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2007
Animalblog by Terry Costales The daily animal world of 2007 as seen by Terry Costales from Dublin Ireland, through London, to the Palo Alto Bird Sanctuary in Palo Alto, California. |
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A beautiful Zebra
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This view shows the extent of the buff coloring avocets acquire on neck and chest in the breeding season. They stand about 15 to 20 inches tall and
Wikipedia
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Taken Early May, they are guarding a nest and looking lovely. Maybe next trip out there I can get a shot of some Avocet chicks.
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These large egrets are graceful and breathtaking in flight. I watched this bird flying back and forth several times bringing nesting material back to it's mate.
There was only one pair that I saw amongst dozens of the smaller Snowy Egrets.
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This shows all the markings you would look for in identifying this bird in the breeding season. The lacy plumes on the back and the green/blue "mask" that extends from the base of the bill to the eye are only present during this time.
The Audubon Society came into existence to stop the extermination of great Egrets by plume hunters and has this bird as it's logo.
Great Egrets are found world-wide, even in Australia
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At the sanctuary, there is a group of palm trees next to the large pond that provides prime nesting spots. It is fenced off to ensure the breeding birds are not disturbed.
In late March, this was one of many night herons nesting amongst the snowy and great egrets. Its usually yellow legs are pink because it's breeding season.
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Taken late March, this bird is probably a year or two old and has the yellow legs you see on both juveniles and non breeding adults. They get their full adult plumage in the third year.
If you look at this shot and the thumbnail below it, you can see they are roughly the same size and shape. Nice of them to pose for their comparison shots.
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This nest was not in the fenced off area near the pond but next to the picnic tables. The herons are used to seeing and hearing people and seem quite tolerant of being ogled and photographed.
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This was taken in early May and shows a fledgling night heron that has fallen out of it's nest. It took shelter next to a fence that was only a few feet from a path.
I hope everyone knew to leave it alone. Its parents would care for it where it is, but it was quite vulnerable there.
This picture is being considered for inclusion in a training manual to be used by the
Toronto Wildlife Centre
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This picture was taken early May. The nest was in a very shady area and it was overcast, but luckily there was a brief break in the clouds which provided enough light for me to get a decent shot.
This fledgling night heron managed to stay in the nest despite what looked like a precarious perch.
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This picture was taken in early May and these two seem a little older than the other fledglings I saw. They have gotten big enough to come out of the nest and perch on the branches nearby.
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This photo was taken early in May. There were 4 or 5 young ones about this size on the ground all within the fenced in area. Sometimes one of them would clamber up into a bush, but mostly they sat quietly on the ground.
This little night heron actually flew a short distance to explore the edge of the nearby pond. He made a few jabbing motions with his bill and managed a couple of times to pick up a twig
I felt quite privileged to have witnessed and recorded these birds and their behavior. Here are more of my
favorite pictures
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This picture was taken in late April of this year and shows this gorgeous Snowy Egret bringing a twig back to the nest as an offering to his mate.
Their distinguishing marks are the black legs, yellow feet and lacy plumes. The breeding season causes more plumes to develop on their backs and the area in front the eyes
(the lores
The only thing not beautiful about these birds are their voices. A gurgling "wogga, wogga, wogga." As if Donald Duck was imitating a drowning turkey.
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This picture was taken in late May. There were mother egrets in the colony still sitting on eggs while others, like the one above, were taking care of their small chicks. Many mother egrets were feeding larger chicks. Many larger fledglings were out on the branches but not yet flying. Quite an advance in procreation from my visit a month earlier.
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These 3 birds are all siblings but one is quite smaller than the rest. I kept expecting it to get shoved aside, or even knocked out of the nest, but it really held it's own. The mother would fly up to feed them and the little one was always in the front making the most noise and waggling its outstretched wings up and down in a frantic "feed me" dance.
The young don't have the black legs or yellow feet like their parents, just a green that changes gradually to the adult colors as they grow.
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This is the trio of nestlings from yesterday's blog. Mom swoops in, holds on to the nest with her feet, uses her wings to stay balanced and feeds them on the fly, as it were.
They set up a clamor when they see her nearby. "C'mon Mom, we're starving here!"
Here are
more photos
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This picture was taken late May of this year. This is a very active bird so I was surprised and delighted to see it perch long enough for me to photograph it.
The Barn Swallow is the only American swallow that has that deeply forked "swallow-tail".
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This picture was taken moments after the one I posted yesterday. It's a small bird, about 7 inches long, and was singing its little heart out. I only saw a couple of barn swallows that day, but there were almost a hundred cliff swallows nesting under the eaves of the Interpretive Center.
The name barn swallow derives from the fact that their nests are usually found inside barns. The
nest
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This picture was taken just after the swallow had gathered a mouthful of mud to add to its nest. It plainly shows the tail shape that helps to distinguish it from the Barn Swallow.
