juvenile grackle | Dina's Wildlife Adventures

Color at Hollis Garden in Lakeland in early May.

I thought these lily pad were cool holding the water in their leaves. Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland was full of them.

There’s a reason they are called “common” moorhens. They are everywhere and they have tons of babies starting in the spring.

I noticed this baby grackle screaming at his Mom for food. He was hopping around behind Mom but I think she was trying to get him to feed himself. He was old enough to be able to do that.

Across Lake Morton a new building was going up. The flags would have looked very magestic if they weren’t so worn out.

I don’t alway stop at Lake Mirror after a walk at Circle B Bar Reserve but this morning in early May I only did a short walk at Circle B and then went over to Lake Mirror. I was in the mood for some spring flowers that were in bloom at Hollis Gardens which sits right on the lake.

White pigeon? This is a rare bird around here. He looks lost.

This juvenile grackle was chasing mom around trying to get a handout. He’s old enough to get food on his own by now.

Another juvenile grackle getting his own food.

Green heron hiding in the reeds.

It looks like he was drying off his wings. Or cooling off. I don’t see them do this very often.

My first sight of the least bittern.

He was very pretty.

Full disclosure. I had read there was a least bittern sighted at Crescent Lake Park. It’s a small park near downtown St. Petersburg with a dog park and playground. It’s not a big park so I thought I might have a chance of finding it. After two laps around the lake, I found it in the reeds. It was right on the end of the lake where the dog park is so I didn’t think it would hang out there but that’s where he was.

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