Florida Trip: Part FOUR (otherwise known as Florida is for the birds!)

Florida is for the Birds.

Literally.

I love the birds there...and it is part of the reason I go there.

I am smitten with ALL of the tropical birds and shore birds I see.

To today, I will focus on some shots of them.

Like most folks, the Pelican is one of my favorites.

I am happy to report that after the Gulf oilspill crisis,

we did see a LOT of them again..healthy and beautiful:

I wanted to wrap  him up and take him home.

(But I rather doubt he would like my upper Michigan weather!):

I wanted to PET him!:

And, even though beach folks think the seagulls are pesky, I really like them!:

Look at those BLUE peepers! Sigh.  I am in LOVE!:

Another Pelican beauty:

Reflecting seagulls:

I think these are Sandpipers:

I loved how they ran scattered on the waves' edge and back....

kind of like ME (only cuter).

Stay tuned, there will be plenty more photos from the Sunshine State

to make you long for spring and summer in your neck of the woods!!

More Florida Sunsets, Etc.....!...

Here are some more Florida photographs.

They are particularly poignant now, with all the oil spilling in the gulf.

The beautiful oceans

and my beloved Pelicans are in danger.

It both saddens and disgusts me.

I hope we can solve it soon.

Here is a Pelican taking off:

Ahhh....to be on that sailboat, right now.....

He's asking--B.P oil....how could you do this to us?:

Golden delightful evening:

My friend: Howie, the Ibis:

( I forgot to tell you the story about Howie.  The local fisherman trained them to eat leftover bait and meat where we stayed. Having some lunchmeat, we treated Howie off and on during our stay and he came and took it right out of our hand. Except.....one day we ran out and my husband was reading a book by the pool barefoot. Howie came up and pecked at his baby toe...thinking it was a sausage!) LOL  I never saw my husband jump up sooo fast before!)

Orange clouds over the sea:

A pelican making a splash:

(I absolutely LOVE their large wings and enormous wingspan~!)

Dramatic clouds over the ocean:

Sky on fire!:

I am never at a loss of things to photograph

at the Gulf....

I only hope this oil spill will be solved soon

and that all of this beauty

is not lost....

I am sad, horrified, angry, and hopeful all at the same time

that we will be able to find a way to remedy this tragic situation as soon as humanly possible.