Roseates are back, making Orlando Wetlands more colorful
Roger Simmons,
I’m happy to report that a large number of Roseate Spoonbills have returned to the Orlando Wetlands for the winter.
Last year, there were Roseates everywhere at the Wetlands in January and February – but I had not seen nearly as many this year.
After not visiting the Wetlands for a couple of weeks, I went on Sunday, Feb. 11 and was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of Roseates. There still aren’t as many as last year, but there’s a good number of them — and hopefully they will start nesting there soon.
While the Roseates are one of the most colorful birds at the Wetlands, there were some others that were showing off their colors, too.
Roseate Spoonbill, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Roseate Spoonbill, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Roseate Spoonbill, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Roseate Spoonbill, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Roseate Spoonbill, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Roseate Spoonbill, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Great Egret, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Great Egret, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Great Blue Heron, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Great Blue Heron, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.Anhinga, Orlando Wetlands, 2024.Sandhill Crane on nest, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.American Alligator, Orlando Wetlands, February 2024.
Though the bird migration season is winding down, there are still scores of amazing birds at Fort DeSoto Park near St. Petersburg, and I was able to photograph 16 different types of birds.
On a trip to the wildlife preserve, I came across some old favorites as well as three new-to-me birds: A female American Redstart, an Eastern Phoebe and a Least Flycatcher.