Leu Gardens
Several of our birding friends have been posting pics of their sighting of a Leucitic Cardinal. We wanted to see if we could find this beautiful bird so off searching we went. Leu Gardens is a beautiful, well maintained garden on 50 acres in Orlando. It’s very peaceful and a nice place to walk around and just enjoy natures beauty. And of course, go birding!
Up high in a tree was a Northern Parula
Male Northern Cardinal
Red Bellied Woodpecker in the woods around the garden area
Female Cardinal on the ground eating a lizard, something I have never seen a Cardinal eat
Male and Female Cardinal
An Ovenbird running around on the ground looking for bugs
This is a migratory bird called a Veery. Its extremely rare to see one this time of year in Florida
A female Cardinal sitting on a stick
Another female Cardinal
Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler
It took about 3 hours of looking, but we found the leucitic female Cardinal (by we I mean Lynn found it). It’s not an albino as it does have some coloration. Leucism is a partial loss of pigmentation that makes this beautiful bird look the way that she does.
Leucitic Cardinal
This Red Squirrel was taking a bath up in the trees
Red Squirrel taking a moment to rest as it moved through the trees
Barred Owl perched in a tree. It’s actually very hard to see in person. It stands out a lot more in the photo.
The baby Barred Owl however, was sitting more out in the open. It curiously watched the people down below
An Owlet making a big yawn…
…and an even bigger yawn!
The adult Barred Owl moved over to a different tree closer to the Owlet
A tiny Tufted Titmouse sitting in the low brush.
Often times we go looking for a certain bird and come up empty. We would have today with the Leucitic Cardinal if it hadn’t been for Lynn’s sharp eye. The birds move so fast in and out of the light poking through the trees that it can be a challenge to find and photograph them, especially when there is one in particular that you’re looking for. Anyway, If you’ve never been to Leu Gardens it’s worth the trip. The gardens and flowers are worth it on their own. We are lucky to have such a place that’s easily accessible near downtown Orlando.