There is a mated pair of Sandhill Cranes who nest in the same spot at the wetlands each year. I was a bit concerned because they seemed to be behind schedule, but last week two little Sandhill Crane colts hatched from the nest. I got to see them on Sunday when they were still less than a week old.

Unlike most baby birds, Sandhill Crane colts don’t look terrifying right after they are born. In fact, it’s definitely cuteness overload with these little birds, who will quickly grow and, hopefully, become the next generation of Florida Sandhill Cranes.

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A second Burrowing Owl has shown up and they appear to be mates. That’s great news for this pint-sized raptor, which Florida lists as an “imperiled” species.

Here’s what the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says about Burrowing Owl breeding in the state:

“The typical breeding season for the Florida burrowing owl is February 15 to July 10, though owls can breed earlier or later. Nesting occurs in burrows in the ground that they dig.  These burrows will be maintained and used again the following year. …   Females lay up to eight eggs within a one-week period, and they will incubate the eggs for up to 28 days.  Once the white-feathered juveniles are born, it takes two weeks before they are ready and able to appear out of the burrow.  Juveniles will begin learning how to fly at four weeks, but will not be able to fly well until they are six weeks old.  Juveniles will stay with the parents until they are able to self-sustain at 12 weeks old.”

Hopefully we’ll get to see some baby burrowers at some point.

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These brilliant birds can be spotted year-round in Mexico and also parts of Texas, the U.S. Southwest and and Central America. It’s not unheard of to see them in Florida, but they’re definitely a rarity. Still, a female and male have been visiting Orlando Wetlands each winter and early spring for two years, and there have been sightings of others in the region, too.

They’re pretty easy to spot, especially the males.

“A feathered ember in a desert landscape, the male Vermilion Flycatcher is exactly what its name says: a brilliant red bird that hawks flying insects from conspicuous perches on shrub tops and fences,” AllAboutBirds.org notes. “Females are delightful in their own way, subtle gray-brown birds with a warm salmon-red blush to the underparts.”

Here are some shots of a female Vermilion from Orlando Wetlands and a male from Emeralda Marsh in Lake County. (The male at Orlando Wetlands has been staying in a part of the facility this year that is closed to the public.)

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“In 2025, Florida experienced an abnormally dry spring and the University of Florida reported only 30 successful Snail Kite nests in the entire state,” Audubon said in a report on the birds in January. “No successful nests came from the two largest historic kite nesting regions: the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee. The previous year also wrought a dry spring and poor nesting success. As a result, the population estimate for 2025 has dropped to about 2,000 kites total.  The 2026 population estimate is expected to be even lower.”

Snail Kites live in Central and South America and the Caribbean, but in the U.S. they’re only found in Florida. The Everglades and the wetlands that feed it are their primary environment, and apple snails are their main diet.

The birds’ “highly specialized diet, restricted range, and human changes to historic water flow in the Everglades combined to land the Kite on the federal endangered species list in 1967,”Audubon.noted. Native apple snails have been pushed out by invasive ones, but the Kites evolved so they could eat the larger, non-native snails. But when there is a drought, the snail supply — native and non-native — is impacted, and so are the Kites.

So I feel fortunate to be able to take pictures of these endangered birds whenever and wherever I can. I have found a place in Lake County called Emeralda Marsh where a small group of Kites hang out. Hopefully they can hang on, too.

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It was a group of five otters. They were swimming together along near the bank of one of the ponds in the back of the wetlands. Then they decided to come ashore, and I was able to get some pictures of them.

“This water-loving animal is found throughout Florida except the Keys,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on its website. “River otters usually prefer fresh water and can be found in rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, and swamps. Otters live in burrows on the bank of the water body, often under tree roots. They may dig their own burrow or remodel a beaver’s burrow.”

The FWC says the otters are native to Florida. “They are social animals and groups usually consist of a female and her juvenile offspring,” it notes.

Interesting, at least to me, was watching a couple of the otters deciding they needed to “mark” their territory on land the same way dogs do.

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That changed on an evening in late February when I visited MINWR and came across a lone Black Skimmer. It was skimming across a pond as the sun was setting. A few minutes later, it was later joined by several other Skimmers who joined in the fishing.

More arrived, but they just flew past overhead. Still, it was great to finally see these odd-looking birds do what they do best.

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And that’s what happened on a February trip to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I came across a couple of Brown Pelicans fighting over a fish that seemed way too big for either to handle.

It took a lot of time and a lot of attempts, but one of the Brown Pelicans finally managed to swallow the fish.

But they weren’t the only birds I photographed that day.

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As the photos below from a couple of trips in February illustrate, the number and diversity of birds at the facility is impressive.

The Roseate Spoonbills grab the attention of most visitors, and that’s only been increasing now that little “teaspoons” are hatching. But there are so many other birds around worth photographing.

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While these birds are found in many parts of the state, they’re not native to Florida.

“Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina,” Audubon.org notes. “It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast.”

At the Celery Fields, there must have been at least two dozen of them that flew in to roost in trees and take advantage of some feeders set up at the park.

According to the FWC, these birds have also been spotted in east Central Florida, specifically Brevard County. I haven’t come across any there yet, but I will be looking for them.

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Of course, one may have (and likely did) visit before and we just didn’t know it. But on this day I just happened to be in our backyard around lunchtime when this Bunting came by — and fortunately I also had my camera in hand. I had been sitting outside trying to make some adjustments to my camera settings when I looked up and saw the pretty bunting just sitting there.

Pictures don’t do justice to just how beautiful this rainbow-colored bird is in person.

He only stayed a few minutes, but I sure hope he comes back.

Male Painted Bunting, my backyard, February 2026.

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