Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)

(567 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

White Pelicans

(562 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Avocet non-breeding plumage

(561 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Harbor Seal

(560 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

(559 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Great Egret (Ardea Alba)

(558 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Killdeer eggs

(558 views)
by Terry Costales

This is a photo of three very well camouflaged eggs in a Killdeer "nest." Because Killdeer often lay their eggs on gravel, the parking lot at the sanctuary had become a favorite nesting spot for them. Unfortunately a parking lot is a dangerous place for eggs, which leads to much failure for the Killdeer who lay eggs there.

Great Egret

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

The Great Egret has just caught a small fish.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

This female Killdeer is standing over eggs in its "nest." Three eggs are actually present but only one is clearly visible. Even the clearly visible one is very well camouflaged. It is reputed their call sounds like "kill deer" and thus the name. I don't hear it myself but maybe that's just me.

Breeding pair of Avocets

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Killdeer in Flight

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

Killdeer are a shy and fast bird. Consequently I rarely get a good shot of one. I was lucky this day to get that elusive shot.

Great Egret and Pheasant

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Avocet in breeding plumage (Recurvirostra americana)

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Black-crowned Night Heron (nycticorax nicticorax)

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

At the sanctuary, there is a group of palm trees next to the large pond that provides prime nesting spots. It is fenced off to ensure the breeding birds are not disturbed. In late March, this was one of many night herons nesting amongst the snowy and great egrets. Its usually yellow legs are pink because it's breeding season.

Great Egret flying

(557 views)
by Terry Costales

To get a shot of a graceful bird flying is always a coup.

Two Red-tailed Hawks

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

I took this photo before the fog had burned off yesterday. These two aerial acrobats had a good time swooping and clowning around. After this display they landed on top of a cypress tree and then sat peacefully side by side.

Warthog

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Great Egret

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

I think I am addicted to taking shots of flying egrets.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Polar Bear (Urus maritimus)

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

What a face. And under all that gorgeous white fur is black skin. All the better to absorb heat and keep the bear warm.

Tortoise

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

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.

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

(556 views)
by Terry Costales

In all my visits to this area over the past year, I finally captured a decent shot of a Harrier. Up until now, they have always been too distant and too fast.

Barn Swallow

(555 views)
by Terry Costales

This picture was taken moments after the one I posted yesterday. It's a small bird, about 7 inches long, and was singing its little heart out. I only saw a couple of barn swallows that day, but there were almost a hundred cliff swallows nesting under the eaves of the Interpretive Center. The name barn swallow derives from the fact that their nests are usually found inside barns. The nest is an open cup made of mud mixed with grass.

Magpie (Pica pica)

(555 views)
by Terry Costales

Flying shots are hard to get. The bird was on the path when I lifted the camera but I managed to get this photo without cutting off any part of its body, just barely.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron

(555 views)
by Terry Costales

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.