outdoor photography

Pied-billed Grebe This morning I went to Lake Jesup Park on Sanford Ave early before work. I got there just after sunrise, hoping to find an owl or other early riser.  I didn't, but I did find an American Bittern, King Rail and all four wrens we have this time of year (Sedge, Marsh, House, Carolina).  There were no photographic moments, though, until I got into the car to leave.  I drove by the boat ramp, and I saw a Pied-billed Grebe dive and come up with a crab in its mouth. Pied-billed Grebe He was holding the crab in his bill by one of its legs, and he shook the crab until the leg came off. Pied-billed Grebe This left him with just a crab leg in his mouth. Pied-billed Grebe Then he fished out the rest of the crab. This time he had the crab by the claw. Pied-billed Grebe Usually when I photograph birds shaking their heads, the head turns out all blurry, but this time, I must have captured him right has he was beginning, and the head is ...

Eastern Towhee This morning I spent a little bit of time at the Econ River Wilderness Area.  It was a pretty good time.  Highlights were about seven Brown-headed Nuthatches and a Pied-billed Grebe with a fish. Other highlights were a Downy Woodpecker, Little Blue Heron and an Eastern Towhee. Eastern Towhee Downy Woodpecker Brown-headed Nuthatch Little Blue Heron Pied-billed Grebe

Great-blue Heron This morning my office parking lot wasn't quite as active as it was yesterday, but I did find a Great Blue Heron and a Pied Billed Grebe that were particularly photogenic.  Really this morning was the morning for flyovers.  I saw about 100 Double-crested Cormorants, 100 Cedar Waxwings, and 4 Glossy Ibises (the first I've seen here).  So that somewhat made up for the lack of activity here. Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorants Here's a list of the species I saw this morning: Wood Duck 2 Mallard x Mottled Duck (hybrid) 3 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Double-crested Cormorant 100 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Glossy Ibis 4 Black Vulture 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Mourning Dove 3 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 4 Fish Crow 1 Carolina Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Gray Catbird 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 Cedar Waxwing 100 Northern Cardinal 9 Red-winged Blackbird 5 Common Grackle 2 Boat-t...

Pied-billed Grebe Pied-Billed Grebe are sometimes confused with ducks, but they have chicken-like bills instead of flat bills like ducks have.  Instead, these are small diving birds, and they are extremely fun to watch.  I love to watch them feed, as they dive under the water in search of food.  I see them all the time, but I've never actually seen one in flight.  When frightened, they tend to dive under the water and come up some place else.    They are just about the cutest water birds you'll find.  One of my favorite birding mornings was when I was able to watch an adult feed a frog to its young. Pied-Billed Grebe Pied-Billed Grebe Pied-Billed Grebe Pied-Billed Grebe