Eleven images acquired during an early morning thunderstorm in June of 2010. They illustrate Least Terns coping with the wind and rain during a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are common occurrences during the three week incubation period.
Examples of Cattle Egrets collecting nesting material by sitting on a perch above the water and waiting for the Winds of Fortune to blow acceptable material within reaching distance of the perch, or close enough that only a short flight was required to acquire it and take it to the nest.
Nine image that illustrate: 1) the quote "They forage by clinging to emergent vegetation over open water, and extending their long necks ...", 2) the striking behavior of the birds, 3) successful capture of small minnows, and 4) rare images of a Least Bittern in a completely open space acquired during drought conditions in which the birds were forced to come out of the reeds to forage for food.
Images of Black and White Warblers captured on a recent visit to Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde (FL). The photos were taken in the grove of Mulberry trees near the Bay Pier parking area, a well-known magnet for migrating songbirds.
The weather patterns have not been conducive to coastal sightings of migratory birds along the panhandle of Florida this year. In the absence of strong north winds, the birds are flying across the Gulf and making their first landing much further inland. Thus, using eBird hotspots to find locations where migrating songbirds were being seen, I made a 3 day birding trip to Ft. De Soto State Park near Tierra Verde, FL. Images of Prairie Warblers, a species noticeably absent from the galleries in my Smugmug web site, are featured in this post.
Aerial feeding by Snowy Egrets has been observed by many people. Among the various forms that have been described are: hovering to retrieve surface food,