Missing Birdmania? 2026 Wetlands have been good for wildlife and birds! (pics)

[zackiedawg]

Some of the abundant wildlife and bird life since Christmas and the beginning of 2026 around the wetlands:

Wilson's snipe:

Roseate spoonbill:

Double-crested cormorant:

Pied-billed grebe with a big fish:

Osprey in a lookout tree:

Green iguana, really close up detail:

Big gator, showing her chompers:

Female northern harrier, on the hunt:

Sora:

Chuck-will's-widow:

 

[zackiedawg]

Looks like Birdmania 2026 is going to be...Scott! We'll be hitting the wetlands this weekend.

The rest of you are going to have to sit up north and miss being in sunny, warm South Florida.

Our freeze last month has dented the greenery of our wetlands - lots of dead or half-dead trees and shrubs around - but the nesting is still going full force with the wood storks completely taking over at Wakodahatchee again, and the other herons and water birds nesting alongside too, wherever they can find a spot. The iguanas that survived, as well as the snakes, have spent the last month in the trees everywhere trying to get warm - can't remember seeing so many snakes out in the open before! Even though we're in the 80s, I think the reptiles are still trying to recover and aren't going to leave the direct sun for quite some time!

 

[Joanie Eddis-Koch]

I am missing Bird Mania for sure! I'm still trying to recover from the knee replacement surgery I had in November. That surgery really kicked my ass! I am becoming more mobile as the days go by, and now that the weather has finally gotten warmer in NJ, I've started working out in the garden. I'm also building back my endurance by walking and I'm up to 2.5 miles walking the dogs.

We had a BRUTAL winter this year with extended freezing temps and a snow pack that turned into ice for a couple of weeks. Taking the dogs out for short walks was treacherous on that! The weather caused us all to be housebound just when I needed to start getting outside and walking. All that sitting around wasn't doing me any favors!

As for the April Universal trip I am erring on the side of caution and I cut back to just 1 week in Florida at Universal from April 12th to the 18th with my husband Karl and Dennis @ddindy . We are doing Epic Universe and the other Universal parks. Give us a holler if you are going to be up in the area. @Scottwdw said he has hockey tickets so he can't make Epic on Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th.

I dropped my reservation at Disney for the following week because I didn't think I would have the energy for a 2 week theme park fiesta. I also rented a scooter for Universal in a concession to common sense for not walking 5 plus miles at Universal while standing in line for many minutes. I fully expect to be the camera bag "scooter sherpa" on this trip.

I will sneak on over to Bay Lake at 7 am on Thursday the 16th for fishing and a trip into The Magic Kingdom. The last time I was at WDW was PIXELMANIA in December of 2025. This is the longest I've been away from WDW.

So slowly but surely I am getting back in the saddle. I am thinking that I'd like to do Birdmania again in 2027. Karl and I have booked a Cruise at the end of March so I will have to see how I can fit Birdmania into the schedule.

Keep up the great shots you are getting. Scott has posted some of his and he has got some real keepers. I look forward to seeing everyone's shots.