Tag Archives: Feeding

Tricolored Heron On The Hunt

Tricolored Herons are in constant motion as they feed.

Tricolored Heron On The Hunt
Tricolored Heron On The Hunt

Occasionally showing off their full neck span:

Tricolored Heron On The Hunt
Tricolored Heron On The Hunt

When the catch is this small you need to feed continuously.

Tricolored Heron On The Hunt
Tricolored Heron On The Hunt

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.

Tricolored Heron On The Hunt
Tricolored Heron On The Hunt

A slight pause, watching for movement in the water.

Tricolored Heron On The Hunt
Tricolored Heron On The Hunt

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
October 17, 2021

Snowy Egret Getting Lunch

The movement in the water is little fish jumping ahead of the approaching Snowy Egret.

Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly
Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly

The fish may think they are escaping…

Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly
Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly

…but it seems to help the egret snag his snack…

Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly
Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly

…which he eats on the fly while circling around for another pass.

Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly
Snow Egret Hunting On The Fly

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023

Wood Storks Clacking

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…

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

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.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

The behavior didn’t appear to be aggressive and I don’t know if it had some breeding implication.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

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.

Wood Storks
Wood Storks

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023

Wood Storks and More

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.

Wading Birds Feeding
Wading Birds Feeding: Wood Storks, Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills

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.

Great Egret, Wood Stork, American Alligator
Great Egret, Wood Stork, American Alligator

There was a little breeze so the reflections weren’t perfect.

Wood Storks Feeding
Wood Storks Feeding

The Alligators didn’t appear to be hungry as at least a dozen of them were just floating around in between the birds.

Wood Storks Feeding, Alligator On The Scene
Wood Storks Feeding, Alligator On The Scene

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.

Wood Storks Feeding
Wood Storks Feeding

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 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