I almost didn't share these birds b/c my pictures aren't that great, but it was a fabulous birding day so what the heck. The birds were just begging to be photographed!
I didn't realize that this pair of Yellow-crowned Night Herons was building a nest until I got home and saw the pictures! My photos are good for something!
Well that pic wasn't great for thumbnails was it? Should have used this one. I have several of them working on their nest although I call this photo "let me whisper sweet nothings in your ear."
"No honey, that stick goes over there!"
I bit of the crown showing.
Great Egret. Right after I took this picture, an alligator raised his head up from the vegetation about 10 feet behind this egret and started chomping something up. I took a half a dozen shots hoping to get one with his mouth open so I could see what he was eating. Of course, his mouth is closed in every one!
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet right at the entrance to what is called "Kinglet Trail!" Amazing how that works!
This was my first White-eyed Vireo. I cropped the picture a ridiculous amount, so it's kind of blurry but I still think it's easier to see this way.
Here is another Yellow-crowned Night Heron. This one was really close to the path. I saw him, stopped, and snapped the picture b/c I knew that as soon as I took another step he'd fly off which of course he did! I like this photo even though there are branches in the way b/c I like how he's peeking out at me and hoping that I can't see him in there.
Here is a hawk posing on the top of a cypress in the middle of the lake. I think he's an immature Red-shouldered hawk. I forgot to check it in the bird ID forum though, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
Here he is again but not ruffling his feathers.
Scenic shot of the hawk in the tree and an Anhinga on a stump below.
I took about 20 pictures of this Roseate Spoonbill and none of them are clear. I saw several more but they were too far away.
Little Blue Heron in a cypress as seen through the reeds.
Here's a 'Where's Waldo' for ya. Waldo is some kind of sparrow, maybe a wren, no sparrow, no wren, no.... a brown bird.
Here's another 'Where's Waldo.' Waldos in this case are 4 Yellow-crowned Night Herons.
I'll end with an alligator! The trail to my favorite observation platform at one of the ponds was roped off with a sign that said "alligators sunbathing." That's the first time I've been prevented from taking a trail because of alligators. I was fine with that! This alligator was right next to the path but as you can see he was facing away from me.
Yep, Red-shouldered Hawk.
The Waldo sparrow looks to be Swamp Sparrow.
Resin
Elphaba...I think these are wonderful pics and you are too hard on yourself! I love the fact that you show the habitat as well as the birds. I cannot pick a favorite as I have not seen most of these birds! Well done and thanks!!
Great pics Elphaba!
Thanks for sharing the trip with us!
It looks like you had a real good day.
What a thoroughly enjoyable thread, Elphaba. Thanks for sharing your great birding day out.
Ditto!
Thanks y'all! It was a fun day. A highlight for me was when a young man on a bicycle slowed down to tell me that I looked pretty. I'm sure it helped considerably that I was the only woman in the middle of nowhere, but heck, I'll take a compliment wherever I can find it!
Resin, thanks for the IDs! I almost guessed swamp sparrow, but I would have totally been guessing based on nothing but habitat!
Dellrose, maybe I was too hard on these pics. I posted these pictures thinking to myself that maybe my camera wasn't working properly anymore. Then I went to watch TV and I couldn't see the picture and I thought that my TV must be about to die. Then it dawned on me that maybe it's not the camera or the TV. Maybe it's my eyes! Yikes!
Elp...if someone told me I was pretty it would be a good day any day! LOL!
Sometimes depending on the time of day my pics will look like throw aways but when I come back later they look better...go figure!! I enjoyed yours any way...you pretty thing you!!
Rose, you are pretty.
How could bird lovers be anything but lovely. Beauty is as beauty does! I bet you both look especially lovely when birding. I'm sure I was quite the vision in my ratty Target t-shirt, sticky and sunburned with my hair frantically piled on my head and falling out all over.
