Continuing our walking tour around Lake Eola in the heart of Orlando, Florida we find this island just off shore. It was quite an interesting island and has a surprise. Look closely and perhaps you can spot the wildlife roosting in the brush on the left side of the island. Can you see them?
I did not initially see them but upon looking closer I got a good surprise. I don't know what kind of birds these are but there were a few of them just roosting quietly on the branches of this tree.
Looking at the island from a different perspective we also get a view of one of the many homeless people living in this park. If you are a homeless person Florida is where you want to be in the winter because it is fairly warm. All of the homeless we saw seemed to be enjoying the park very much and many, like this gentleman, were taking naps under the trees or on the benches. Still, others were eating nice plates of good food. The day we visited was Christmas Day and because of this holiday several local places were giving out free plates of food.
The turtles were quite a sight.
Bald cypresses were a very common tree in the part of Florida I was visiting. My daughter's subdivision had several little ponds that were surrounded with nicely landscaped areas. Bald cypresses were part of the landscaping near all the ponds I saw. This one has several knees since it is growing in the water. The white ibis were taking advantage of the perches in order to spear their prey.
White ibis were everywhere in Florida it seemed. In my daughter's neighborhood they prowl around the lawns looking for prey. They are a beautiful bird. Their call sounds like a duck's call. Check the Cornell site for more information on them.
The park was beautifully decorated for Christmas. This tree was a very large tree and completely lit up. We happened to pass by this park after dark and the wished we could've visited it then too because all of the Christmas lights were quite festive....
in the garden....