The Circle B Bar Reserve (Again)
First of all, if you missed my last post about my encounter with the “Cattle-Herding” Eagles, please go back and view it. It was an incredible experience!
As for this post, I must first admit that I “volunteered” myself to deliver a vital part to a repair facility in Lakeland, Florida, knowing that I would have a chance to visit the Circle B Bar Reserve again. You may recall that I “discovered” it around this time last year. Circle B was once a huge cattle ranch in the early 1900s. The family eventually died out, and Polk County acquired the land in the year 2000. The 1,200+ acres, soon thereafter, were set aside as a wildlife reserve. There is no hunting, fishing or boating allowed, nor are most motorized vehicles (e-bikes and motorized wheel-chairs are allowed), or pets (for the pets’ own safety. There are miles of walking trails, with huge, beautiful, Spanish Moss-Covered Live Oak Trees everywhere. The area is teeming with wildlife. You will see something just about every step of the way! The area belongs to the wildlife. It is their home. They are completely self-sufficient. No one tends to them or feeds them. You hike the trails at your own risk, although I consider the risks to be minimal. You can get within feet of an alligator, or a snake, or a raccoon or a marsh rabbit, or several other varieties of animals. It is a Nature Lover’s and Wildlife Photographer’s paradise!!
And it’s FREE!!
I will break down the photos into groups, with descriptions or details of the subjects. I hope y’all don’t get bored with so many photos. I know I get carried away!! It is such a thrill witnessing these magnificent Creatures in their Natural habitats, and sharing my experiences with everyone. As I keep saying, God is so good!! So, without further adieu, here we go!!
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!
Raccoons
Right as I was stepping onto the first trail, my phone rang (naturally). It was a customer, so I had to take the call. As soon as I hung up and put the phone back into my pocket, I looked up and saw the cutest raccoon, in the “V” of a tree, about twenty feet up, looking back at me. I fired off a couple of shots, before it turned around, crawled down the tree, and went scurrying through the tall grasses and brush. I could see it, but couldn’t get any more shots of it.
Then, as I was leaving, just before sunset, I saw three more, playing like little children. It was the closest and longest encounter I had ever had with raccoons.
Pileated Woodpeckers
Pileated Woodpeckers are among my favorite things to photograph. They are so interesting and amazing!! You can hear them banging on trees and branches from a long distance. I truly get excited every time I see one … and this time, I saw two!! First, I saw the female, peeking from around a dead tree. Then she flew over to a beautiful Live Oak, covered with Spanish Moss. I got a couple of shots in before she disappeared into the moss. I saw her again, on a different branch, pecking away. It wasn’t until I processed the photos (and video) later, that I noticed the second one was actually a male, which I am presuming to be her mate. Males have red stripes on their cheeks. Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this segment!
Pileated Woodpecker Video
Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks are incredibly beautiful! They mainly live south of the U.S., but have slowly begun inhabiting Gulf Coastal areas. A few have even been seen making their homes in South Georgia. I hope they keep moving up toward our area. I saw dozens of them at Circle B. The babies are basically full-grown now, but still hang out closely together, while Mama continues to watch over them with her gimlet eye! They do actually “whistle” when they fly. It’s a very unique, distinctive sound. I regret that I didn’t get any good shots of them flying. Their colors are magnificent!! Next time … I promise!! At the bottom of this segment, I am posting a video taken by my great friend, Michelle Siefken, of some Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, when the babies were younger. Michelle takes the most incredible videos!! Please follow her on YouTube, Facebook, and/or Instagram at Michelle Siefken Photography (@MichelleSiefkenPhotography). You’ll be glad you did!!
Black-Bellied Whistling Duck Video
Another incredible video from my great friend, Michelle Siefken!
Ospreys
I’m pretty sure you all know how fond I am of Ospreys, and there is certainly no shortage of them around Circle B! I didn’t see any babies this time. I think that means they haven’t hatched yet. I know around here, they hatch sometime in May. I am looking forward to another “Season” at Lake Oconee, The Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, and other ponds and rivers here in Georgia. It starts very soon!
Meanwhile, here are a few shots from Circle B! Remember, the females have a brown “necklace” whereas the males’ throat and chest areas are mostly white. Their eyes are orange and their feathers are darker their first year. After that, their eyes turn a golden color and their feathers a beautiful shade of brown!
'Gators
I didn’t get as many shots of Alligators as I did last year, but it wasn’t because I didn’t see any. They are everywhere!! At one point, I had already walked a few miles, when I sat down to drink a little water. When I looked up, a huge ‘gator was crossing the trail from one marshy swamp to another. They do that quite often at Circle B. I’m glad I got to witness it. I wish the man in the background had gotten to see it as well!!
One thing I have noticed is how white their teeth are. Our ‘gators, like Molly and Wally, have mud-stained teeth. They don’t seem to mind, though! I was able to get within a few feet of one that was relaxing on the bank. Makes for some pretty good shots!! (Just ask my new friend, Melissa!)
A Beautiful Bald Eagle
I dare say that this is the same American Bald Eagle that I saw at Circle B last year. It was in the same tree, anyway. I know there is a nest nearby. Hopefully, I’ll get to see it next time, or next year. It was pretty far away, so I used longer exposure times to get better quality shots. The problem with that was that it was windy, which causes some blur. Not my best shots, but you can still see just how beautiful this majestic Creature is!!
Everything Else!
I could go on and on and on and on about everything I saw in just a few hours on a Friday afternoon, and a few more the next Saturday morning, but I’ll wrap it up with these. Here, you’ll see Little Blue Herons, including a juvenile, which is white with green legs, Blue-Winged Teals (Ducks), Anhingas, Cormorants (Including a beautiful purple juvenile!!), Great Blue Herons (everywhere), a Tri-Colored Heron, a Black-Crowned Night Heron, a Great Egret, Cattle Egrets, a White Ibis, Moorhens, Red-Shouldered Hawks, a Sandhill Crane, a Boat-Tailed Grackle, a hungry Crow and a pretty red Cardinal! (WHEW!!!)
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Beautiful photos and very informative, Danny! So glad you enjoyed your Circle B visit!
Thank you Michelle, and thank you so much for letting me share your incredible videos!!
What a fun day. 🙂 These are great! You have me at all the eyeball shots! 🙂 LOL! Really, my favorites. The raccoon shot in the tree needs to be framed. Well, they all do! I am heading out there today. Hope I can zoom in on some gorgeousness. Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Thank you, Melissa!! I thought you might like the eyeball shots. The other parts of their bodies are beautiful too, you know!!😎 I hope you enjoy your day at Circle B! I’d love to see your photos!!
This is stunning,just wondrous,
Danny! Beyond breathtaking. 🤎
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea!! God seems to always put me in the right places at the right time!! Thank you, as always, for your kind words!!
Once again, you’ve outdone yourself, my friend, and all the while, having great fun. Bravo! Splendid photos.
Thank you so much, Cynthia!! It is an excellent place to observe wildlife – I’ve never see any place better. I always appreciate your kind words, your encouragement, and your friendship!!
Amazing shots in an amazing place!!! Glad you don’t share my fear of gators and snakes! 😅
Thank you so much, Tammy!! It truly is an amazing place!! I’ll have to meet you there sometime and help allay your fears. Remember what FDR said …😎
Thank you as always for sharing your amazing encounters with wild life.
Thank you for always sharing your kind words, Yvette!! You are a very special friend!!