Birds that spend a lot of time in the sunny south

In Florida, as up here in Ontario, osprey spend a lot of time up high then diving into a lake or river to catch the unwary fish floating or swimming by. I used to see them near the Ministry of Natural Resources building in Peterborough which was on a canal, and then again driving up north on highway 28 where there was a great nest of them just north of Port Hope. When they dive it is spectacular to see the splash and then this huge bird with an even bigger fish in its mouth erupting from the water.

This particular bird seems to love sitting in the southern pine that exists on a golf course filled with ponds and streams in Florida, and fortunately for me is next door to where a friend of mine - Diana  and her partner Robert Fox who took this picture - spend a lot of time in winter... doesn't that blue sky look inviting?

And then there is the wood stork which patrols the edges of the water hazards of this particular golf course... they can be spectacular when in flight or in a group. Quite an ugly face up close though. And yes the pond is reflecting the beautiful blue sky that Mr. Fox found when he had his camera out instead of his seven or nine iron to get over this water hazard.

And a flock of cranes, getting a drink and patrolling the fairway to make sure there are no lizards or maybe even baby crocs along the way for breakfast.

A flock of wood storks....probably disturbed by golfers who drove by on their golf carts and now are looking for a safe place to land.

And this might be a double crested cormorant...but I am certainly not sure. If anyone can let me know I'd be glad to acknowledge you and the type of bird in an upcoming blog entry.

And finally a sandhill crane, a photo which I took two or more years ago, in the parking lot of the golf course where I had just tried to swing a club after lo these many years...I must say though that the crane photo is better than any shot I tried to take with the golf club....

Thanks to Bob Fox - he has sent me many photos over the past few years, I just need to find them, plus a photo of sandhills which is much better than this, but try as I might I can't find it today - however I did find a number of pet photos which will serve for the blog tomorrow...

Did these pictures make you wish you were some place warm today? As I look out the windows at the freezing rain, I certainly think fondly of the weeks I spent with my friend Diana and her friend Bob Fox in Florida a couple or more years ago...

Thanks for to each of you for reading... and Tia thank you for leaving me a very kind comment on my previous blog...

Drive safely those of you in Ontario or up in this cooler wetter part of the world today.