I wanted to do one final post in the “Waders & Gators” series – just to include a handful of birds that were too lovely to be left out.

So, let’s start with the Glossy Ibis, a bird that is plentiful in the wetlands, but whose beauty is easy to overlook.

When you really stop and give this bird more than a passing glance, you can see it has layer upon layer of loveliness. Just look at those gorgeous colors.

The White Ibis is also a beautiful bird. Though I have to say, I feel like whoever named it could have been a bit more clever – I mean, why not the “flame-legged Ibis” or the “Fiery-billed Ibis”?

I thought there was something poetic about the way this guy (or maybe gal) was strolling through the purple flowers by the water’s edge.

The Wood Stork was another wader that I saw fairly frequently during our Florida trip – a bird whose appearance makes me think of a grumpy old man.

This fellow was having a grand old time splashing in the water, which I had to question the wisdom of given the number of gators that were close at hand. I felt like he was basically yelling, “Hey gator, gator. Fancy a fine feathered lunch?”

And last but not least in the “Last But Not Least” post is the Purple Gallinule. The colors on this bird are breathtakingly beautiful.

This gorgeous guy might not look as much like a wader as some of the other birds, but one look at his clawed toes is a give away.

And finally, one last gator. Though not the largest one we saw, this gator was active, alert, and blocking a good portion of the path, so we snapped his picture and then happily chose an alternate route.

I think I will probably share one more post of our Florida trip in the upcoming days (there is a Hawk I want you to see), and then return to the backyard birds.

As I am daydreaming about the next bird photography get away, any suggestions on a fun trip?