Tag Archives: Bird in Flight

Ballet Over Water, And a Tango

This series was taken just after the sun came up a few weeks ago.

Great Egret Hovering Over Pond
Great Egret Hovering Over Pond

There were long shadows on the pond and the light was changing rapidly.

Great Egret Hovering Over Pond
Great Egret Hovering Over Pond, Anhinga Perched on Alligator Ramp

Two to Tango:  A brief territorial spat…

Great Egret Pair Hovering Over Pond
Great Egret Pair Hovering Over Pond

While one Great Egret circled around…

Great Egret Hovering Over Pond
Great Egret Hovering Over Pond

…the other opted to fly off.

Great Egret Hovering Over Pond and Alligator
Great Egret Flying Off and Alligator Swimming By

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
February 23, 2023

Ballet Over Water: Great Egret

I only know from watching a successful try at this hovering maneuver that this Great Egret’s intention was to catch a fish.

Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water

Nothing caught his eye on this pass and he never touched the water. After about a four second hover he flew to a tree.

Great Egret Over Water
Great Egret Over Water

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 5, 2023

Anhinga Gathering Nest Material

Most of the bigger birds I’ve watched nesting gather sticks off the ground or take easily snapped dead limbs for their nesting materials.

Anhinga Gathering Nest Material
Anhinga Gathering Nest Material

Anhingas prefer live branches.

Anhinga Feet
Anhinga Feet

It may have something to do with their feet and ability to land in live trees.

Anhinga Gathering Nest Material
Anhinga Gathering Nest Material

This fellow wasn’t having much luck and dropped at least one branch in the water below.

Anhinga Gathering Nest Material
Anhinga Gathering Nest Material

He made an empty trip back to the nest but pretty quickly returned to try again.

Anhinga Flying
Anhinga Flying

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
February 23, 2023

Great Egret With Fish

I didn’t see this Great Egret drop into the water on this trip. And it sure is tough to see how he knew the fish was there in all that duck weed.

Great Egret With Fish
Great Egret With Fish

I’d watched him make some unsuccessful passes just touching his feet to the water, but this trip was a winner!

Great Egret With Fish
Great Egret With Fish – Lift Off

Back to his starting point he went…

Great Egret With Fish
Great Egret With Fish

…a nice graceful landing onto the unoccupied ramp.

Great Egret With Fish
Great Egret With Fish

He stood there holding the fish for a minute or so before he swallowed it.

Great Egret With Fish
Great Egret With Fish

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
February 23, 2023

Great Blue Heron Repurposing The Skinny Tree Nest

It seems that the Great Blue Heron couple have abandoned nesting at the Skinny Tree sometime in the last week.

Great Blue Heron at Skinny Tree
Great Blue Heron at Skinny Tree

Another enterprising GBH spent a couple hours on Tuesday removing material from what had appeared to be a robust nest.

Great Blue Heron at Skinny Tree, Stealing Sticks
Great Blue Heron at Skinny Tree, Stealing Sticks

This heron’s nest is just at the other end of the pond, in the big island.

Great Blue Heron at Skinny Tree, Stealing Sticks
Great Blue Heron at Skinny Tree, Stealing Sticks

He made lots of trips mostly with small branches while I was watching.

Great Blue Heron Leaving Skinny Tree with Stolen Stick
Great Blue Heron Leaving Skinny Tree with Stolen Stick

Of course it is not theft to them, it is taking advantage of easy pickings.

Great Blue Heron Leaving Skinny Tree with Stolen Stick
Great Blue Heron Leaving Skinny Tree with Stolen Stick

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
January 31, 2023

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks Flying By

In flight the Black-bellied Whistling Duck shows off a snazzy wing pattern.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

This one opted to leave the pack and head off on his own for a bit…

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck

showing off that bright bill, which will look more pink in breeding season.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck In Flight
Black-bellied Whistling Duck In Flight

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, FL
January 18, 2023

Orlando Wetlands Park is 1650 acres of man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for reclaimed water from the City of Orlando and other local cities.

Black Skimmer, Late Afternoon Feeding

A lone Black Skimmer was fishing for his dinner at the end of the day.

Black Skimmer In Flight
Black Skimmer In Flight

Here you can clearly see the lower jaw extends much further than the upper…

Black Skimmer In Flight
Black Skimmer In Flight

…making it easier to snag prey from the water.

Black Skimmer In Flight
Black Skimmer In Flight

This is my favorite from this set, even though he got so close I cut his wings off.

Black Skimmer In Flight
Black Skimmer In Flight

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
January 18, 2023

Great Blue Heron Flying By

A Great Blue Heron starting to show some of the colored lures around his eye of breeding season was on a mission to gather sticks for his nest.

Great Blue Heron Flying By
Great Blue Heron Flying By

He went at a steady pace past some Coots.

Great Blue Heron Flying Over Coots
Great Blue Heron Flying Over Coots

Then he veered just a little before he turned away from me on his mission.

Great Blue Heron Flying Over Coots
Great Blue Heron Flying By, Palm Tree Trunks Reflected in Water

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, FL
January 18, 2023