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LIFE at LITTLE SAND
LAKE
Late one afternoon an entire group of birders greet me as I walk to the
lake. They are on a "birding" tour from Manchester, England
and their guide has chosen our lake to start their trip (they just flew
into Orlando International today). As they get great views of the water
birds, ducks, some nuthatches and a Downy Woodpecker, a huge Great Horned
Owl flies to the dead tree just South of the park (along the water). Although
its flight was silent, he announced his arrival with a distinctive "hoot".
All got very excited and the spotting scopes and powerful binoculars were
focused his way. I was even asked to look at this beautiful bird thru
the powerful spotting scope - and what a view it was!
It's a still afternoon as I watch a glossy (black) Ibis forage in the
shallows at the end of the boat ramp. Although alone today, yesterday
he had the company of two other black ibis, a great white heron and a
tri-colored heron - all quickly dipping their beaks in the mud in search
of delicacies. A large banded kingfisher watched them and preened on the
bare branches on the south end of the park lakefront. He must have just
finished fishing as his feathers still glistened wet.
As a walked past the park gate, a large red-shouldered hawk watched from
a tree on the north side of the park. As I passed, she lifted from the
tree and slowly circled over Punkin (my dog) and I. We watched her watch
us - strange to see her head bend down as she lazily circled, showing
us her cream, red-speckled underside. Once curiosity satisfied, she (or
he?) moved over the open field and then the shrub to the South in search
of lunch.
While sitting at the picnic table, I heard a distinct hammering sound.
Although it sounded too rhythmic to be the construction across the lake,
I could see no other source. In just a moment, though, a great flap of
wings produced a large pileated woodpecker in the oak in front of me.
The woodpecker was busy looking for tasty treats - searching over the
limbs and periodically testing them with the rhythmic tap I had heard.
As the pileated traveled between the limbs, his glorious red-coned head
and black and white masked face would break into a patch of sunshine and
appear a beacon. All the while, testing with the tap-tap-tap.
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