 2018. I'm not a huge Florida fan, but right now I wouldn't mind being there. And I would do that trip again. I love seeing the birds and wildlife. Stay warm.
ReplyDeleteHi Erika, Florida birdlife/wildlife is amazing. Thank you, you stay warm too :)
DeleteNice to see photo's of birds and wildlife that never make it to where I live in Canada.
ReplyDeleteWhere do I live? S.W. Ontario, on the northern shore of Lake Erie. Woke this morning to a temp outside of -23*C when the wind chill is factored in. Brrrrrrr.
Yikes on that -23 deg. C. I figured that it would be like that and brrrrr is right :)
DeleteDenise you have a wonderful Photographer's eye such gorgeous photos.
ReplyDeletethank you for the warm photos. Dag gone it is cold up your way.
I think last night was our last frigid night for a while we have 2 days of 60's for a high next week
39 days til spring
Hugs cecilia
Thank you for that sweet compliment Cecilia, much appreciated. Glad you've had enough of the frigids for a while. 60's sounds wonderful :) Hugs, Denise
DeleteI enjoy seeing pelicans. The first summer we lived here an egret emptied my decorative pond of every single fish. No more fish in the pond after that.
ReplyDeleteIsn’t that something? I enjoy seeing pelicans too. They seem such comical birds, and quite lovable :)
DeleteBeautiful bird photographs, and the bugs are most attractive, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice, they were all so near and easy to photograph :)
DeleteWonderful collection of Florida birds, beautiful photos. Take care, have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Eileen :) I wish you the same.
DeleteWonderful photos Denise :-D
ReplyDeleteAppreciate that Ananka, thank you :)
DeleteBrr your weather is cold.
ReplyDeleteWeather in my part of the UK is grey, damp and miserable with flood alerts.
The ground is so saturated and rivers so full many banks are bursting.
Spring can't come quick enough!
I did enjoy seeing your wonderful selection of bird photographs.
All the best Jan
Thank you Jan and glad you enjoyed. Thanks also for the info on what's happening over there. I always am very interested and agree about Spring :) All the best, Denise
DeleteLindas imagenes. Te mando un beso y te deseo una buena semana.
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias. Te deseo también una buena semana. Te mando un beso.
DeleteI hope you warm up soon!
ReplyDeleteI love your photos from Florida. They cheered me up from winter. LOL
I think they are gorgeous shots - you must use a real camera and not the phone.
You know I don't remember seeing those kinds of birds in person.
I enjoyed this. Thanks.
Hi Sandie, and thank you, I appreciate that :) Glad this cheered you. It lifts me up also.
DeleteOoh looks like home! Come on down any time! Although its been rather chilly lately (for Florida ...don't throw snowballs at me please!). But getting back toward normal subtropical temps this week. ... And please know that I understand only too well bout the slower reflexes. Also not giving up (yet).
ReplyDeleteWell, I showed hubby this old post and he said we should go back down sometime :) Nope, I promise, no snowballs, lol! I'm glad it's warming up for you. I find myself looking forward to Spring a little more than usual these days.
DeleteThe keys are one of my favorite places, although I doubt I will get to go there again. We must have passed right by that sanctuary when we drove down there. A missed opportunity!
ReplyDeleteIt is a great place to visit. I am wondering if we will ever get there again. Hope so! I can’t count all the missed opportunities when we have been on vacation. It’s hard to fit everything in.
DeleteIt's been many years since we last visited Florida but I do remember the beauty of The Everglades. All your photos are lovely but my favourites are the cormorants and the Lubber grasshoppers.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you've visited Florida and have seen the Everglades. I always enjoy hearing when people have gone to the same places. Thank you so much! You've picked two of my favorites also :)
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