Santa brought me a new camera for Christmas. Arthur and I headed to Lake Apopka on the 26th to give it a spin. The weather was fairly drearly and we missed seeing the Groove-billed Anis that have been hanging out there for a few weeks, but we had a nice walk and enjoyed our first visit to this local birding mecca.
We saw a couple of American Kestrels. One was quite distant and gave me a chance to check out the zoom on the camera. The bird is perched on the middle tree in the first photo below.
![kestrel on center tree](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7546/15964420670_fa53330f1d_z.jpg)
![American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7507/16125939596_87e525b275_z.jpg)
This Bobcat was also really far away. It disappeared into the reeds as we approached.
![Bobcat [Lynx rufus]](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/15965969457_938e685af7_z.jpg)
We also spotted no less than four North American River Otters crossing the path or bounding alongside it.
![North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7545/15531987763_c868770edf_z.jpg)
Along the trail we saw this pile of feathers. I think it might be an ex-American Bittern.
![pile of feathers](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7484/15965657959_4f3f8c246f_z.jpg)
![detail of feather pile](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7544/16125938126_d3589b72ce_z.jpg)
We weren’t the only birders out looking for the anis.
![birders](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8567/15964288838_a9316b23a6_z.jpg)
Even though we missed the anis, we did manage to get some good birds, including a flyover Fulvous Whistling Duck, which was a lifer. That one goes on my Better View Desired list, for sure. I’m happy with the camera so far — looking forward to giving it a good workout in 2015 and beyond. 🙂
![balloon](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/15965969907_597404d4fa_z.jpg)