So how many alligators did YOU see today?

[wfooshee]

Another trip out to the local state park this afternoon.

Gettin' a little sun. I hung around about 45 minutes here, and he never moved except to blink, and once he closed his eyes for a while. I'm not sure I ever even saw him breathe! And no, there's nothing between us. This is a park, not a zoo, and I'm in his habitat, and supposedly bright enough to not bother him, and get out with all my parts attached.



I put the camera down low, used the rotating screen on my D5000 with Live View to frame, and zoomed all the way to 300mm.


A buddy swam out from the grass out-of-frame to the right.


Saw some non-reptiles, too:


Great Egret backlit, shooting almost towards the sun, showing wing feather detail. pretty cool!


Coots enjoying a dig through a really nasty stagnant pond.




A turtle popping up for air. I don't know the species, he was close to 2 feet long.


Not a great pic, but the only time I've been anywhere near close enough to one to try. Little Blue Heron, smaller than the Great Blue Heron, and blue all over, including the beak.


No clue what this one is, so someone help a brother out. He came at me out of nowhere and it was all I could do to whip the camera up and trip two shots. The second one focused on the grass.
EDIT: My thanks to f86sabjf for identifying it as a Green Heron!


Along a trail through the north side of the park, near what we call Grand Lagoon. The lagoon is salt water, unlike the lake where the gators and other birds are shown.


Snowy Egret, smaller than the Great Egret, and distinguished by the black bill.


Great Blue Heron passing by


Another one I don't know.
EDIT: Again thanks to f86sabjf for (probably) identifying it as a Red Breasted Merganser.