Showing posts with label Great Egret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Egret. Show all posts
Friday, June 24, 2022
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Summer Fun in Oklahoma
071620 Great Blue Heron
One of the area residents chooses to show himself through heavy foliage of Heron Cove. Nonetheless, he proves to be a handsome example. The area is aptly named.
072320 Eastern Phoebe
This lovely example provides a serious example of what nature offers in Central Oklahoma.
080620 Spotted Sandpiper
Great Egret
Fishing day proves to go well for this summer resident.
080620 Great Egret 2
081820 Great Blue Heron
A shining example of fun in the sun, just like Great Egret.
Least Sandpiper
A common bird in the area during migration.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Great Egret Portraiture
Great Egret 1
Great Egret 2
Great Egret 3
Great Egret 4
Great Egret 5
Great Egret 6
Great Egret 7
Great Egret 8
Having a photo shoot with a wild animal can be challenging as we see here. Rarely are these animals in such a location where we can take advantage of lighting and other natural habitat. This is the month where the heat index is clearly against us even in the earlier hours of the day. Once the sun rises, we are at its mercy. However, if one is fortunate enough to be in the shade during these escapades, life becomes a little better.
But when the subject decides to feed, the shoot is over.
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Kites, Hawks and Natural History Just For You
Mississippi Kites
Red-shouldered Hawk
Wild Sunflower
European Starlings
Great Egret
at Boomer Creek
Cicada
08-27 through 09-03-17
This appears to be the end of our Mississippi Kites for the season. They spent about ten days
at Boomer Lake and I believe we had ten or eleven at one point. You may recall that I finally managed to get a few decent photos of juveniles this year, getting me one step closer to my raptor
collection. I have a lot more to go, but eventually, I'll succeed. I'd also like to improve upon the quality of the raptors, too. Some were quite a distance away.
Our local Red-shouldered Hawks are back, and nest each year in a reasonable distance from the lake.
It wasn't close enough for a photo, but one of our Belted Kingfishers has been visiting the area for the past couple of days. I saw two males, but not the female. She will come around eventually, most likely when it is nearer winter.
A couple of evenings ago, some birding friends and I went to the lake to see some of our Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that roost elsewhere during the day. We also saw several lovely House Finches, as well as a Western Kingbird that should have gone south. I am assuming that this juvenile has been staying close to the young scissor-tails and was a late hatcher. We will most likely have several late hatching birds coming through the area on their way south this year.
Not being pressed for time today, I managed a trip to Boomer Creek, where I observed my woodpecker entourage, as well as someone that has been interested in corvids for quite some time. Actually, I have encountered several new birders recently, so I'm happy to say that the fold is growing. A couple of us have been spending time teaching the joys of birding to those with budding interests. Our biggest joys are when the new people get to observe new birds for the first time.
For those of you that have never seen one, I thought that the naturalists would enjoy looking at a cicada. They are heard everywhere, but are sometimes a little difficult to spot. This one flew right in front of me and landed on a sapling. I just had to take a photo to show you.
Until next time!
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Two Rare Green Heron Rituals Await You
Subadult Green Heron
Green Heron Immature Clutch #1
Ditto, Both on 070217
Green Heron Meeting, 070317
Prelude to Egg-Laying Ritual
Green Heron in Nest 4
Egg Laying Ritual Begins
Green Heron Preens
Prior to Pair Bonding Ritual
Green Heron at Nest 5
Green Heron Pair Bonding Ritual
"The Stick Seals the Deal!"
Bonding Accepted
Great Egret, 070818
Week of 070117 to present
There is a lot to cover this week and a lot of excitement.
First, I obtained an adequate enough photo to show the nest 4 bird. Thanks are to the graces of the wind, and her position. The female stays on the nest overnight, then both male and female trade off positions during the day.
I have seen it before, but we also were privy to the egg laying ritual. When all the eggs are lain, the male will inform the colony. He begins by taking a high perch so that all may see him. He then makes himself look large and mighty and sways back and forth a couple of times. He then goes to visit all the birds on their perches, including any juveniles. This bird then went in search of food for the female.
Soon thereafter, a new set of birds became a couple, and she accepted this male. One of the birds is a subadult, the female.
We were later gifted with a Green Heron in nest 5, changing position. This is another time to thank the wind and our illustrious bird on it.
Therefore, we have two active nests, at least one with eggs. By now, we could have chicks in nest 4, but I cannot see yet.
Hope you enjoy what nature has brought, and thanks for viewing!
Dr. Deb
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Days of Their Lives
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Double-crested Cormorants
Spotted Orbweaver
2nd Summer Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Ditto
Great Egret
Clay-colored Sparrow
Bewick's Wren
Carolina Wren
Juvenile Eastern Phoebe
Red-spotted Purple
These are shots over the past several weeks, as there hasn't been a lot of migratory
movement. Weather has a way of being a deterrent, but one also must be in the right
place at the right time. It cooled down for a little while, long enough for a few more
ducks to come through the area, and temperatures are finally quite seasonable and
pleasant. May those people that had to endure Hurricane Matthew be all right and may
you recover from that ordeal as soon as possible.
As a general synopsis, our young Yellow-crowned Night-Heron stayed with us at
Heron Cove for the better part of September, and chose the best willow to rest in
during the day, the same one that the strongest Green Heron chicks were hatched in.
Both Boomer Lake and Boomer Creek hosted more different species of herons than
normally this year, including a strong possibility of the Little Blue Heron, as well.
Larger than normal woodpecker numbers stayed at the creek, and many of them
were hatched here, including one female adult red-shafted Northern Flicker as a parent.
It is not known if there are any red-shafted offspring as a result of this uncommon union.
There were also good numbers of the Red-bellied Woodpecker young, and a few Red-
headed Woodpecker juveniles. No Pileated Woodpecker young were observed.
The Clay-colored Sparrow spent about a week with us on Boomer Lake and there were at
least two of them in our midst. Good numbers of the Carolina Wren were seen over the
season, and Bewick's Wren is once again in our midst.
Sadly, butterfly numbers were down by half, but on the positive note, this was the first
year that I have noticed the Red-spotted Purple in the five years that I have been in
Stillwater, and I only observed it on the Kameoka Trail at Boomer Creek.
Ambient water temperatures have risen two degrees F in the time that I have been in the
area. If this continues to increase, birds and other animals are expected to remove
themselves in a northeastern pattern.
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