More Great Egret Territorial Tension
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Sharing a second post on the Great Egrets and their territorial tensions that continued where hundreds were packed in and trying to forage. It was a challenge because you had to be on the action before it happened, as it was over within seconds!
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Great Egrets trying to get along in tight quarters
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I lucked out on another series of Great Egrets defending their space, or more eloquently described in a few comments from yesterday’s post, performing ballet dancing. 😊
I’ll let these two tell their six-photo story as the tension begins between them as the American White Pelicans squeeze off space while passing by.
Also note a third Great Egret (bottom right corner of first photo only) is starting something with another one out of sight.
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(Birds in above photo – Great Egrets, American White Pelicans, Wood Stork, Snowy Egret)
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Right Egret’s “My Turf” Stance
(and the winner of that bit of space)
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That last shot makes me giggle! 😅
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All Those Egrets, Lots of Tension
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Those three mornings with the awesome variety and vast number of birds meant there was less foraging and general territory ‘space’ for each.
This caused some tension and many skirmishes, especially between the Great Egrets. Beaks up in the air, chests out, wing spread warnings to “get out of my space!”
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Great Egrets trying to protect their space of feeding
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Here’s a skirmish between two just as the sun was beginning to light up the fog as it lifted, reflecting on the water.
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Great Egret skirmish, full scene
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I decided to crop the above photo and three additional to this series for what I thought was a better composition to share the action.
Note the Great Egret on the right who watches the scene too, backing up a bit to not get involved. Smart egret!
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Great Egret skirmish
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Great Egret
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Great Egret
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Great Egret skirmish ending with one leaving for another spot
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Variety of Florida Birds In Single Scenes
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Here’s more of the big scenes during my recent morning visit to the Marsh Trail at 10,000 Islands NWR. I had returned after the previous morning’s spectacular find with hundreds of birds at the start of a foggy morning (that post here).
On this second morning, what fog there had already lifted high into the sky. The sun was burning it off, getting some light onto the scene here and there. The sight was amazing, there were even more birds!
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At least 12 bird species in the above photos: American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, and Double-crested Cormorant.
Three mornings and one evening in a row of lots of birds at this location. Having not seen a scene like this before, I was indeed on Cloud 9. I took a total of just under 2,000 photos. I’m weeding through them to rid as many as I can and also find the very best of my close-ups to share with you. 🙂
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Pretty In Pink Valentine’s Day
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Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Roseate Spoonbill
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Roseate Spoonbill
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Roseate Spoonbill
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Roseate Spoonbill
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(all photos taken 2/14/21 at 10,000 Islands NWR)
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Birds on a Foggy Morning
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The fog was beginning to burn off this morning as I headed down the trail to reach the wetlands.
One of my first peaks through a window in the trees….
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Oh my! This was looking to be promising morning, as I continued along.
I stopped at another opening through the trees….
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A few more wide angle shots…..
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Birds in the above photos include Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibis, Common Gallinules, and Double-crested Cormorants.
Not shown but in the immediate surroundings of the above photos I also photographed Glossy Ibis, Brown Pelicans, Green Herons, Anhingas, Blue-winged Teal, and a few small shorebirds (maybe sandpipers or willets).
Some close-up favorites to come!
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Gray Catbird
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I know many of you are missing one of your summer’s interesting songs of the Gray Catbird. I can happily report many are here in Florida enjoying their winter vacation.
I can hear them just about everywhere I wander, following their ‘mew’ calls, then spotting them doing short flights in shrubs, thickets and vegetation, always hiding behind branches and leaves. They are so secretive!
Finally one gave me a chance out in the open. I took it!
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Gray Catbird
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Blue-Winged Teal
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If there aren’t any/many people at the Marsh Trail observation deck, a few Blue-winged Teal feeding out in the wetlands will work their way closer to the shoreline.
This male did have a lady, but she stayed around the mangrove roots and in the shade.
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Blue-winged Teal (male)
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Not but a minute of rest and the male was on the move again, crossing that lovely, mirrored water to catch up with his lady feeding.
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Blue-winged Teal (male)
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Blue-winged Teal (male)
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Squabbling Wood Storks
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Nicknamed the “old man of the swamp” and the “voiceless bird”, you will generally see the quiet Wood Stork in a calm setting, foraging or resting. They co-habitat nicely with egrets and herons as long as its neighbors play nice.
So I was surprised to see a little aggressive interaction take place between two Wood Storks a couple weeks ago as one came in to land near another.
Here are the highlights!
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Wood Stork squabble begins
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The Wood Stork ‘180’
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Chest to Chest Hissing and Beak Snapping
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‘Hi-YA’ Kung Fu
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New meaning to ‘foot in mouth’
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“Begone, you old fool!”
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“And don’t come back!”
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I guess the one landing wasn’t welcomed!
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Five On The Wing – #4
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Here’s my fourth of my series of sharing five birds in flight in one post.
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Laughing Gull
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Royal Tern
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American Oystercatcher
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Herring Gull
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Caspian Tern
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Oh, to fly like a bird!
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Glossy Ibis and Their Iridescence Feathers
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I felt lucky two mornings ago at the 10,000 Islands NWR’s Marsh Trail, arriving to find three Glossy Ibis, separated and very busy foraging the wetlands.
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Glossy Ibis
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Continually moving and working the waters, it didn’t take very long before one of the Glossy Ibis came in closer for some great photos. Walking up on a tiny ‘island’ to take a break, the Glossy Ibis proceeded to shake off excess water and fluff up for some preening. And the iridescent colors shined!
I narrowed the preening photo shoot to sharing these five photos, and that was hard. 😏
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Are you ready to see my iridescent feathers?
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Glossy Ibis
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Glossy Ibis
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Glossy Ibis
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Glossy Ibis
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More of that morning’s Glossy Ibis to come…. 🙂
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