Monthly Archives: October 2018

Wading Birds

Balance Beam Routine

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After flying in and perching a few minutes on the end of this old pier support, a Roseate Spoonbill made a deliberate tour of the length of the top beam.

Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam

Carefully, one foot in front of the other like a beginner gymnast he worked his way to the left.

Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam

His feet didn’t quite conform to the shape.

Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam

There was a quick peak over the edge.

Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam

Then an awkward leg lift.

Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam

At the end, now what?

Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Beam

That was the end of the routine; I waited in vain for a spectacular dismount.

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, 10/20/2018.

Songbirds

Swamp Sparrow on a Reed

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Swamp Sparrows are elusive and quick. Their non-breeding colors are not flashy and help them hide as they hunt along the marsh edge.

Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow

If you are fortunate enough to see one land, he might hold still long enough for a photo.

Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow

This one actually flipped direction giving me both a left and right profile. The reed foliage is drying up, giving more spotting opportunities than a month ago.

Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Shore Birds

Landing in the Blue

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This is one of the two birds from yesterday’s post, Shore Birds Wading, as he landed in the marsh inlet. About an hour after sunrise, the sky was completely blue making a nice water color which made up for the dull mud.

Shore Bird Landing
Shore Bird Landing

It was disappointing that the water stream in front of the bird wasn’t wide enough to get his entire reflection as he touched down.

Shore Bird Landing
Shore Bird Landing
Landscape, South Carolina

Pond Sunrise

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It had been our intention to be at a different pond when the sun came up but between getting out the door a few minutes late and a truck ahead of us that was indecisive that didn’t happen. I don’t think our original destination could have been any prettier than this. Unless there was a bird, or two, in the water.

Sunrise Over Marsh Pond
Sunrise Over Marsh Pond

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
Taken 10/14/2018

Shore Birds

Shore Birds Wading

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This pair of shore birds, probably Lesser Yellowlegs, worked their way up a marsh inlet as the tide was going out, probing for breakfast.

Wading Shore Birds
Wading Shore Birds

Other Yellowlegs that I have seen actually have obvious yellow legs. I’m not sure if this pair is just too muddy to tell for sure or if it’s their age.

Wading Shore Birds
Wading Shore Birds

Or they are a different bird. The Merlin identification app also suggested they might be Long-billed Dowitchers.

Wading Shore Birds
Wading Shore Birds

They didn’t find much sustenance when I was watching, but they were pretty in the morning sun.

Wading Shore Birds
Wading Shore Birds
Wading Birds

Black-crowned Night-heron Over the Pond

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Disrupted from his hunting spot this Black-crowned Night-heron took a flight out over the pond.

Black-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron

This was about a half hour after sunrise, with a golden glow on the heron and the pond.

Black-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron

He opted to land in the “spoonie” tree, so named by photographers because the Roseate Spoonbills like to congregate there.

Black-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron

On this morning a single Anhinga was defending his spot.

Black-crowned Night-heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
Perching Birds

Cardinal: A Classic

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Despite seeing Northern Cardinals pretty regularly, I found it a challenge to get a good image of one. This one surprised me landing over my head as I was watching warblers at ground level. He had a lot going for him: classic pose with his crest up, aligned to the sun for the catch light in his eye, his feathers tidy and uniformly colored and oh, yes, that red.

Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinal

Most of the leaves had fallen off the tree where he perched giving me a clear view. Cardinals in our area tend to be quite skittish; this one didn’t seem to care that I was watching him.

Northern Cardinal
Northern Cardinal