Yummy snack!
This great egret was gulping down the crawfish.
This picture was taken on the 3rd floor of the observation tower. There’s a tall tree right up against the tower. The cormorants and anhingas nest in the upper branches and the snowy egrets nest in the bottom branches. I didn’t see any eggs or babies yet with this couple although the one on the left sleeping could be a juvenile. It’s kind of cool being high up in the trees hanging out with the birds.
A male and female anhinga were either fighting or flirting. Not sure which.
This great egret found a shell in the mud. I’ve only seen these shells on the beach so it’s weird that it was in this lake. I didn’t see him swallow it.
Taking off.
A cattle egret couple were just starting to nest. The one on the left looks grumpy.
They did have a go at it so there should be late eggs coming soon.
Afterwards, they ignored each other.
A male anhinga up in the tree next to the tower.
A very young anhinga that was born months earlier. It hasn’t got any color yet.
These were all taken in late May during my 2nd trip to Gatorland in Orlando. The bird rookery was still full of babies and eggs with a few couples getting a very late start. It was a nice quiet morning with just a few photographers there. Most of the winter crowd had gone. That’s because it was starting to get hot. I got there when the back gate opened at 7:30 am with my early access pass and was gone by 11am. By then all of the birds were napping. That was my last trip until next spring but I did take a ton of pictures.
Check out more pictures at Our World Tuesday 
Also, check out more birds at Paying Ready Attention for 
Beautiful birds!
I ate a few crawfish….back when I lived in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Pretty tasty little “lobster-like” things!
I love the taking off photo. You really did get great bird’s eye view nesting shots!
Great captures…you caught their personalities♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/abstracts/
Hi Dina that was wonderful that you were able to get up high to see and photograph these birds with their young. Your shots are wonderful and i am glad you have tons more for us to see..
Absolutely fantastic bird photographs for OWT ~ Wonderful creatures of nature ~ such a gift to photograph and so well ~ thanks, ^_^
artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)
Fantastic shots of the Cormorants. Really like the young Cattle Egrets too.
Glad you got some of your usual great pictures to tide you (and us) over during the ‘off-season’. I want to try that tower….the place as I have told you is def on my visit list!
Wonderful photos, I am so sad this will be the last trip to Gatorland for this year. You really produced some photographic treasures on your prior outings this year.
GREAT catches; fabulous birds and photography
You always manage to get such entertaining photos of the birds.
The “take off” picture is my favourite of all your great pictures.
The cattle egret is one of my favorites. But, they are all lovely birds and photos.
Love the male anhinga shot!
These are totally stunning! I am in awe of your accomplishment there. “Taking off” is my favorite. Those feathers!
Such great captures of so many wonderful birds. And the grumpy bird was telling the other they had a headache!