A juvenile Sandhill Crane sits in front of a bush, almost resembling an awkward turkey.
A subspecies of Sandhill Cranes are native to Florida, and live in the area year-round.
Cranes lay one or two eggs each season, and both parents raise the young cranes until it is time for them to lay eggs again.
Immature cranes have sparse, light brown feathers.
Cranes eat berries and fruit, as well as insects, small reptiles and lizards, and small fish and crustaceans, depending on what’s available.
Space Coast Photography Studios
- They/Them
- heronfox.pixels.com/
Two Central Florida photographers with an interest in nature, landscape, bird, flower, space, technology, and architecture photography.
The first bridge linking they Florida Keys to the peninsula was rail bridge built by Henry Flagler and Clarence Coe as part of the Florida East Coast Railway.
After the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 damaged the rail bridge badly, the railroad sold the bridge to the federal government, which repaired and refurbished it as a road bridge.
In 1982 a new bridge was completed, making many of the old spans obsolete.
Parts of the old bridge were retained for some time, and eventually converted for pedestrian use.
This image, taken from the new road bridge making up the highway US 1, shows part of the old span, rusting in the salty sea spray.
A Snowy Egret (Egretta Thula) in its high breeding plumage. The male egret builds a nest, often in colonies with other water fowl, including other herons and egrets, and then attempts to attract a mate by calling, making acrobatic aerial displays, fanning his trail, and showing his bold colors against his normally-white feathers.
This photo was taken at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. This site, full of alligators, is preferentially selected by the birds nesting here because the alligators keep them safe from other predators, and usually aren't interested in the birds as prey.
