The bittern and some limpkins

Earlier in the summer I kept stopping by Chesnut Park to see if I could find the baby limpkins that had been spotted there. I kept missing them and I thought this trip would be a bust too. I first saw movement in the reeds along the boardwalk but it was just a green heron.

A little ways down the boardwalk I saw an adult limpkin.

I found them but they were almost fully grown at this point. There were 4 babies and they still had a little fuzz on their heads and were making that “baby is hungry” low screeching. They had just come out of the reeds and were looking around.

Mom headed into the water and found a yummy snail.

The youngest looking baby quickly swam over to her and got a bite.

I stood and watched for a while as they were busy preening and picking up empty snail shells,  pretending to find a snack. They were acting like little toddlers, curiously getting into everything.

Mom continued to look for food and she ignored that little blue ball.

As I was watching the limpkins I saw movement from across the water. A least bittern came out from the other side of the reeds. He was still for a few minutes and then stood up several times as if to say “Here I am”. I thought that was a type of mating dance but I didn’t see another one anywhere. It could have been hiding deep in the reeds though.

All of a sudden it was almost noon and time to head home for lunch.

Birds at Crescent Lake

DSC_1728

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

DSC_1748

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

DSC_1759

Another juvenile grackle getting his own food.

DSC_1756

Green heron hiding in the reeds.

DSC_1765

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

DSC_1795

My first sight of the least bittern.

DSC_1815

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.

Check out more pictures at Our World Tuesday  Our World Tuesday Graphic

Also, check out more birds at Paying Ready Attention  for