Tag Archives: Birds in Flight

Little Blue Heron Teaching Flying

July 21, 2018 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

Adult Little Blue Herons actively teach their young how to fly, encouraging them to take off by demonstrating and often tempting them to the end of branches with food. This adult and the juvenile on the right had their legs intertwined so I thought for sure the juvenile would launch.

The juvenile of this trio on the left had at least a short hop down as he arrived from a nearby tree after I started taking these images. The adult took off.

None of the three juveniles followed the parent.

After a little squabble the three settled down to wait for the adult to return for another try.

7/10/2018

Wading Birds

Spoonbill Landing

July 19, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

I watched several groups of Roseate Spoonbills yesterday feeding in a shallow pond. They were all business as the little fish scurried around in the water.

This Spoonbill left the group he was with, perhaps hoping for better feeding. Before long the other ten or so from his original group followed along.

Those in this group didn’t even appear to notice and just kept on feeding.

Shore Birds, Wading Birds

Black Skimmer Through the Spoonies

July 5, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Doing their own thing to get breakfast, a Black Skimmer and a flock of Roseate Spoonbills ignored each other.

Black Skimmer Passing Roseate Spoonbills

I was focused on the Skimmer and didn’t expect him to pass that close to the Spoonbills.

The Skimmer made a second pass, probably realizing that the concentrated efforts of the other birds meant that they were on to something.

The Spoonbills continued sifting the water, not at all disturbed by the Skimmer.

Shore Birds

Black Skimmer Getting the Fish

July 3, 2018 Ellen Jennings 6 Comments

Open wide…

Got it!

A bird this size needs to catch an awful lot of little tiny fish like that to keep fed.

Shore Birds

Black Skimmer Skimming

July 2, 2018 Ellen Jennings 9 Comments

This Black Skimmer gave me a good show with the early morning sun highlighting his black and orange beak, in contrast to last week’s pair that I photographed in poor light.

Black Skimmer in Flight, wings low to the water

I had a great view and was able to track his path as he crossed the pond with his lower jaw in the water.

He finally lifted, before making a big turn for another pass.

Click on any image for a closer view.

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC, 7/1/2018.

Shore Birds

Black Skimmer Pair

June 30, 2018 Ellen Jennings 1 Comment

These Black Skimmers chose to do their skimming in the pond between me and the sun, rather than the prettier marsh on the other side of the dike where the light was beautiful.

The light here doesn’t do justice to their gorgeous orange beaks, but you can see how elegantly Skimmers fly and hunt. When in pairs the almost always fly with their wing beats synchronized.

Swooping around a small island the pair pulled tight together before turning for another long run.

Then they disappeared down an inlet, not to return while I was in the area.

Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC, 6/27/2018.

Duck

Where Did Everyone Go?

June 26, 2018 Ellen Jennings 3 Comments

A group of nine Wood Ducks were hanging out on an Alligator Ramp, preening and enjoying the late afternoon sun late last week.

Nothing in particular seemed to have startled them, but by twos and threes they flew off.

As the ducks shifted around some flashes of blue were evident. Some of the adult males have lost their full breeding colors and the juvenile males are starting to show some color.

One juvenile was left by herself, pacing up and down. She finally decided joining the pack was the right thing to do.

Shore Birds

Gang Way: Black Skimmer Coming Through

June 22, 2018 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

The tide was almost low and the shallow inlet water was attracting a number of shore birds looking for a meal, including a few Black Skimmers. My view wasn’t great and some tall grass partially obstructed the action, but watching these gorgeous birds skim for food is fascinating.

The flying gull and wading Tricolored Heron paid no head to the speeding Skimmer.

The Skimmer made a practiced move of a quick look underneath and behind.

The Tricolored Heron was not giving up his spot.

Gracefully the Skimmer banked, skirted the heron and headed across the inlet.

Click any image for a closer view.

Wading Birds

Great Blue Heron with Flounder

June 14, 2018 Ellen Jennings 5 Comments

It was “this big!” Really!

I don’t know how far he had flown with the flounder, but after landing the heron just stood there for a minute looking around. He then waded out into the water and rinsed the fish.