Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Limpkin in the Hammock

My husband came home a few days ago and told me he’d seen 2 Limpkins at the end of our road, in the canal. I was photographing the Eastern Amberwing and was afraid it would leave before I got a good picture, and by the time I got there they were gone.

I have been riding my bike, everyday, along the canals. This is one of them. You can see a Blue Heron wading. There was a small gator here also, but it submerged.

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It took a couple of days but I finally found it.6.17.09 015cs

The Limpkin is a wading bird. Look at the length of it’s toes. They make for easy walking on water plants.

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It’s a very pretty bird. Hard to notice since it blends in so well.  I have some better pictures of a Limpkin on www.riverwildlife.blogspot.com.  But this one is close to home. First one I’ve seen.n 078cs

The canal is very shallow now. During the tropical storms or hurricanes they will be full.n 082cs

We’ve always thought of this bird as the “Elusive Limpkin”, since that is how it is referred to in the St Johns River guide that we use. From a distance you probably wouldn’t even notice it. The Herons and Egrets are so easy to spot, that you tend to over look this beautiful bird.

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8 comments:

  1. Catherine@AGardenerinProgressJune 23, 2009 at 1:15 PM

    Thanks for sharing such great pictures. I've never heard of these birds, I love learning about wildlife from around the country/world. I would've been nervous if I knew there was a gator nearby!

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  2. Sam and LisaJune 23, 2009 at 4:49 PM

    I have never heard of this species, great shot and thankyou for posting.
    Sam

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  3. Dawn FineJune 23, 2009 at 10:15 PM

    This is a great bird...when we camp in Lake Worth.Florida we see at least eight pair in the John prince campground...this past year we has a pair in our campsite..very cool

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  4. QJune 25, 2009 at 10:25 AM

    A new to me bird...so lovely too.
    I enjoy your photographs very much.
    It is wonderful getting to know you and your wildlife!
    Sherry

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  5. CarolJune 25, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    I have some photos of the Limpkin on www.riverwildlike.blogspot.com that really show the beauty of this bird.

    Thanks so much for all the comments.

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  6. Betsy Banks AdamsJune 25, 2009 at 1:59 PM

    The Limpkin is a beautiful bird, Carol. I'm glad you got to see it. I have never seen one.

    Thanks again for sharing!!!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  7. MontanagirlJune 25, 2009 at 3:05 PM

    It is a very beautiful bird. However, I have never seen one. Nice photos.

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  8. GaelynJune 25, 2009 at 8:43 PM

    That Limpkin is a very interesting bird. Toes are very long. How fortunate to find it close to home.

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate the time you take to make a comment......If you ask a question, I will try to answer it here.

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