I can’t stop taking pictures of the black bellied whistling ducks at Circle B Bar Reserve. The reserve is pretty much the only place I see them (I’ve seen a few at Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa but that’s rare). They are very chatty and have so much personality. Look at those pink feet! They nest in holes or hollows in trees so I guess that’s why they spend a lot of time in trees. They were hanging out in a big old dead tree right along the trail.

The marsh was also covered with them. It was loud that morning walking down the trail and hearing them all whistling at the same time. The ones with the gray beaks are juveniles. There were several families there. They usually leave in late spring and the marsh is quiet again until the next winter.