Tag Archives: wildlife

Plucking Sticks, Egret

Most of the time the big wading birds collect old dead sticks. They wander around on the ground searching for the perfect one.

Once in a while a fresh, soft, stick must be needed. These birds are not master builders so they may not have any particular reason why.

However, when they go for a new stick it’s a really big production.

Plucking Sticks, Egret
Plucking Sticks, Egret

Even with two hands it’s not easy to break off a stick. One beak twisting and tugging can take forever.

Red-shouldered Hawk

This was the second sighting of the day for this hawk. He was moving along the far edge of this swamp, searching for frogs. It’s a favorite spot and we’ve seen them hunt here often.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk

He didn’t stay very long.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk

The small hawks here tend to just fall to the side when taking off. Doesn’t make for great shots but you take what you can.

Great Blue Heron Lift Off

A small series here of  a Great Blue leaving one of the favorite stick spots, without a treasure.

Great Blue Heron Lift Off
Great Blue Heron Lift Off
Great Blue Heron Lift Off
Great Blue Heron Lift Off

He didn’t go very far though. The edge of the swamp meets some forest here. There should be a full years worth of dead branches laying around. Each year this is the first place picked clean for nesting materials.

Great Blue Heron Lift Off
Great Blue Heron Lift Off

We know they will start collecting here, so we the photographer’s  are as predictable as the herons and egrets. This is the first spot we go.