This is the kind of swallow that returns each year from Goya, Argentina to the
San Juan Capistrano
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These two swallows were among dozens gathering mud on the bank of an inlet close to their colony. They landed and scooped up mud with their wings held high and fluttering. Once they got a good beakful they zipped back to their nests.
This group established themselves under the eaves of the
Interpretive Center
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This is a close-up of a typical nest with the adult peering out. Mud gathering has made its bill appear lighter than it actually is.
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This photo was taken the last day of May. Nine days earlier there were no visible signs of chicks, although you could hear them peeping. On this day there were many little heads framed in the openings of nests.
I wonder what another nine days will bring?
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This goose is very widespread and commonly found in the wild, and at almost any park that has a pond, lake or marsh.
There are many other species of
ducks
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This is a real
Mother Goose
Mother Goose as a person in literature has been around for a very long time. There is even a
Mother Goose Society
More info can be found about real Canada Geese at
Wikipedia
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A gosling is so darn cute when it's little. It's hard to believe that there is an entire industry devoted to the task of making them go away. When large flocks of adult geese show up in a
"wrong locations"
Would you want them in your swimming pool? Your Koi pond? Your child's
playground
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Yesterdays picture was taken of a gosling that was only a few days old. Today's photo was taken three weeks later. Now you should definitely be able to see that they are becoming adult geese.
These goslings have lost their cute baby fuzz, but don't yet possess the handsome markings of an adult. But such is the bane of all adolescents.
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Mom is leading her brood from the duck pond, across the road and into the marsh. This is not an uncommon sight and one of the reasons there is a 15 MPH speed limit at the santuary.
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This oriole was named for
William Bullock
In all my visits to this bird sanctuary, this was the only time I've seen this bird. I was very lucky to get some photos of it.
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The Bullock's Oriole
This photo was taken late May and what a great pose he gave me.
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Here is the Oriole perched on a barbeque grill in the picnic area. He and several blackbirds had just chased a crow that dared to enter their territory. Crows are a threat to them because they will eat the young of these smaller birds.
There are several species of birds found at the sanctuary. There are
sparrows
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This female Killdeer is standing over eggs in its "nest." Three eggs are actually present but only one is clearly visible. Even the clearly visible one is very well camouflaged.
It is reputed their call sounds like "kill deer" and thus the name. I don't hear it myself but maybe that's just me.
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This is a photo of three very well camouflaged eggs in a Killdeer "nest." Because Killdeer often lay their
eggs on gravel
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The female Killdeer in this picture is adopting a wounded bird pose and making a distress call. She is trying to lure me away from her nest by convincing me she is easy prey. Luckily for her I only wanted her photo.
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I took this photo April 4th of this year while in London. I didn't know what it was at the time but I knew I had never seen this duck before. I was quite taken with the brilliant gold of it's head. When the sun shone on its head there was an amazing metallic sheen which really has to be seen in person to be appreciated.
These pochards
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The most obvious difference between the Eurasian Coot and the American coot is the larger white face shield. The coots were very numerous in
Hyde Park
This shot shows the face shield, the greenish feet and the lobed toes. They are fascinating little
birds
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The Grey Heron is very similar to the larger Great Blue Heron we have in California. This one seems to be in full breeding plumage. It was the only heron I saw in
Hyde Park
He actually has a very long neck but they sit with it pulled in and folded against the chest. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has a nice page on these herons where you can see the long neck and even
hear it's call
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The moorhen
Moorhens are related more to Coots than to ducks. Moorhens and Coots both have greenish feet with lobed toes which allows them to walk over water-plants and mud.
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Something about a swan. I see one and I feel like I am getting a small glimpse into a fairy tale. Swans conjure images of fairy princesses, enchanted lakes and talking animals. I almost expect to turn my head and see a unicorn come to drink at the edge of this pond.
A more realistic approach to these birds is not to just admire them but protect them as well. The population of swans had declined
in the UK
The Mute swan is not natively found in the US and is not actually mute at all.
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When I first saw this duck I thought it was a
Canvasback
The Pochard
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This is a photo of a duck with a "crazy hairdo". I had never before seen a picture of a Tufted Duck, and was quite startled to observe this unusual species. Looking at the photos on our return home I identified it as a Tufted Duck and found out these ducks are quite
common in England and Europe
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Of course England has it's fair share of "flying rats". For some reason this one in Hyde Park seemed more like an actual bird to me than just
feathered vermin
I'm sure if I was there long enough they would become just as annoying as pigeons are here at home.
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When I took this photo I thought it was a common crow. That was in April. I processed this photo recently and discovered it was actually a
jackdaw
A Jackdaw is a type of crow but has a grey head and pale eyes. Some people associated the Jackdaw with the children's nursery rhyme
"See Saw, Margery Daw"
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This is a photograph of a pair of Mallards nesting on a concrete outcropping that is part of this
canal lock
The female Mallard is sitting on the nest a few feet behind the male and is very well camouflaged.
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This is a photo of the female mallard from yesterday's posting
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Finally a European starling where it belongs: in Europe.
