Gatorland - March 10/14

Okay, I finally decided which pictures to use, and I apologize in advance for the number of them, but I just couldn't help myself.  :-)  Believe me, I could have come up with a hundred more!
We had a great day yesterday at Gatorland - it's someplace I want to go every year from now on!  I had a wonderful time taking pictures!  So here goes.

It was kind of cool that at one point during the day, we ran into 3 couples and their families from Cobourg. One couple we didn't know, one was Brian and Nancy Bruce, and one was my doctor and her husband.  They were all together.

I think the vultures were waiting for someone to fall in so they could scavenge the left-overs! 

 

 
We think the one on the left is a crocodile, the one on the right is an alligator.  They have very different snouts. 

 
This tortoise was huge! 

 
 
Not sure what kind of cat this is. 

 
I don't remember ever seeing a blonde racoon, but apparently, it is a special breed of them - it's not an albino. 

 
We rode around on the train - it was worth it for the commentary. 

 
 
"Cracker" cows. 

 

 
 
I think this is a red-bellied woodpecker, just hangin' around. 

We saw a few nests with eggs, but no babies - later than usual, I believe. This is a "Rookerie" and alligator breeding swamp.  The birds build their nests right over where the alligators are, so predators will not climb up and get the eggs or the babies.

 
However, if a baby falls out of the nest, it's an alligator snack! 

 The rookery lines both sides of the swamp, and there are hundreds of birds - some nesting, some building nests, some mating.  Hence all the beautiful plumage.

 
 
This heron got lucky while fishing, but I think he'll need a lot more of that size to fill him up! 

 
 
 
A wood stork in his breeding plumage. 

 
 
One of my favorite shots of the day - a tri-coloured (Louisiana) heron. 

 
This is a good look at the underside of the one above. 

 

 
 
I've never seen a heron pose like this before!  It appeared to be drying it's wings.  There were no other herons around! 

 

 

 
 
Okay, I couldn't resist a little bee-chasing! 

 

 
 
A white-tailed deer. 

 
 
This is a roseate spoonbill - the only one I've seen this winter. 

 

This alligator was hauling his huge bulky body up onto the ramp, and the egret looked as though he was offering to help!  

They are not supposed to have much of a brain, but I suspect when the crowd started to gather, this gator knew it was time for the "Jumperoo" show. 

 

 
 
Lots of birds around. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This is one of the 4 rare leucistic gators at Gatorland.  It's not an albino.  There are only 12 of them in the world, and 4 are here.  They are hoping to breed them with 2 females who carry the leucistic gene.  They have ice-blue eyes. 

This was at the Close Encounters show - I LOVE the look on the face of the girl on the left - who is from Alberta.  They had to shut their eyes until the snake was laid on their hands. 

 

 
 
Catching a lift! 

 
 
These flamingoes are so pretty, and so unusual! 

 
 
Their knees bend backwards too!  And their legs and feet are such a pretty pink colour. 

 
 
Here's lookin' at ya! 

 

 
 
There was also an alligator wrestling show, which was quite entertaining and informational. 

 
 
I was intrigued by the way the "knees" from this Cyprus grew right onto the boards of the board-walk. 

 
 
The black-crowned night heron. 

 

I think the red around the beak/eye of this snowy egret must be a part of his breeding colours. 

 
 
This little gator probably thought he was climbing up onto an island to sun himself. 

 
 
A proud Mama of 3 eggs. 

 
 
Another proud Mama of 2 eggs.