Various birds at Lake Morton by Lee

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalms 118:24 KJV)

Today we finally were able to get a little birdwatching in. I have been sick for the last 3 weeks fighting bronchitis and felt well enough to enjoy some time with our avian friends at Lake Morton. Lake Morton is in Lakeland, Florida. It is one of the few places around where people feed the birds. You can hardly get out of your car and cross the street before they start heading your way. The local birds have been “well-trained.”

Lee at Lake Morton by Dan

Off we went, with a few tidbits in hand and my new hat. Since the skin cancer cells were removed from my neck recently, I was told to stay out of the direct sunlight.

Most of the normal residents were hanging out. There were lots of Mallards, American White Ibises, Boat-tailed Grackles, plus some Great Blue Herons, Anhingas, Great Egrets, Mute and Black Swans, and the Bald Eagle made His appearance.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Lake Morton by Lee

Some of our winter visitors were hanging out also. There were lots of American Coots

American Coot (Fulica americana) at Lake Morton by Lee

There were many Ring-necked Ducks – The Male

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) Male at Lake Morton by Lee

And the Female

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) Female at Lake Morton by Lee

If you look at that first photo up close, way out in the middle of the lake you will see small ducks. This is a good as I could zoom in on them. They were Ruddy Ducks. Well over 50 of them on the lake floating around.

Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) at Lake Morton by Lee

Also, way off across the lake were two American White Pelicans with the usual Double-crested Cormorants swimming along with them. Again, this is zoomed way in.

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) with DC Cormorants at Lake Morton by Lee

I also caught an Anhinga setting along the shore.

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) at Lake Morton by Lee

The Ring-billed Gulls are back down and this one seems to be a younger one.

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) at Lake Morton by Lee

All in all, for about a 35-40 minute visit to the lake, we enjoyed checking out these and several more I didn’t mention. The Lord gave us good weather until it started sprinkling. Then I made a fast retreat to the car. No since getting sick again.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (Isaiah 55:10 KJV)

See:
Birdwatching Trips
Lake Morton Trips

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