Mix of Birds and Reptiles, Wrapping up two days (1/22/2022)

Wrapping up October 23rd, and also wrapping up a short October 30th shoot as well, with this set.  October 23 was the bobcat day and owl day, and the additional shots here were the other local critters I shot after leaving the owl and working my way back to my car.  Then I'll kick off the following weekend with a few shots from the 30th of the month.  This time, just a mix of all kinds of birds and a few reptiles mixed in.

All shots on both days, and all posted here, were taken with the A6600 and FE 100-400mm GM OSS combo, and all are posted at 1800 pixels on the long side if you view them in original size:

Starting with this red-bellied woodpecker, perched at the end of a branch in the dark pine forest - this was just a few minutes and a hundred feet or so after the owl, in the same patch of forest

A male anhinga, drying himself off up on a cypress branch over the water

The tricolor herons are always fun when they fish - they hop around a lot, make a lot of noise, and constantly fly from bank to bank over the water trying to corral the fish and strike at them

Tricolored heron just after launch, heading back over the water again

A pretty banded water snake, all curled up in the reeds a few feet out of the water

The light was difficult, but I was excited to just get the shot - this was a lifer for me - my first broad-winged hawk!

On to the following weekend, on October 30th...

This dark colored green iguana kicked off the next weekend - they usually are darker color like this when they're cold, or when they're scared/defensive.  It was NOT cold out, so he probably just had a tussle with another iguana

Another not great shot - it was already just about past me when I noticed it and tried to swing the lens up for a shot of this monk parakeet as it flew by.  I hadn't really seen any in a while - the nanday parakeets have been more common lately around this wetland.

A juvenile tricolored heron walking through the shallow water and reeds, watching for any fish movement below

A strongly backlit palm warbler sitting at the end of a branch

As the late afternoon winter light became warm and low, even the common birds like these ibis gathering for the night look quite lovely

Grey-headed swamphens aren't really swimmers - they have chicken-like feet, and usually walk on reeds or shallower water - or fly to cross deeper patches of water.  This one decided to make a go at crossing water that was just out of his tiptoe reach, making slow progress but still moving

Meanwhile, more and more ibises were coming in, landing all together in one spot - in lovely warm golden hour light just before sunset

More ibis landings

I pushed past sunset that day, so headed back to my car in dusk darkness.  In the parking lot, the tree just in back of my car had this security guard on duty, watching over my car - calling out as I approached - a northern mockingbird.  Nice of him to watch my car while I was away!

Comments, questions, and critique welcomed as always!