Seriously, though, I did have a scary moment on my birding adventure. I debated whether or not I should bother sharing it, but if it keeps someone who read this safe, I should. I saw these Roseate Spoonbills land too far from the pier I was on but close to another pier that I could see down the lake. There was a rough trail on the embankment, but there were ant hills and thorns, so I decided to walk to the other pier on the street. A pick-up with two men came toward me and slowed down to stop. My instincts told me that I was in danger. I watched this program where this expert said that humans are the only animal on earth that will get on an elevator with someone who scares them. Our senses pick up all kinds of data (like on the Mentalist) that we analyze subconsciously and then when necessary our subconscious sends us a message to be afraid. Because we haven't analyzed it consciously, we tend to think our fear is irrational when it isn't.
If somebody scares me, I take it seriously, and warning bells were going off like crazy with this truck. Fortunately, a car came up behind them and they had to keep going. Relieved, I decided that I was really vulnerable out there and it looked like the bridge across the ditch to the other pier had washed out. I turned around to head back to my car. The pick-up had pulled onto a dirt road, let the car behind it go by. It looked like they were about to turn around when they saw that I was now headed toward them, so they stopped. I was sure that I was going to be in big trouble if I walked by that truck. I was also afraid that they might steal my camera and I'd lose my pictures!
I decided to risk alligators, snakes and ants, and I crossed the ditch using a bridge of debris (probably from the original bridge). The road was deserted enough that they could grab me (or my camera and binocs) and not be seen, but there was enough traffic that they would be seen if they tried to get across the ditch and chase me down. Once I was walking along the embankment on the other side of the ditch, they backed the truck onto the road drove off in their original direction. I may not have been in any danger at all, but why risk it? Be safe; trust your subconscious messages! Don't get on an elevator with someone who scares you! That's my advice for the day! and maybe take some pepper spray if you go birding by yourself. Actually, that's a good idea anyway in case an animal attacks. I wonder if pepper spray would stop an alligator?
Oh Elphaba what a horrible experience and thank goodness there were enough cars around to make them hesitate and also that you recognized the potential danger. I'll bet it's been on your mind ever since. I'll admit to always feeling a whole lot safer when DH is with me. I don't know if pepper spray would work on alligators but it certainly will with other predators. Advice I received from a cop (I work in a high risk environment) is that it's the best $50 you could ever spend. I always take pepper spray if I'm going into an isolated environment on my own. The other trick you might consider employing is pretending to be talking to someone really close by on you mobile (even if you don't have a mobile with you, just put your hand up to your ear as if your were holding one) and say loudly something like "Oh there you are. I lost you for a minute. Can you see me"? (Or similar). May just be enough to bluff whoever it is that you're concerned about.
I never thought of that phone idea! Good one. When I'm out and about in the city, I'm always wary. I wasn't being very careful out in the country though. Maybe they were nice guys who thought I'd had car trouble and wanted to help, or maybe they needed directions -- who knows. I just didn't feel like taking a chance especially since I had a strong feeling that they were up to no good.
Better to be safe then sorry. Good choice.
We should never go bird watching alone. Not just because of humans. There are snakes, hogs and gators in the swamps and marshes. And since some of us are getting older; we could fall and sprain or break something. We could become sick.
There is also the danger of drowning. Most of my pics of Gallinules, Herons and Egrets are made from a boat. I am lucky to have a couple of photography buddies who like the same places I do.
That's true Frank, but I must admit that I like getting out in nature by myself! More than 20 years ago, I went to lake Travis by myself in November, the off season. No one was there but me, my little dog, and the naked guy who chased me through the park. You would think that I would have learned my lesson right? I'm better. This time I crossed the ditch when I didn't even know if the danger was real. Twenty years ago, when a naked man walked out of the woods, I should have known the danger was real, but instead I thought, "Shoot! Did I come to a clothing optional beach?" I've come a long way baby! (and I've been really lucky.)
The price of pre-paid cell phones has come down so much that every wilderness lover should carry one.
Also, calling 911 (if it the situation had escalated) is a free call, if I understand it correctly.
We shouldn't let the creepy 3% of the population deter us from enjoying nature's splendor!
btw, thanks for sharing the photos.
