Skip to content
Roger Simmons Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

  • Home
  • All Posts
    • Orlando Wetlands
    • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
    • Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
    • Joe Overstreet Road
    • UCF Arboretum
    • Fort DeSoto Park
  • My Bird Catalog
    • All Birds Catalog
    • American Flamingos
    • Bald Eagles
    • Barred Owls
    • Belted Kingfishers
    • Black-and-White Warblers
    • Eastern Bluebirds
    • Florida Scrub-Jays
    • Green Herons
    • Little Blue Herons
    • Northern Parulas
    • Ospreys
    • Reddish Egrets
    • Red-Shouldered Hawks
    • Roseate Spoonbills
    • Sandhill Cranes
    • Whooping Crane
  • Orlando TV News/History
    • Orlando TV Schedules
    • Florida TV History
  • About this Site
Roger Simmons
Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

Baby ducks and Belted Kingfisher make my day

Roger Simmons, August 7, 2023August 7, 2023

My most recent trip to the Orlando Wetlands on Sunday, August 6, started by spotting a group of 16 (!) baby Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and ended with photographs of an elusive Belted Kingfisher. All in all, it was a good day of birding.

We’re getting closer and closer to the start of birds’ fall migration – some saying it’s already starting based on birds they are spotting. But until all the visitors return to the area, the birds I saw on Sunday were worth the trip.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck parents with 16 (!) of their ducklings at Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
A group of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023 resembles a bunch of bumble bees.
These little Black-bellied Whitling Ducks, like most of the offspring, were likely born in a tree cavity and then jumped out of the nest when they were 2 days old. Taken at Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks seem spend as much time in trees as in the water. This one does morning stretches at the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
A Turkey Vulture surveys the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023. They have a powerful sense of smell, which helps them as scavengers.
A Turkey Vulture keeps a watchful eye on the Orlando Wetlands in the morning in July 2023.
Those you mostly see them in water, this Little Blue Heron takes to the sky over Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
Pig Frogs, like this one at the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023, not only are colorful but they’re also very loud.
An Anhinga gets ready to make a splash landing at the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
An Anhinga helps the staff at the Orlando Wetlands with water-level measurement in August 2023.
A Snowy Egret flies over the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023. likely looking for little fish in the ponds below.
A pair of Snowy Egrets runs into each other while hunting in a pond at the Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
A little nemesis in its own right, I finally spotted this Belted Kingfisher sitting on a branch over a pond at Orlando Wetlands in August 2023.
This Belted Kingfisher, which is usually shy and darting about, take a brief rest on a limb – enough time for me to snap a few pictures of it in August 2023.
A Belted Kingfisher preens during its brief stop on a limb over a pond at the Orlando Wetlands in 2023.
Share on Social Media
x facebook reddit email
Birds Orlando Wetlands AnhingaBelted KingfisherBlack-bellied Whistling DuckLittle Blue HeronPig FrogSnowy EgretTurkey Vulture

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

All

Peacocks, peahens and little peachicks at Magnolia Park

July 9, 2024July 9, 2024

Peafowl is the name for birds that I grew up calling peacocks – but only the male peafowl are called that. The females are called peahens, and their babies are called peachicks.

Read More
All

Bald Eagles have epic battle over downtown Orlando lake

December 12, 2023January 18, 2024

I was getting ready to photograph some Mallards, when an adult male Bald Eagle swooped in to do some hunting. Suddenly, a second Bald Eagle appeared. Then the battle started.

Read More
All

First day of fall at Orlando Wetlands: Pretty cool day

September 24, 2023September 24, 2023

It was a very refreshing 66 degrees on Saturday morning when I arrived at Orlando Wetlands, hoping the cooler weather was attracting some returning birds.

Read More

Latest Posts

  • Spending a magical morning at Orlando Wetlands
  • Finding some very colorful characters at Lake Apopka
  • Story of Merritt Island flamingos still being written
  • You never know what you’ll see at Orlando Wetlands
  • Reddish Egret puts on a sunset show

Top Locations

Orlando Wetlands

Posts about visits to Orlando Wetlands


UCF Arboretum

Posts about visits to UCF Arboretum


Merritt Island

Posts about visits to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge


Lake Apopka

Posts about visits to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive


Fort DeSoto

Posts about visits to Fort DeSoto Park


Galleries

Roger's Favorites

An ever-changing collection of my favorite pictures


American Flamingos

Photos of American Flamingos in Indian River


Belted Kingfishers

Photos of Belted Kingfishers across Central Florida.


Oystercatchers

Pictures of American Oystercatchers at Fort DeSoto Park


Spoonbills

Pictures of Roseate Spoonbills in Central Florida


Whooping Crane

Pictures of one of the last Whooping Cranes in Florida


MORE GALLERIES


Topics

American Flamingo American Kestrel Anhinga Bald Eagles Barn Swallow Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Black-and-White Warbler Black-Crowned Night-Heron Caspian Tern Common Gallinule Common Yellowthroat Digital TV Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Limpkin Little Blue Heron Loggerhead SHrike Northern Cardinal Northern Parula Orlando Wetlands Park Osprey Palm Warbler Prairie Warbler Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-shouldered Hawk Red-Winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Roseate Spoonbills Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron Tufted Titmouse WESH-2 WFTV-9 White Ibis WKCF-18 WKMG-6 WMFE-24 WOFL-35 Wood Stork WRDQ-27

©2025 Roger Simmons | All Rights Reserved