Florida Gulf Coast Creations

Tag: Teal

  • Little Winter Wonders

    Little Winter Wonders

    One of my favorite birds is the green-winged teal. They are beautiful small ducks that migrate here every winter. While green-winged teal are a common species, they can be difficult to find because they prefer smaller shallow ponds with plenty of cover. Last year we were dealing with the high water left over from hurricane Ian which created numerous areas for them to inhabit that were inaccessible for us. So, we had virtually no good photo opportunities all season.

    Green Winged Teal Preening In Morning
    Green-winged Teal Preening in the Morning

    But this year we found a park near St. Petersburg where a modest flock has taken up residence for the winter months with a group of blue-winged teal. Thankfully, they have been close enough to shore for some good pictures. The duckweed that they enjoy seems plentiful so hopefully they will stick around for a few more weeks.

    Follow the links for more information on these pretty little ducks.

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, please visit the gallery listed.

  • Myakka River Wildlife Destination

    Myakka River Wildlife Destination

    Myakka River State Park is a wildlife and nature gem. Located in eastern Sarasota County, it is one of the largest parks in Florida with over 37,000 acres. The Myakka River flows through the park and creates a variety of lakes, ponds, and flooded marshlands. Because of the diverse terrain, the park is home to a huge variety of wildlife.

    There are many types of migrating birds that spend the winter and spring months in the park including several species of waterfowl. It’s also a good place to find roseate spoonbills which are one of the most desired birds for photos in the state.

    Roseate Spoonbill Flying By
    Roseate Spoonbill Flying By

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

  • Wintering Waterfowl

    Wintering Waterfowl

    It started off being a rather quiet year for waterfowl. No matter where we went in December and early January, the numbers seemed down from years past. But the last couple of weeks have changed everything. Not only have the number of ducks improved, but we found a couple of species that we hadn’t seen in our travels. Most notably is the northern pintail. We located a small nature preserve near Tampa Bay that the ducks liked. In addition to the pintails, we found northern shovelers, widgeons, and plenty of teal, including my favorite, a green-winged teal. Hopefully they’ll stick around for a few more weeks.

    Northern Pintail Male Flying By
    Male Northern Pintail Flying By

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

  • Green-winged Teal

    Green-winged Teal

    I mentioned in my previous post that we found a very large flock of green-winged teal ducks on Thursday. Finding the green-wings completes the “teal trifecta” for me for 2021. There are 3 species of teal in North America – blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon. Two weeks ago we found a cinnamon teal which is a rare sight this far east. There were blue-winged teal with the cinnamon teal. We see the blue-wings frequently. Although green-winged teal are fairly common in this area, they’re often tucked away on ponds or marshes that are inaccessible except by boat.

    Green Winged Teal Watching Across Water With Reflection
    Male Green-winged Teal Watches Across the Water

    These were the first green-winged teal I’ve seen in over 30 years. They are beautiful little ducks. I’m hoping to get back out and attempt to get closer to them. If I’m successful, you’ll see the results right here.

  • Cinnamon Teal

    Cinnamon Teal

    This past weekend I had the opportunity to photograph a cinnamon teal. It’s a bird I have never seen in the wild. Cinnamon teal are seldom spotted east of the Mississippi River so finding one here in Florida was a real treat! They are beautiful birds, especially in flight where you can see their light blue wing patches and green speculums. Unfortunately, this cinnamon teal was feeding on a grass bed in the middle of a small lake which made photographing a challenge. These images are heavily cropped which sacrifices detail.

    Cinnamon Teal Chewing Grass On Pond
    Cinnamon Teal Male Chewing Grass on a Pond

    Cinnamon teal like to feed by skimming for plants right under the surface so most of the time their head is under water. When they come up for a breath, it’s only for a moment before they shove their head back down again to return to feeding. Thank goodness for digital cameras because I couldn’t afford the film and processing to capture this bird!

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

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