I arrived at the nest of the Floundering GBH Couple a few days later just as they started to mate.
A quick love bite on the neck
Some tricky maneuvering among the limbs proved they have the mating part figured out
The male quickly flew off in search of nest material…
He promptly returned with a small offering…
…much to the female’s delight.
The nest is bigger than last week, but it still has a bit to go before it is family ready.
A Cooper’s Hawk just passing by at the end of the day.
I didn’t see this Wood Stork until he took off; he had been tucked up to the edge of the pond right in front of me. He was so close I didn’t get his full wingspan.
He didn’t go far, touching down at the edge of a channel.
He immediately started feeding.
The spot didn’t seem to satisfy him.
Pretty soon he took off for further down the pond.
A variety of birds were spread along the far side of the pond and many of the Great Egrets were just standing around while American Avocet and American White Pelicans came and went. This pair seemed to be on the lookout for something.
One did fly in and join the group. I suspect those posts are the remnants of a duck blind.
The Great Egret made the typical graceful landing and the others paid no attention.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
February 17, 2021
Two of a flock of American White Pelicans decided to be on their way while a few more continued to feed.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area
February 17, 2021
Also known as sometimes you miss the more interesting activity.
She made a nice two-point landing with a dainty splash.
But wait, there’s more!
I missed the drake hitting the water, but got a classic image of the two of them paddling after touch down.
I mentioned in my recent post Eagle: Fish for Dinner, that a pair of Bald Eagles has taken up a new flight pattern over the rookery pond.
This causes the ducks all sorts of consternation and on this afternoon they alerted me to the Eagle’s presence.
I only know that these are Blue-winged Teals because I saw them before they took off.
The Eagle that I saw was long gone by the time this flock got into the air, possibly already having snagged his dinner at a different pond.
As a safety measure the ducks circled the pond three or four times before landing again on the far side.
January 14, 2021
It had been a totally blue-sky afternoon until about an hour before sundown. Clouds slipped in muting the sky as a Great Blue Heron flew towards his nest.
As the Great Blue Herons move into breeding season I see them often as Stick Gatherers as seen in yesterday’s post.
This one was just hanging out in a bare tree, soaking up the afternoon sun.
I had seen the Heron from the other side of the tree and was surprised he stayed put until I passed by.
He gave me a nice photo shoot, then moved on.
Another nesting season has begun for the Great Blue Herons and this male was on a mission to find some nest material.
You can see from looking at the stick selection on the ground around him that he should have considered going a bit further from the nest.
He eventually found a small stick.
The route to his nest in the skinny tree was into the sun so this isn’t much of an image but gives you the idea of the action. And that the skinny tree is still standing.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
January 4, 2021
