An early morning Pelican Island Audubon Society birding field trip to the Egret Marsh Stormwater Park & Nature Preserve was a bit of a letdown from the weather – passing rainstorms and clouds made photography difficult or impossible – and, worse, a general lack of birds or other wildlife making it a bit unusual for this time of year.

For a place noted for its alligators we saw only one and that at the end of the trip.

A Northern Mockingbird trying to harass a Red-shouldered Hawk out of its territory.

A second Red-shouldered Hawk appeared causing the Mockingbird to wisely retreat. The two hawks mated – it is close to nesting season, after all.

Mourning Dove on the roof on one of the stormwater buildings.

Great Egret showing off its breeding plumage.

Female Anhinga.

Roseate Spoonbill in the gloom of a passing storm cloud. The Sun never shown on the Spoonbills while we were out there – at least as far as photography was concerned.

Spoonbill in flight.

Passing Osprey in the distance.

Glossy Ibis passing overhead.

Northern Mockingbird.

Little Blue Heron foraging in the wetlands.

Roseate Spoonbill.

Roseate Spoonbill.

Tricolored Heron foraging through the tall growth.

White Ibis and an Anhinga.

The infamous Alligator marking the last wildlife seen and the end of the field trip. It started drizzling right after this photo was taken.