Day: January 13, 2020

Winter Brings White Pelicans!

Wildlifewatcher's Blog

American White Pelicans migrate South and visit our ponds and lakes here in The Villages, Florida every year in the Winter months (We do have about 10 White Pelicans that stay all year-long now).  The two main places in the Northern end of The Villages to spot the pelicans are The Nancy Lopez Legacy Golf Course and Freedom Pointe Lakes.

Both Lopez Golf and Freedom Pointe lake locations have quite a few pelicans although sometimes pelicans do fly between these areas.  Always a fun sight to see the young adult pelicans massed! Sometimes there are large groups of accompanying Double-crested Cormorants, too!  I took these photographs last week here in The Villages.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

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Birds & Scenery, Juniper Springs Campground

Wildlifewatcher's Blog

The U.S. Forest Service “Juniper Springs Campground” is on Highway 40 in Marion County, FL, between Ocala and Daytona.  This public campground features junipers, pines, sweet gums, palms, and huge oaks.  There is a rustic display of an old spring-fed electric power generating mill in the campground.  This mill, like the campground, was built by the U.S. Conservation Corps during the 1930s.

This is a natural spring area which offers a several miles-long canoe and kayak run (rentals available) as well as a nice semi-natural swimming pool (no alligators!).  Because it was chilly we skipped the water-oriented sports.  I have included a few pictures of the stream that runs from the springs.

We did try to do a little bit of bird watching.  We saw several woodpeckers and sapsuckers and did see a nice male Common Grackle bird.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version…

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