Wet bird

At first I thought it was a black headed buzzard but now I doubt it...could it be a young Eagle? It was soaked and it was still raining pretty good...Shirley

Looks like you could wrap it up in a towel and give it a good rub LOL, Has it been dry for a while then raining alot? looks like new shoots sprouting everywhere

You are right Mooreish..hardly any rain this year to date..then the dead weeds were mowed last week and Monday evening it started to rain...had a sunny afternoon yesterday and then had heavy rain for 3 hours this morning. For the last 10 years the amount of rain has been less and less each year...then the cold spells have the farmers using more water on their crops to stop freeze losses and irregate...using far more water then falls. This lake is spring fed from the aquafier below so water useage affects it. As it has our well..what was pure clean water is now sometimes too rusty to use...have to replace the filters monthly..all 3 of them. I see water becoming a growing problem in Florida... ...I am more sure this bird is a young eagle..Shirley

Looks a very formidable bird Shirley, all the meaner for being wet.

Nice capture Shirley again

What no rain in FLA, unheard of, especially at this time of year, although its not much of a shock, many countries experiencing the same thing, UK for one.
I remember seeing a documentary about the FLA Aquifer, the DOC followed divers who swam these underwater caverns. What shocked me was the lack of depth some of these caverns were and i thought to myself that sometime in the future there will be no FLAas all the pourous rocks will of wasted away. This wont happen in our lifetime but think will happen in not so distant future, i think all of FLA is built up on Aquifers isnt it Shirley??

Looks more like an eagle's beak to me, Shirley.

Heather

Good shot Shirley,
I think it is a young Bald Eagle !!
Young Bald Eagles start out completely dark brown and gradually become the easily recognizable dark brown bird with white head, neck and tail. In between, juvenile birds are a mottled brown and white. Before leaving home, fledglings practice flying from one side of the nest rim to the other, then to nearby branches. Half of the first "flights" are unsuccessful, according to "The Birds of North America." Those that fall to earth may have to stay there a week or so to regain strength. In the meantime, if the parents can get to the young eagle, they'll feed it while it is on the ground. Once on wing, juveniles in Florida tend to disperse north.

Great spot.

I'd agree about it being a juvenile Bald Eagle.

Young Bald Eagles will appear mottled and won't have the white head, yellow legs or yellow beak. Your one will become even more mottled with white patches when it reaches 2 and 3 years old before starting to look more like a Bald Eagle from about 4 years.

This link gives an explanation of how they change over time...

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/bald_eagle/id

Our related Sea Eagle (White Tailed Eagle) is the same in that is often mistaken for a Golden Eagle as it doesn't develop its trade mark white tail or yellow beak till older.

Yep - Bald Eagle!

xx