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top 25 items viewed per day
Week reset Sunday, Month reset the 1st, Year reset 1/1 |
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(245 views)
This photo was taken late March of this year and many birds were still in just black and white. For courting and breeding the necks and chest acquire a rusty or tan color.
They really seem to enjoy their mud-flats.
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(239 views)
Taken Early May, they are guarding a nest and looking lovely. Maybe next trip out there I can get a shot of some Avocet chicks.
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(238 views)
I didn't see a pheasant when I looked at this tree, only the Egret. As the boat drew nearer to the tree the pheasant burst out, startling the egret and me. I tried to get a shot of them as they flew past, but I was much too slow. It wasn't until I looked at the photos at home that I had the pleasure to see I had gotten a shot of the pheasant after all.
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(238 views)
This view shows the extent of the buff coloring avocets acquire on neck and chest in the breeding season. They stand about 15 to 20 inches tall and
Wikipedia
has more info on these birds if you're interested.
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(238 views)
I think I am addicted to taking shots of flying egrets.
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(237 views)
Yesterday I thought these birds might be Australian Pelicans
but with further research I found they are
American White Pelicans
in non-breeding plumage.
I'm glad that's settled.
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(237 views)
This shows all the markings you would look for in identifying this bird in the breeding season. The lacy plumes on the back and the green/blue "mask" that extends from the base of the bill to the eye are only present during this time.
The Audubon Society came into existence to stop the extermination of great Egrets by plume hunters and has this bird as it's logo.
Great Egrets are found world-wide, even in Australia
.
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(237 views)
To get a shot of a graceful bird flying is always a coup.
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(237 views)
I got this shot just as the egret was landing. Look closely and you can see the feet haven't quite come to rest on the pipe.
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(237 views)
Taking photos from a boat was a new experience. I was able to get much closer to this flock of Pelicans before they took flight.
These appear to be Australian Pelicans
because of the pink bills. Or do American White Pelicans have pink bills in the winter? Further research needed.
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(237 views)
Of course England has it's fair share of "flying rats". For some reason this one in Hyde Park seemed more like an actual bird to me than just
feathered vermin.
I'm sure if I was there long enough they would become just as annoying as pigeons are here at home.
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(237 views)
I was fascinated to watch this egret hunt
.
He moved very patiently and slowly, then his head would dart into the shallow water and he would come up with a little fish. It must take a lot of little fish to fill such a large bird.
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(236 views)
This photo of a Harbor Seal was taken very near the
Lucy Evans Interpretive Center
at the bird sanctuary. I was very surprised to see it but the ranger verified that they have been known to occasionally appear.
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(236 views)
The profile of a warthog is not handsome. Neither is any other view.
They do have their niche in nature, but they just don't look good filling it.
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(236 views)
The female Killdeer in this picture is adopting a wounded bird pose and making a distress call. She is trying to lure me away from her nest by convincing me she is easy prey. Luckily for her I only wanted her photo.
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(236 views)
A beautiful Zebra
with gorgeous long lashes. I would love to see Zebras in California fields alongside the horses, sheep and cows. We have Ostriches and Llamas, why not Zebras?
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(236 views)
What a face. And under all that gorgeous white fur is black skin. All the better to absorb heat and keep the bear warm.
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(236 views)
These two large tortoises ambled about and were not as sluggish as one might expect. I dont know which species of tortoise this is because I forgot to photograph the sign.
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(236 views)
These large egrets are graceful and breathtaking in flight. I watched this bird flying back and forth several times bringing nesting material back to it's mate.
There was only one pair that I saw amongst dozens of the smaller Snowy Egrets.
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(236 views)
The Great Egret has just caught a small fish.
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(236 views)
Taken late March, this bird is probably a year or two old and has the yellow legs you see on both juveniles and non breeding adults. They get their full adult plumage in the third year.
If you look at this shot and the thumbnail below it, you can see they are roughly the same size and shape. Nice of them to pose for their comparison shots.
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(235 views)
These two swallows were among dozens gathering mud on the bank of an inlet close to their colony. They landed and scooped up mud with their wings held high and fluttering. Once they got a good beakful they zipped back to their nests.
This group established themselves under the eaves of the
Interpretive Center
located in the
Palo Alto Baylands Preserve.
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(235 views)
This is a close-up of a typical nest with the adult peering out. Mud gathering has made its bill appear lighter than it actually is.
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(235 views)
This is a photo of the heron taking off as the boat got too close for comfort.
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(235 views)
This photo caught a sleepy juvenile
unaware of the camera. Like
yesterday's photo,
I love the narrow field of focus.
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