Tricolored Herons are in constant motion as they feed.
Occasionally showing off their full neck span:
When the catch is this small you need to feed continuously.
I passed this fellow a couple of times over the course of an hour or more, and he was just working his way back and forth in the shallow water.
A slight pause, watching for movement in the water.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 17, 2021
This Great Blue Heron had been slowly and methodically patrolling the edge of Ravenswood Pond, mostly in the shade and with a tree between us.
Then, he stepped into the clear, in a patch of sun. And caught a fish!
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 12, 2023
Black-necked Stilts are a snazzy looking bird, with a delicate shape and elegant color scheme.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
A trio of Roseate Spoonbills was feeding in shallow water, weaving around a few Alligators.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
The movement in the water is little fish jumping ahead of the approaching Snowy Egret.
The fish may think they are escaping…
…but it seems to help the egret snag his snack…
…which he eats on the fly while circling around for another pass.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
While watching a group of wading birds feed I kept hearing a clacking or crunching noise. I checked the Alligators, as I’ve seen them catch dinner plate sized blue crabs in this pond then crunch-crunch them…
Then I spotted it: the two right hand birds in this group of Wood Storks was doing some beak clacking or snapping. I couldn’t tell if it was all beak on beak, or if the individuals were also clapping their own beaks. Either was it was a pretty dramatic sound effect.
The behavior didn’t appear to be aggressive and I don’t know if it had some breeding implication.
A couple of the others just went on with their preening, the two on the right had a long look at the sky, then it was over.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
These wading birds were feeding in a newly lowered pond. This results in the fish becoming concentrated in a smaller and smaller amount of water and easy feeding for a wading bird. It’s fascinating to watch the feeding but can be difficult to get images of individual birds.
Eventually some of the birds got sated and flew off. A few more moved to the outer edge of the feeding, allowing for some isolated images.
There was a little breeze so the reflections weren’t perfect.
The Alligators didn’t appear to be hungry as at least a dozen of them were just floating around in between the birds.
If I couldn’t have dead calm for reflections I’d have been happier with a stiff breeze as the gnats were out in force that morning.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
A White Ibis swallowing a crawfish he pulled from the bottom of a small pond.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 21, 2023
I happened upon a Juvenile White Ibis that had just found a snack, some kind of crayfish from the look.
That was good, let’s find another.
He paced around,
poked and prodded into the muck,
and came up empty.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
February 18, 2023
I only know from watching a successful try at this hovering maneuver that this Great Egret’s intention was to catch a fish.
Nothing caught his eye on this pass and he never touched the water. After about a four second hover he flew to a tree.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
March 5, 2023
