Colorful Birds and Wildlife from Sunny Florida

It's been a little while since I shared some local wildlife shots...last time I shared all bird-in-flight stuff, so here's a selection of some colorful beasts from around the Florida wetlands with the A6300 and FE100-400mm GM lens. As you can see, winter has been brutal down here (NOT!):

A colorful purple gallinule:


A great blue heron soaring overhead in a bumpy cloudy blue sky:


A northern cardinal hiding in the shady forest, but standing out anyway:


A green heron perched on a low reed over the water, ready to strike at the fish below:


The lovely roseate spoonbill showing off some mating colors:


A green iguana, turning on the orange colors to attract a mate:


Normally a dull white bird with dull yellow bill and black legs, come mating season the cattle egret can turn on some color, especially in the face:


The great egret can only turn the base of his bill a green color for mating - but he has another trick in his arsenal: he grows out long feathers on his back that can be fanned out peacock-style to make a wonderful display for any potential mate to see:


A flock of black-hooded, aka 'Nanday' parakeets flying past in a burst of color in the blue sky:


A small Florida native, the green anole does sport a lovely shade of green - though he's also a bit chameleon-like in that he can change his body color to browns, reds, and blacks to blend in to different surfaces. Here, he's flashing his dewlap at me to show he's not intimidated:


A yellow-bellied sapsucker, showing off her red head and nice pattern:


The beautiful and rather noticeable bird that can't be missed - the male painted bunting showing off his full palette:


Lots of black and white birds like to still have a little bit of color to be noticed - on this black-necked stilt, it's the pink legs and vivid red eye:


Another male painted bunting, hiding deep in the shade of a low fan palm just 8 feet away from me - even in shadow it's impossible to hide when you're this colorful:


A tiny tiny tiny little thing, the ruby-throated hummingbird often doesn't look 'ruby-throated', unless the light hits the black feathers under their neck from the right angle...here's a male showing off his 'rubies':