A Common Gallinule, or Moor Hen, or I call them the DEW.
DEW is the old military ‘Distant Early Warning’ system. A 1950’s radar line to warn us of impending doom. Gallinule are the newest version living in swamps and marshes.
If a Gallinule spots you they hide making no noise, until you are just about on top of them. Then they scream, jump in the air, and run over the waters surface… wailing the whole time.
Several things happen during the crazed warning. If the photographer is in an area know for Alligators, they too are in the air wailing. Scares the Bejeezus out of you. Also anything in a mile radius is watching you, no sneaking around any longer. DEW warns all the critters.
Another interesting thing about a Moor Hen is their ‘nose’. First you could swear it’s made of shiny vinyl.
Or, the Halloween Candy Corn.
Either way it is attention getting.
These are common out here, like the Chicken of the swamp. And everyone likes Chicken.
Wonderful reflections and water colors! I know about their screaming, they scared the heck out of me once when I was in Florida out shooting. I expected alligators to come running out of the swamp after them, lol.
They are loud and shocking aren’t they 🙂
Hahaha, very funny 🙂 The reflections are stunning!
They are really interesting if you watch them. Rarely seen is their huge feet. So big they can walk on Lily Pads and other plants on the waters surface.
A more hen full of color, over here someone forgot the color palette. Always love photos with water reflections.
It’s breeding time here so most have a little more color than usual. The red plastic nose remains all year though 😀