Need ID---Is it a bird or animal? D2X first shots

At sunset tonight I saw a gorgeous, huge woodpecker out on a tree so ran out back to get a shot.. Had the 17-55 on my brand new D2X just sitting there in the kitchen. The woodpecker flew away but I got this picture of the trees where the woodpecker had been.





Then I turned around and got a shot of the lake that is also behind our house but still no woodpecker in sight. Also notice that the sky looks funny in this downsized picture..It sure didn't look this way with all the D2X megapixels. ( still no woodpecker even though I'd seen him darting around in the trees close to me)





At this point I wanted to try the 80-400VR so ran back in to get that lens.
As soon as I got back and attached the lens I saw this petrified bird head sitting there right in front of me.






On closer inspection and moving back from it I realized it wasn't a bird but was some kind of animal.

Can anyone ID this bird/animal I found in my backyard? It must be on the endangered list here in Florida because haven't seen this one before. Actually it's turning out that my backyard is better than Ding Darling or the Venice Rookery..




Gaye

 

Hey Frank,
Darn, we leave for our summer in Michigan on May 31st...and gone until after Labor day...so will miss the shoot..........but I'll catch the next one.. but take your mosquito netting along with your 'no seeum spray' in June when you come down here...

Thanks for the #12 setting idea too. I'll check that. Think I'm at 10.

Gaye

 

Actually that 'stiff necked woody' is part of a Cypress knee. We have a 'Cypress Preserve' in our backyard and it's full of Cypress knees..Some of them look pretty funny but this one is the most strange. The good part is that it will stay there and I can decorate it for the holidays... You haven't seen the last of this fella.

Now must get back to serious things like the D2X internal settings.

Gaye

 

Frank, where is your post about the Merritt Island shoot in June. I can't find it??

thanks, GAYE