Sweetwater Wetlands 2026
Birds & Gators on a Cold Winter Morning
Richard Rathe, January 2026
Photos from our recent visit to Sweetwater Wetlands Park. Not sure I've been there in January before. There were the usual denizens and one surprise (Roseate Spoonbills). It was a bright shiny day and it warmed up quickly.
Access to the Sandhill Cranes along the road was exceptional. At one point I was only about ten feet away from them. These are locals (endemic) and they nest in our area. They do not migrate with their northern kin and are slightly smaller.
You can tell this is a male Anhinga by the completely black neck. You can tell he's young by the downy feathers just behind his head. These will fall out soon and his neck will be completely black. They are called snake birds
because of the way they swim. Take a look at his tail and you can imaging why they are also called water turkeys
. 🙂
We watched an Osprey take a fish and then lose it. 🙁 I caught her as she shook off the water and got ready for another round. Check out those talons!
There were several gators sunning themselves on the banks and a few in the water. This one was about six foot long.
(click any image to view or advance)
