Journaling: We moved to Florida in 2002. It took me a long time to really feel at home in this state, but the one thing I have always loved is the wide array of water birds that are all around. On one of our first trips to the southern part of Florida we observed this gorgeous pink bird. My first thought was it was a flamingo - who doesnt associate those big pink birds with the Sunshine state? Of course, I wasnt so sure of my identification when I noticed the odd-shaped beak. When I returned home, I searched the internet for pink bird with spatulate beak and discovered that we had seen a Roseate Spoonbill. These are tall wading birds, usually 30-36 inches high with a wingspread of 3 to 4 feet. Although once endangered because of their beautiful plumage, they are making a comeback and can be found along the southeastern coast of the United States.

Credits: Photo by luisrock62 at Morguefile; "Song of Spring"- Collab