#labelle fl

Florida Sunset - January 2021 Whenever there is a lot of dust or humidity in the air, the sunsets are beautiful. This being Florida, there is often a lot of humidity and occasionally dust or smoke so there are a lot of gorgeous sunsets. Kathy took the first image while we were on our way back to Big Cypress from Dinner Island Ranch WMA. I took the second image two days later at the Big Cypress RV Park. MWM

Anhinga at Sunset - January 2021 It was getting late. For all intents and purposes, I had lost the light needed to get good images. But then we saw this anhinga standing on the top of a tree. The lighting was perfect to highlight his shape and color. If he had been moving at all, the image would have ended up blurred, but Kathy stopped the Jeep, the anhinga stayed very still, and I got this wonderful golden hour image. MWM

Ordinary Alligator - January 2021 Since I posted an image of a blue alligator yesterday, I decided to post an image of an ordinary alligator today. I took this image about ten minutes before coming across the blue alligator. This alligator appears to be dry and is the proper brownish-greenish-gray for an ordinary alligator. MWM

Blue Alligator - January 2021 When I first saw this blue alligator, I wondered what sort of pollution or paint it had gotten into. I took several quick pictures to prove that I had seen a blue alligator. I was afraid people might equate it to seeing pink elephants. After considerable searching on the internet, I discovered that there is no such thing as a blue alligator. But several blue alligators have been reported and one or two actually photographed. It turns out that the alligator in question is the standard dull gray-green. But some alligators have the ability to retain water on their skin and scales for a short while after coming up out of the water. And if conditions are just right and you are standing in just the right place, the wet scales and skin will reflect the sky... resulting in a blue alligator. What amazes me in this image is that the alligator’s reflection in the water is also blue. MWM

Black Vulture in a Dead Tree - January 2021 This image is dark and melancholy. And that is not just because it is the image of a black vulture. The dead tree reaching up into the sky... the coloration and shape of the clouds... and, of course, the image of a vulture... all make this a very interesting image. MWM #dinner island ranch wma #florida #labelle fl #black vulture #dead tree

Black Crested Night Heron - January 2021 Yes, I know, that bird is blue, but it is still a Black Crested Night Heron. I think the change in coloring may have to do with mating season. Many birds change their coloration drastically when trying to attract a mate. MWM

Wild Turkeys - January 2021 These wild turkeys were walking down the road some distance ahead of us. I knew that they would scatter for cover as soon as they heard us, so I had to take a very long lense image of them. MWM

Anhinga - January 2021 This anhinga was standing along the shore of one of the many canals and calling out across the water. I don’t know if it was seeking a mate or warning off other birds, but it was totally dry and the color and pattern of its feathers was very obvious. The second image isn’t quite as good, but it shows the anhinga actually squawking. Its bill is open and its throat is expanded to magnify the call it makes. MWM