Please Help ID

There are several kind of waterfowls here, what are they please.

#2

Hope one of the three pics. is clear enough for a possitive I.D.

Could this be an Osprey?

There were 3 of them soaring the blue skies.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures...this is the bird perching on a branch before it was disturbed and took off to the skies.

Lily: The birds in the first three photo's look like Aningha's or Cormorants, I'm leaning towards Aningha but definitely one or the other.

Photo's #4, 5 & 6 sure does look like an Osprey to me, which I'd think would be in Alabama. Look for very large nests at the top of flat structures, telephone poles etc. Yep, my vote on that one is Osprey.

Thank you Lin. Wooohooo, I need to go out there and look for them more often now that the weather has warmed up.

Agree, Double-crested Cormorant's and Osprey

I vote Anhinga because of the light colored neck. Not sure about the 2 gulls in the picture, probably Herring. As already said, the soaring birds are Osprey.

Thank all for your input. jec6, I read up on Anhinas, then looked back at this other pic. I took yesterday on my boat ride. Apparently you're correct. It's one of the American snakebirds. Once again, I'm so delighted that I finally spotted an Osprey here for the first time.

The above pic. of the Anhina is shown with a great Blue Heron. The typical characteristic of this type of bird that have the ability to stand in shallow water with only its neck showing thus its comon name 'snakebird'.

We have an abundance of both the Anhinga and Double-crested Cormorant here in Florida. My bird book says the Anhinga symbolizes the spanish moss draped interior wetlands of the deep south and Florida. I'm not sure about the Anhinga but the Cormorant is found in both salt and fresh water. When we are out in our boat (salt water) we see lots of cormorants. Both of these birds actually dive down and swim underwater to catch fish. It's fun to watch them dive under, disappear and resurface a little ways away. Both of these birds feathers become waterlogged to facilitate the diving and underwater swimming so they perch and spread their wings to dry when they emerge from the water.

I've always heard the Anhinga called "Snakebird" and for a long time thought it was because maybe they ate snakes, but someone said it is because their long snake like stretched neck. Other common names for the Anhinga are "Water Turkey" and "Darter". Very interesting birds to watch.

After studying photo's in my bird book, the Anhinga has a longer thinner bill and white on it's wings, whereas the Double-crested Cormorant has a shorter thicker bill and no white on the wings.

Double-crested Cormorants; too thick-headed for Anhinga

Resin

Yep, that last photo shows the thicker head and beak of a Cormorant. And, the bird in flight and perched in the tree sure looks to be an Osprey.

Lin, thank you for sharing the details. I'm learning more about these birds. So both the Water Turkeys, Darters, Anhinas shared the same characteristic -- waterlogged feathers, and dive for extended time underwater for their preys. Wooohoo, like that of the Common Loons. I'm getting more 'Lifers' added to my list. Thank Resin, for the confirmation.