As we were traveling through North Florida, we made a stop at Circle B Bar Ranch in the Lakeland, Florida area. Some friends had noted that this was a great birding spot during the winter months. We were hoping to see the Barred Owls by the trailhead.
It is worth the time to walk around the visitor’s center, pick up a map and talk with the volunteers. They were very nice and a good resource for what is being seen. We would like to visit during the winter months to enjoy different regional and migratory birds.
Although we arrived later in the day, we saw a great selection of wildlife during our walk along the trails. With the dry April weather, the shrinking water sites had consolidated bird activities. We crossed Heron’s Hideout Trail seeing our first Glossy Ibis and the namesake herons.
On to Eagle Roost Trail hoping to see Bald Eagles. We could make out the nest and maybe a head. This section has no shade and was very hot. We were happy to have our hats, sun protection and plenty of water with us.
While crossing Wading Bird Way, we were excited to see three Roseate Spoonbills flying overhead. We wondered where they were going. Along the bank, we were surprised to find two very large Softshelled Turtles close to the path digging a nest for their eggs. We have never seen one completely out of the water before and so close in proximity.
Turning the bend on to Marsh Rabbit Run, we saw a large group of Roseate Spoonbills picking through a shallow muddy area. April and May are listed as breeding times in Florida so this looked like a happy congenial group. Although they were wary, we were able to get pretty close to watch them spooning through the water.
There was a very large Alligator hunting in this same area. She caught a huge fish while we were watching! It took some flips to get it situated in her jaws. Crunch crunch crunch and down it went! Then we noticed she had several baby alligators hiding among the weeds. Swimming through the grasses, they were colorful yet blended well with their surroundings. Mom came back protectively to keep a wary eye on us.
Although we didn’t see a Marsh Rabbit, we did see numerous wading birds including Moorhens with chicks. Lastly, the sunning turtles were too darn cute … sticking their feet out to catch the rays!
We look forward to returning soon. Hope you enjoy the pictures!
