Last Saturday, I had one of the most amazing encounters with wildlife that I have ever experienced!! I had gone to Lakeland, Florida the day before on business, to drop a very vital part off to be repaired for a very important customer. I had been to The Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland before, and wanted to spend a little time there Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, before coming back home, which I did. I’m hoping to post the photos from those visits in a week or two. It was while I was driving home that I saw something I had never seen before, and there is no doubt in my mind that God put me right there, right then, for a reason!!

I was near Bushnell, Florida, between Highway 301 and I-75, when I passed a cattle ranch on my right. I love cows (I love animals), and I love watching them as I pass by. I love seeing Cattle Egrets, which some people mistakenly call “Cow Birds”. Although quite common, if you take a close look, Cattle Egrets are quite beautiful!

ANYWAY … I looked over and did indeed see a Cattle Egret … being chased by a beautiful Bald Eagle (Officially an “American” Bald Eagle). I quickly pulled my truck over and got my camera out. By the time I actually got it out and ready, the Egret had flown away safely, so I watched the Eagle through my lens.

It was pretty far away, across the field (sounds like a Pink Floyd song, doesn’t it?), when I noticed it flying down, preparing to land in the field. As I followed it, id did indeed land … right next to another  Eagle!! I had never seen two Eagles in the wild at the same time!! This was AMAZING!! I propped my camera on a fence post and started shooting away. The Sun was setting, so I had to adjust my camera accordingly. That, and the fact that they were pretty far away, prevented me from getting great photos, but I did manage to get some decent ones. I hope y’all enjoy viewing them as much as I did taking them and now sharing them.

It was amazing seeing them just standing in the grass, with the cattle walking (and trotting) right past them! One of them seemed to have had enough, and flew up, appearing to be herding the cattle like a dog would! I know that wasn’t the case, but it makes for a good story! It landed again shortly afterward, and the two of them just stood there counting cattle! The expressions they made were hilarious. They looked like an old couple, bickering at each other! Please feel free to suggest captions for some of them.

Shortly thereafter, one of them seemed to have had enough, and flew toward me, and right past me. I didn’t exactly have the right camera settings for a flying bird, so only a couple of shots were decent, but it was still thrilling! I turned back to the one remaining, which I believe was the female, and got a few more shots. Eventually, she(?) decided to head home, too. She flew right toward me, then flared off to my right just a little bit. I was able to get some better shots then. The best shots were when she was crossing the highway, right behind me. I hate that there are power lines and a utility pole in the shots. I much prefer more natural backgrounds, but you can truly see the beauty of this magnificent Creature in those shots. Finally, it faded off into the setting Sun. My day had been made (Or so I thought)!!

As I turned to get back into my truck, a vehicle had just pulled up next to me. I thought it might have been a Law Enforcement Official, just making sure I was OK, but it wasn’t. It was a very sweet lady named Patty (or Patti), a Kindergarten Teacher, and wildlife photographer. She said that she loves to take photos of wildlife and share them with her school children and other members of the very small community. She wants them to see the beauty and splendor of God’s Creation. She wants parents and children and grandchildren to put down their phones, tablets and video games and GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY SEEING GOD’S WORK!!

She was ME!! I couldn’t believe what she was saying!! There’s another me out there!! (That might scare some of you who know me personally!!). THEN, she told me that there is an entire estuary right down the road where a couple of dozen Eagles roost every night. I WILL be going back soon!!

God put those Eagles there. God put Patty there. God put ME there. What an incredible and delightful encounter!! I hope y’all enjoy the photos. They are in chronological order. I’ll put a few at the bottom to preview my next post, which will be from my visit to Circle B.

Please leave any comments below. I love hearing from everyone! You can also e-mail me at danny@dannyswildlife.com . Either way, I look forward to hearing from you!

I want to welcome all newcomers to this site! I hope you will enjoy these photos, share the posts with your family and friends across all social media, and take your children and grandchildren out to see God’s Splendor and Beauty yourselves!! You’ll be SO glad you did!

Thank you, and God bless you all!