BIRD PHOTOS FROM MY ARCHIVES: WADING BIRDS - PART I - HERONS AND NIGHT-HERONS

   Wading birds have a preference for shallow waters, such as marshes, swamps, reedy areas, mud flats, ponds, etc.  The following birds are considered wading birds:

• Herons
• Egrets
• Ibises
• Night-herons
• Spoonbill
• Storks
• Bitterns

In this blog I have included photos of herons and night-herons; in a future blog I will give photos of the other wading birds.

   The photos below were taken at four different birding hotspots in the Naples, FL area:

• Eagle Lakes Community Park, Naples, FL (Eagle Lakes) - This Collier County park is located on Route 41 (Tamiami Trail E.) about 1/2 mile west of the intersection of Route 41 and Collier Blvd.  The park is open from 8 am to dusk every day. The park is site # 170 on the Great Florida Birding Trail.  The park has three ponds which host numerous birds, especially during the winter. Forested areas around the ponds host all types of song birds.
• J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge (Ding  Darling) - This refuge is located on Sanibel Island on the Gulf of Mexico.  It is accessed via a bridge from Ft. Myers, FL.  The refuge is site # D28 of the Great Florida Birding Trail.  Ding Darling  is an internationally renowned birding location. 
• Shark Valley, Everglades National Park (Shark Valley) - The Shark Valley section of Everglades National Park is located on Route 41 (Tamiami Trail) about 70 miles from Naples and 40 miles from Miami.  It is site # K78 on the Great Florida Birding Trail.  There is a 15-mile loop road that you can walk, bike or take a narrated tram tour.
• Naples Botanical Garden - This is a spectacular botanical garden located on Bayshore Drive about 3 1/2 miles from downtown Naples.  In addition to beautiful flowers, this is a great birding hotspot.  There are several ponds with marshes and a birding tower with a scope.

   You can download info on the Great Florida Birding Trail at floridabirdingtrail.com.

ABOVE 3 PHOTOS - BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT HERON - EAGLE LAKES

ABOVE 3 PHOTOS - YELLOW-CROWNED
NIGHT HERON - DING DARLING

IMMATURE YELLOW-CROWNED
NIGHT HERON - DING DARLING

GREAT BLUE HERON
EAGLE LAKES

I

GREEN HERON
SHARK VALLEY

IMMATURE GREEN HERON
SHARK VALLEY

ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - TRICOLORED HERON
NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN

LITTLE BLUE HERON
DING DARLING & EAGLE LAKES