Buckeye Butterfly

All I know about this kind of butterfly is that they seem unwilling to pose with wings spread out.

Understanding Egrets

Snowy egrets are weenies.

Great white egrets are not.

Fish is on the Menu Today

Down the hatch.

An Eagle and an Osprey

I saw first an osprey and then an eagle at water's edge by the same house.

It took off and flew low over the ninth fairway.

A few days later I saw an eagle in the same spot.  It soon also flew low over the ninth fairway.

The eagle looked like it had something -- maybe a small bird -- in its talons.

A Tricolored Heron in its Breeding Plumage

In early spring, the faces and bills of tricolored herons turn bright blue, they grow a white plume on the back of their heads, and their body feathers are longer. 

A Gator Again

This alligator likes to sun himself in the same spot on the eighteenth hole of my golf course.

On this recent visit, he showed off his dental work.

Lantana

Last year I planted an area in the front of my house with plants that attract butterflies and bees.

They seem to like lantana especially well.  Fortunately, so do I.

The zebra longwing butterfly is the official state butterfly of Florida.  I was honored by a visit.

Killdeer

The big shorebirds are attention-getters, but I am now trying to catch some of the smaller shorebirds.

A little time with Google informed me that these are killdeers, so named
because their two-note call sounds like kill - deer.

Swallow-tailed kites

 You might have noticed that most of my recent photos are wildlife and nature. 

Given the constraints of social distancing and concern about getting or transmitting

COVID-19, I rarely venture out of the confines of my gated community in Florida.

Fortunately, it is an Audubon certified sanctuary, so wildlife and nature are plentiful.

Kites return to Southwest Florida in the spring.  Nice to see them back.

She Usually Plays from the Ladies' Tees

An Egret and a Gecko

I saw a great white egret working to finish off a meal.

Ahhhhh.  Tasty.

A Bald Eagle!

There are bald eagles in my neighborhood.  It seems that all of my friends see them, but this season I had not seen one despite a lot of looking.  

Until yesterday.  This elegant bird stood calmly on a high limb of a scrub pine.  I asked it to move a bit to remove the shadows and to get a small limb out of its face, but no luck.

A Pileated Woodpecker

I think of woodpeckers as small birds, but when we come across a pileated woodpecker, I suspect the common first reaction is "Whoa, look at that big guy!" 

Technology and Architecture

Not always happy bedfellows.

An Anhinga

Taking some time to dry its feathers.

An Osprey

An osprey atop a tree flared his wings to change positions.

An angel, right?

A Yellow House

Wandering around Aqualane Shores, a generally upscale neighborhood south of Olde Naples with lots of access to canals behind the houses, I spotted this bright yellow house screaming for attention.

Another Cow

A second cow at "Imagine" has a patriotically painted body with

 images of a flag, George Washington and a suffragette.

Imagine Cow

A store called "Imagine" has three painted cows in front.  This one has animals painted on it.

Eastern Bluebird

I always struggle to capture the small birds.  They move fast and generally hide in the foliage.

This eastern bluebird got tired of hiding and sat still for a portrait.

The Englishman

The Englishman is a fine art gallery on Naples' Fifth Avenue South, with sculptures lining the entry.

Cormorant

A cormorant was struggling to get control of its catch.

Psychic Reader

In case fake news isn't enough for you.

Cattle Egrets

I watched two cattle egrets hanging out at water's edge.

It was windy and occasionally ruffled their feathers.

Bruce Plunges

 I wade into the shallow end of the pool, slowly walk into the deeper water, gather my courage, and then dip all the way in.  Not my friend Bruce.  He backs up to the pool's edge and takes the plunge.

A Great Blue Heron in Flight

He was still when I approached.

When I got closer, he took off.

I liked the reflections of a heron in flight.

For more photos with reflections, visit Weekend Reflections.

St. Leo's

St. Leo's is a Catholic church not far from my Naples neighborhood.

It must have a big congregation because traffic is brutal on Sunday when services finish.