Today’s episode on bird behavior features the Little Blue Heron, now officially named “Blue Heron.” You’ll notice its blue beak and smaller size in comparison to the Great Blue Heron. As you follow along this series of four photographs, you will see the heron wade into shallow water and look for food with a head tilt.
Next, the blue heron suddenly dunks its head under water to pierce or grab its prey.
Finished feeding here, the little blue heron takes flight for a new location.
Welcome back, American White Pelicans! Every winter it is delightful to see the return of the true snowbird, this beautiful and enormous bird that migrates to Florida from the Great Lakes region. I usually find large flocks on them on Sanibel Island in the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and further south in “Ten Thousand Islands.”
In this close up photograph, the closely packed White Pelicans made an artistic arrangement. I see the composition as a white Christmas tree. I share the image with you as I send best wishes to you for a wonderful Christmas holiday filled with peace, joy and love.
Please share my blog post but not the photograph by itself. Prints are available upon request: cathykellyphotography@gmail.com.
The start of every wildlife photography outing is overshadowed by doubt. Will I see anything today? Will the wildlife come to me? There is a great deal of luck involved in success: while we plan for weather, the angle of the sun and the tides, we don’t control the wildlife. We just pray for it.
The other half of the success equation is preparedness. How often do we go out there? I tell myself that I won’t see anything staying home or sleeping in! How good is your equipment? How well do you use it?
On my last trip to Sanibel Island, Mother Nature gave me a gift. The sought after Roseate Spoonbills were feeding at low tide in the shadows of the mangroves. I was there with my Sony mirrorless camera, a 600mm lens and a tripod. All the pieces came together.
I delight in the pink hues of the Roseate Spoonbill’s plumage. In this photo the splash of pink contrasts the dark shadows of the surrounding mangrove and water.
When I observe birds flying and swimming in formation, I often think of synchronized dancers performing on stage or marching bands, but then I realize that humans are the ones imitating nature. We wear uniforms or dance costumes, so we will look as similar as two birds of the same species, right?
When photographing wildlife, you can’t plan this. You just have to be patient enough to sit and wait, following your subject and continually adjusting your focus. Note: something really cool usually happens after you pack up your tripod and start walking back to the car!
Watching and waiting, and watching and waiting some more is a practice that is rewarding in wildlife photography. As you will see here, some behaviors happen so fast, that a photographer will only capture them if he or she is already poised to shoot.
Whenever I’m lucky enough to see Roseate Spoonbills in the Florida wetlands, I am enchanted by their delicate pink color and the wide brush stroke of deeper pink on the wings of the adults. Their eyes are pink too.
Then, while observing the face and spoon-shaped bill, I am amazed at the diversity of nature.
All within the same hour and the same location, my friend Caroline and I observed a wide variety of bird species: many Little Blue Heron, a Green Heron, a Tricolored Heron, some Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Reddish Egrets, lots of Ibis, Brown Pelicans, Cormorants and the huge migratory American White Pelicans, along with a Yellow Crested Night Heron and an Osprey pair. It sounds like a trip to the Aviary, but no — this was all wildlife enjoying the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida. Keep checking this blog for more actions shots of these beautiful birds.
How is it that the “common cold” can reduce a vibrant and productive adult into feeling like this? My head aches; my appetite is gone; my nose is running, and when I try to talk, I cough. My husband takes one look at me and says, “You look terrible.”
While I have not been well enough to write or post for several days, I am starting to feel better today. I look forward to smoothing my feathers, clearing my vision and taking flight again soon.
I drove three hours roundtrip last evening to Sanibel Island, hoping to observe and photograph some birds during low tide at the Ding Darling Nature Preserve. It seems you never find what you expect to find — the white pelicans or the roseate spoonbills — but lucky for me, I met a big bird that was new to me: the Reddish Egret.
The medium-sized heron is not too common, categorized as “Nearly Threatened,” and this bird wore a transmitter on his back. Some naturalist is keeping track of his movements. I enjoyed watching the unique way the Reddish Egret fishes by wading in shallow water and using his wings to shade the prey right before spearing it. With my 600mm Tamron lens, I had a close look and spent about a half hour tracking it as it moved about in the shallows. Of course, I had to use a tripod to steady the heavy lens.
Blog: Cathy Kelly Photography 