{"id":18885,"date":"2022-04-11T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flgcc.com\/?p=18885"},"modified":"2026-05-19T10:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T14:22:09","slug":"lakeland-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flgcc.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/11\/lakeland-2\/florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakeland Area"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the \u201csnowbird\u201d season comes to an end in Florida, we wanted to try and photograph a few waterfowl species before they begin or continue their journeys north. One of the species that spends time here is the ruddy duck. We\u2019ve photographed the attractive little ducks in the past, but we\u2019re always on a mission to find that perfect shot. So, we headed to Lakeland where we have always found ruddy ducks in the past. We follow the recent sightings from birders on Cornell University\u2019s website so we knew the ducks were still in the area from several reports. As luck would have it, they chose a different lake that day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lesser
Male Lesser Scaup Duck Swimming to the Right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But all was not lost. This day turned out to be one of the best days we\u2019ve ever had for wood ducks. We saw almost 30, and many were just perched and preening in the morning sun. Their colors are simply amazing. Other birds that settled on or around the lake that day included mallards, ring-necked ducks, mute swans, black swans, lesser scaup, and a large flock of white pelicans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wood
Wood Duck Male Resting on a Wall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Wood
Wood Duck Male Standing on a Rock in the Sun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Wood
Wood Duck Male Swimming through the Lily Pads<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The male pelicans were hilariously courting the females by cruising around the lake with their wings lifted over their backs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"White
White Pelican Male with a Wings Up Pose<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here is a link to Cornell\u2019s website which is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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