Category Archives: Water Birds

New Anhinga Chick

May 30, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

A few wading bird pairs are just now hatching young even as some of the older chicks have fledged. I saw just one tiny chick underneath this female nesting Anhinga–you can just see the head at the lower left of the adult. Some of the other broods this year have had four chicks.

Female Anhinga and Chick — Female Anhinga and new Chick, Older chick behind

There may be more to come in this nest as the eggs may hatch over several days.

Anhingas feed their young by regurgitating food which the chicks actively retrieve by sticking their heads up the parent’s esophagus. Painful looking, especially when the chicks get bigger.

Click on images for larger view.

Water Birds

Laughing Gull, Last Dive of the Day

May 24, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

We stopped at a dock to watch the sun go down and this Laughing Gull made a few last passes over the water.

The reflecting sun made interesting blue and orange stripes in the water.

In a matter of seconds the color disappeared along with the bird.

05/24/2019, Folly Beach Road, SC

Water Birds

Anhinga Ready to Go!

March 29, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

The male Anhingas have been showing off as they get ready for breeding season. The blue-green coloration around their eyes is very pronounced and I’ve seen them displaying their wings in dramatic poses.

This male was in a tree above the pond-side trail flashing his wings. I didn’t see any females nearby and he soon took off with a flourish.

He didn’t go far, landing in a nearby tree that already has a Great Blue Heron nest and several Great Egret nests.

March 10, 2019

Water Birds

Great Blue Heron Relieved of Nest Duty

March 9, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

This Great Blue Heron’s mate arrived to take a turn at the nest and this one wasted no time on the usual greeting. He headed for shore, landing just beyond me on the path.

I backed up to give him some room and so I could see what he was going to do.

After his turn on the nest a big shake was in order.

He went down over the bank, had a look around, then flew off.

Water Birds

Tundra Swans Through Fog

March 4, 2019 Ellen Jennings 1 Comment

The Tundra Swans are still hanging out at Bear Island Wildlife Management Area although local lore says they will be heading north any day now. A flock averaging 300 of these Swans has been coming to this area every winter since the mid 1970s.

On this morning the fog was dense and the air perfectly still. The gnats almost carried us off. The water level in this pond is low and these Swans were wading or sitting in mud rather than swimming.

A few took off and disappeared into the fog before I could even focus on them.

Taken 3/3/2019

Water Birds

Anhinga with Appetizer

February 25, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I never get tired of watching this scene unfold:

The catch

The flip

Down the hatch

It’s gone

This was a tiny meal for an Anhinga and I have no idea how they locate such a fish while swimming under water. See my post Anhinga Feeding from two years ago to see how big a fish they are capable of swallowing.

Water Birds

Snowy Egret, Blue Water

February 6, 2019 Ellen Jennings 3 Comments

A Snowy Egret was strutting his stuff across a shallow section of a pond, surrounded by beautiful blue water.

On his own this Snowy was methodically plodding along showing off his clown feet, watching the water for the movement of fish.

Their head feathers often make a statement that is in keeping with the Snowy Egret’s feisty nature.

Water Birds

3 Coots

January 3, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I had hopes that these three American Coots would synchronize their swimming direction or angle for a portrait composition.

They circled, they zigged and zagged, they separated and came back together, but an organized group shot was not to be.

Eventually they did all turn their heads in the same direction, almost.

Wading Birds, Water Birds

Floating Photobomb

December 29, 2018 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

The White Ibis was wading in the canal just off the dike at the rice field impoundment. I waited patiently for him to get far enough from the bank to get a clear shot.

Then an intruder! Several Ring-billed Gulls were on the opposite bank in the shallow water. I didn’t expect any to be interested in the deeper water, not thinking they would float, not wade.

White Ibis and Gull — White Ibis and Ring-billed Gull

The Gull continued paddling until he was behind the White Ibis and lifted his head, turning a photobombed shot into a nice bird combo image.

Water Birds

Pied-billed Grebe

December 27, 2018 Ellen Jennings 1 Comment

Small and chunky, the Pied-billed Grebe always looks like a baby-faced juvenile to me.

Last week several of them were swimming in the rice field canal. Saltbrush seeds from shrubs that lined the bank were drifting over the water.

The lowering late afternoon light and growth on the opposite bank changed the look of the water as I proceeded down the canal.

Further along the Saltbrush seeds looked like sparkly feathers floating on the water. Saltbrush, Baccharis halimifolia, is a woody shrub or small tree in the Asteraceae family, and is also known as Groundsel.