The Anhinga is a fish-eating bird that requires deeper water for fishing as, unlike the wading birds, it must dive to capture its meal. During the drier seasons, the ponds around the Anhinga Trail retain sufficient depth for the Anhinga to dive for their food and is an ideal nesting area for these birds.
The male has a black neck and during the breeding season a colourful eye patch.
The female has a tan coloured neck and is therefore often easier to see than the male when swimming or sitting in the trees.
Both the male and the female Anhinga take turns sitting on the nest which is a rough collection of rather large branches and twigs constructed int he crotch of a suitable sized bush.
When I returned to the same area a couple of days later a few eggs had hatched and the baby Anhinga were looking for food.
*****
*****
Binoculars available through Amazon
*****
