On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
frosty
I’ve been taking pictures of birds as we go, mostly so I have something to use while I page through Peterson’s and check on the Cornell site Merlin to try to identify them. These are some that came out good enough to be worth posting.

Anhinga. Well, of course there should be at least one of these on this trail!

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule. They have widely spaced toes so they can walk on lily pads.

Double Crested Cormorant. There were a few of these birds standing on top of the shelter on the boardwalk, drying their feathers in the sun.

Osprey with fish. One of our guides said they like to eat the heads themselves before taking the rest back to the nest for the family.

Green Heron, Apparently this is how they like to fish, perched on a log with their tails in the air, mooning passersby.

Wood Stork. These birds are fairly uncommon. I thought I saw one in flight over the Big Cypress Loop, and about an hour later saw this one posing next to the entrance road. After that, it seemed like they were everywhere. I even saw a couple in the roadside ditch next to I-75.

Great White Heron. An all-white morph of the Great Blue, only found in south Florida.
sab
Thanks, frosty. Those are amazing
ETA 5:30 am here and the bird racket is deafening. My favorite cat lives for Spring, when we open the windows at night.
Mary G
These are beautiful. The Purple Gallinule is a new one to me, and the wide feet for walking on lily pads are charming. The white heron photo is gorgeous.
Barbara
The size of that stork’s bill in proportion to its body is astonishing. Great pictures.
Betty Cracker
Nice! I love Anhingas and their ratchety calls. If I had to be reincarnated as a bird, I think I’d choose Anhinga or Cormorant since they get to swim AND fly. You were lucky to spot that Green Heron; they’re pretty shy.
Benw
The cormorant looks so proud of itself. Very nice pics!
Mustang Bobby
On occasion I see American Egrets and herons along the canal behind my house, which is about fifteen miles east of the Everglades. I also have a large delegation of ibises that stop by to dine on the insects in the lawn, their heads bobbing up and down as they munch. I am pretty sure I saw a stork a couple of years ago, but by the time I had the presence of mind to grab my camera, it had moved along.
I also get visits from vultures, but they’re just passing through. They travel light; all they have is a little carrion. [rimshot]
Laura Too
Cool pics, thanks!
Laura Too
@Mustang Bobby: LOL
Betty Cracker
@Mustang Bobby: When I lived in town, I’d also see flocks of Ibises dining on insects on my lawn. Now that I live in a remote swamp, I see their identical country cousins dining on insects and crustaceans in the shallow water. I’ve often wondered if the country ibises visit towns for vacation and vice versa. Probably not, but it’s a nice thought, city ibises coming back to town with tales of dodging gators and finding big fat mudbugs, etc.
WaterGirl
This is a great set, frosty!
Like Mary G, my favorites are the Great White Heron and the Purple Gallinule.
The Purple Gallinule walk on water – are they god?
TomatoQueen
My swamp babies! All my favorites, thank you frosty
cope
Very nice pictures of some very lovely birds, thank you. I’ve pointed out before that in moving to Florida from the deserts and mountains, the first thing I truly enjoyed about this state is the birds. And I still love them all. Thanks again.
ArchTeryx
Anhingas, or Darters as they’re known across the pond, are truly ancient birds – IIRC they’re the oldest known non-extinct family. They also, oddly enough, have a gizzard (stomach) that’s most like ours among the bird world, except they, of course, are obligate carnivores.
They’ve been around since the time of the dinosaurs. We now know the birds are all descended from one family of dinosaurs, but when you look at an anhinga you’re looking at a literal dinosaur.
frosty
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Of all the ones I’ve seen on this trip I think the purple gallinule is my favorite. So nice of him to hang out right next to the boardwalk!
stinger
Wow, what amazing birds!
Betty Cracker
@ArchTeryx: I didn’t know that — so cool! Thanks for sharing it!
J R in WV
@Mustang Bobby:
OK, that’s great, I read that to Wife and she broke up laughing.
Thanks!
ETA: frosty, thanks for the swell photos, great to see your travel photos, just the places you’ve been, amazing trips~!!!~
JanieM
Thanks for the pictures, frosty — nice job. I like the Purple Gallinule too. Such colors!
I see cormorants here in Maine, but the only way I recognize them is if they’re spreading their wings to dry them. IIRC they even do this in the water, i.e. rising up somehow to get above the surface for a spell. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m misremembering.
Barbara
@ArchTeryx: I though that there was still a very lively dispute about whether birds are actually descended from dinosaurs. I remember reading an article to the effect that most ornithologists are not convinced, mostly because of what they perceive to be the significant differences between the two, versus the agreed upon similarities. .
Anyway
Fantastic pics. mucho impressed – I can never take a good bird photo