Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Being Birds: Spring Fun Edition?

So how is the weather where you are? This is how things looked as I was putting this post together here on that high plateau in Utah where I live:

And after about 3 weeks of gorgeous weather with more and more migrants beginning to arrive. Things will be slow for a few days now, unfortunately, but a good opportunity for another look at 'birds being birds.'


"I AM going catch that fish! I can even walk on water when I do it, too!" How can you not love watching Reddish Egrets? I don't chase rarities very often, but I'd be inclined to go look for it if one were reported in Utah.


 "Ahhh . . . . that's the spot!" Here's another Reddish Egret - an immature - scratching its chinny-chin-chin.


Here's a Northern Shoveler at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico really stretching to get to that itch.


Hard to do a post on bird behaviors without the obligatory bathing image, right? Here's a Willet "splish-splashing away" in a tidal pool at Florida's Fort De Soto park.


"Hey guys! Look what I've got!" Non-breeding Laughing Gull in Florida with a pretty impressive catch . . .


down the hatch . . .


Or maybe not. "Uh-oh. I think my eyes are bigger than my gullet . . . "


Loggerhead Shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" and frequently for skewer their prey on thorns. I was on a spring count several years ago and saw one adult with three fledglings gathered around a Northern Mockingbird that was impaled on a barbed wire fence! Can you see the unfortunate grasshopper?


Here we have the latest innovation in traffic control - Homer, Alaska style.


The End. Northern Pintails "dipping" at Bosque del Apache.

12 comments:

  1. Excelentes capturas y muy buenos momentos los captados.Saludos

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  2. Fabulous photography! We have only 9 degrees this morning where I live!

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  3. Wonderful photos as always, Kevin. Have faith! Spring is on the way. :-)

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  4. Great shots as always, Kevin. Impressed how often you can get a musical reference into a bird post! We also have spring migrants and no spring. Brrrr.

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  5. Love these shots. Gorgeous birds featured today. Hopefully soon the snow will let up:)

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  6. Wonderful photos, Kevin! We have you beat in northern Alberta, we still have two inches of snow on the ground!

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  7. Some great shots, particularly the last one. Here in Spain the sun has finally come out and Spring has really arrived. Time to get out and enjoy all the wetlands the rains have replenished. Regards from Oretani Wildlife.

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  8. Superb bird behavior photographs! Still waiting for spring to arrive here in Chicago.

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  9. Wow, amazing photo. Brilliant work Jenny. I definitely agree that you need to be patient to capture the perfect photo. Learning the features of digital photography is also essential, which I did over at
    Ideas with Legs, 30 second video can win over 10k in prizes

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  10. We have had a cool blast of weather in Illinois, the past week very rainy. Looking forward to warmer spring weather and migrating birds too. I really enjoyed the behaviors captured in this post and the perspectives shared. You have a great eye. LOVED the loggerhead and grasshopper!

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  11. Great post and images Kevin. Our spring has also been a bit delayed, but the birds keep arriving.

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