Also Rans

I mentioned that I shot a pair of roseate spoonbills this afternoon. What I didn't mention were the myriad of other creatures I shot at the same time. There was a fairly large flock of glossy ibis feeding in the shallow water. Look close at the bird closest to center in the shot above and you'll spot a little blue heron that snuck in for a few bites. There was also some plain white ibis, a tri-colored heron, and a few pairs of moorhens. I didn't get any decent pictures of them though.

I had almost made it all the way around the lake when I saw this red-shouldered hawk on a tree branch nearby. He had his eye on something, but I never did find out what. Three shots after this one, I caught a frame with only his feet in the shot as he headed out after something. I saw either him or his mate a couple of minutes later being pursued by a murder of crows. No luck getting a picture of that, though.

This being Florida, you always have to keep your eyes open when you're near the water. Why? Because you never know when you might run into one of these fellows. This gator was about 6 feet long, and he was laid out in a storm drain right off the lake. I kept my distance once I saw him, but if I hadn't been paying attention, this could have spelled trouble.