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Long-billed Curlew |
It's always fun when you get two lifers in two days. Yesterday a
Lincoln's Sparrow and this morning a Long-billed Curlew. I drove down to the Joe Overstreet Landing and had a great time there. The Curlew was very cooperative and easily found. It was hanging out with numerous Wilson's Snipe. Then I found a Crested Caracara perched on a fence post, and it took off when I was focused on it, so I had sharp photos. Eastern Meadowlarks were very vocal on the drive into the landing, and I love hearing their calls. Occasionally one would pose on the fence for me. And on a sad but fascinating note, I found a couple Turkey Vultures that were working on a Raccoon carcass by the road.
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Long-billed Curlew |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vc7qxNQjvMNmQJ6hMoWT7ppHaJKun0dya2fCTNUwoNMcVbvF5x79qTKdekalsB1yvEb5lBLkhoFpraDTSjAHlT2fIgH8kpkeILYgU75smY4oYx-lmg1nAN_OPCb60WkupRkfnEn0FvIKieXdj3i6y98UpaYfVV=s0-d) |
Wilson's Snipe |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vZ-dQtg9W2CKTubLmC_YzyDh0wv1S-7osG6WTc6sGfU7m_gWntMgL3QXCqOMiaCf73zPl4Vb-vn6LwLL4kR5YxFTen7wlYlF822ycu-AUERDGHPlFJW__IbGlfihsdPDWsaK04rivC_JWYxtJJcPqLa0vvhi0=s0-d) |
Crested Caracara |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sXMFGkc-1zR_yyLcXW5d5D23HNq2t_mFlQGm-g9H8gwGNh6SNaMD24y6nNiC-6MQk-1xkbq5bKHgCpKdxK_Hq8I6ZCGcFHYBCQsyiBrRxBzaOD3jNGy9i0zyJ35GLGcTo3DF--YxFLZjvs10i_bSBefARLLrA=s0-d) |
Crested Caracara |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_upynViawHgp1D_99aFC9fMbeOci3R2UtS19GKb5F7TvhyrySAzl52JoOxcX3o-Li16rPLf9wwfiFu9_y1Iaqn8TSP33mJ4ca0yVQF8ZO5I_m2q9lPWGmvDFIHzLN4VUlKpfSfYYZnDa_8oDETVuFWrk88nX2L3=s0-d) |
Eastern Meadowlark |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uC5fcn8siWBIDv0wyaZkR4Lix20MGO_m3i9zRHealCu3DMTLr2OAPL78mraOM4qZTaZh82SS7nYrMhmd7jxgrLXZRosgDwIScXPW9maskSMN4avnEKg-hD2evf0wRUrIHrdWZAdfiIMj4T-M7GHSKveY-jJKbP=s0-d) |
Eastern Meadowlark
(I normally don't photograph birds with with lighting like this, but this one had such an iconic pose, I had to try it) |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sz5jZm5LIW1aX4RY9Oir399WiYCIhPYWKiDtx0AxYZYB4CbO86bQLIW7VoL1nUd29tS76pJ_maY1r3h7fzt9xBzqUicd5W3_FP4uJKliTn-O7iMgLWxRe6bcUTyRp-NID2NkFV2R5vNbqZPJ-W0zKQTUdsjE2H=s0-d) |
Turkey Vultures |
I was hoping to see a Snail Kite there too, but no luck there, so I drove up to East Lake Toho on my way home. There's a park that runs along the southern portion of the lake (eBird calls it Kaliga Park but I haven't seen a sign there), and Snail Kites seem to be very reliable there. In fact, I've seen one every time I've gone there. I found three there, and two were actively patrolling the marshes in front of me looking for Apple Snails. I saw one grab one, but I couldn't get photos of it with its prize.
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sUJkS5vCzFsZtMlny9-NN6k6ps8FF0oHZRuW8SVn9znfxbjqq95C9N61Jfr_qgRlgCChGn0SkVtkRRyw-2NidKkmRnvl8muw3halLVpLmWaON9ByJUji2VojpVgYm5mp1yA6eahnuyAVrAR1Hh85xS1c8mbYM=s0-d) |
Snail Kite |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vWrF1xIHbzq8gd9B9bm-gtrrSVgf57_BsbMFQx8BbKA5cB6yd9tXMtbJXHRAOrBCY8f2RuxVEyztQiZd6DOiSZZBWJq3xjLsc5SrHPjcjYWGWo6VD9nWWTbbPCuYqNZpu7Ey5jKa58QOWZ37jEWUuhHvd1b38-=s0-d) |
Snail Kite |
![Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uT-5vAPMmq9QS2GAI1ti9wgTlmcC0XWHH5VXS7pzjsFITHYlAESt-C1_NkZ-LAlFVwEKz2KYXj2dczv0zaunzLw2bxpX7lKtPxTq9Ix8S5zDFJERSnHVtsO52XQthUd0HFbTBooLcahQb1DPAlf3bHTIX-Vq8d=s0-d) |
Snail Kite |
That's a major collection of good birds...I'm a big proponent of curlews, props on the lifer.
ReplyDeleteRaccoons are major predators of bird nests, so not such a bad thing if you look at it that way. Awesome picture too, I like that it's face is still in one piece.
He he. A friend just emailed me telling me he was studying a pair of eagles for years and saw a large Raccoon eat three sets of eggs. I should remove the sadly, I suppose. Maybe the Raccoon had it coming...
ReplyDeleteDang Scott! That's quite the fine showpiece collection of birds, what a sweet spot! What goes around comes around to the Raccoon I guess. I'm sure he felt very approving about the Vulture's scavenging : )
ReplyDelete