I have observed large flocks of Starlings since I was a kid. Sometimes I've seen enormous groups making, what I like to call, "flock circles" in the sky. When they do this it's very unnerving. The first time I saw this phenomenon it was in the skies over San Francisco about 15 years ago. I thought perhaps the birds could sense an impending disaster, perhaps an earthquake. If so, what was I doing in SAN FRANCISCO? Home of the big one that's always overdue.
I found out later this was normal behavior for starlings. The
Wikipedia article
Even knowing this is normal for Starlings and nothing supernatural, I still get the heebie-jeebies. Though I'll never admit it.
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This is a photo of a domesticated
Swan Goose
I've seen geese like this in California, Washington and France. Clearly they must adapt easily to many different climates.
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Our boat was moored on the Canal du Midi and the four of us aboard all commented on the picturesque
red and blue boat
When the swan swam near the boat I saw a photo op I couldn't resist. Only now, months later, did I notice that I had also photographed a white dove perched on the edge of the rowboat.
The white dove is a symbol of peace and, on this July 4th, seems the most appropriate wish for this nation and the world.
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There are hundreds of these turtles in Stow Lake. If the little
pet turtle
I wonder how many of those little pets ended up in Stow Lake?
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This is a photo of a
soft-shelled turtle
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Just west of the Louvre are wonderful gardens called
Jardin des Tuileries
But, to my surprise, there was also a children's playground, carousel and
pony and donkey rides
The photo above is of one of the donkeys, or âne in French.
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Hyde Park
This photo is of a very dignified, white, police horse.
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Backlit at dawn, two horses in the Northwest are a calm and beautiful sight.
Almost everything looks better when the
light
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The face of a horse can be very fascinating. Such a large animal, capable of such force and power, yet with such gentle eyes it just makes one sigh.
This picture is a Police horse
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These are just the cutest
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They say everyone is Irish on St Pat's Day and I guess that includes the animal kingdom. Our dogs are eager to accompany we humans on all of our crazy endeavors. Whether it's dogs on motorcycles
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This is a happy dog. He's getting exercise, interacting in the park with his human companion. And that's a nice orange ball!
I've been watching the
Dog Whisperer
So take a walk. Take your dog with you. And do it every day!
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This photo was taken August 13th, 2006, which was my first day with my new camera. The tiger rapidly paced her cage, back and forth, revealing an occasional silent snarl. I waited in front of the enclosure for a good shot but in all my photos the tiger was out of focus or out of frame. Except for this one.
This photo isn't the greatest I've ever taken, but I love it anyway. I caught that exact second our eyes met and for that breath-catching moment I was potential prey.
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I took this photo before the fog had burned off yesterday. These two aerial acrobats had a good time swooping and clowning around. After this display they landed on top of a cypress tree and then sat peacefully side by side.
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Today I met a very nice young woman and her beautiful dog Zoe. I learned a lot about the
Vizsla breed
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This photo of a Harbor Seal was taken very near the
Lucy Evans Interpretive Center
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On July 16th I was surprised to see a young coot with its parent. I hadn't been to this location in a while and I had missed seeing the coot chick when it was small. That's one of the attractions of birding. You never know what you will see on any given day. Usually it's not what you expect.
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Long to soar,
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Weezie was supposed to be a hen. He was picked at random out of bin of Barred Plymouth Rock chicks, 90% guaranteed to be female.
As you can see Weezie turned out to not be female. He grew up to terrorize the dogs, kids and even me. He would approach to see what goodies I might have then, even when indulging, he would forget he was glad to see me and sneak in a few vicious kicks. Now that I'm in San Francisco with no chickens, I don't miss him at all. Not one little bit.
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Taken August 23rd, this is a Grey Heron hunting for food in a Dublin canal. This bird is a year round resident throughout England and Ireland. But I didn't expect one to be found downtown! Fifteen feet above this heron was the morning commute rushing over a bridge!
I also saw one other Grey Heron
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The largest elephant in the group reached up to pull down some hay. The elephants in this zoo had a very large enclosure with varying terrain. The
Dublin Zoo
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This is a baby
Asian Elephant
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To me the tiger is the most awe inspiring animal I have ever seen. So majestic and powerful I could watch them forever, but in zoos they don't tend to do much whenever I'm around.
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This little bird was fast and wary and did not want its picture taken. Persistent stalking wins the day (and the photo).
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All the
Black-headed gulls
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It was difficult to get a shot through the fence of the
Bongo
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Monkeys and apes aren't my favorite animals but this guy looked interesting. Cool hairdo.
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I love this close-up of a flamingo on its nest. I never realized their eyes were so pale.
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The red-ruffed lemur is a pretty big animal. I love watching them interact with one another. This one looks like he was wringing his paws with glee after stealing a tasty treat.
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Here is a meerkat
Meerkats have been popular since the movie
"The Lion King"
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The hippos
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This snowy owl
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This female
peafowl
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As I have mentioned before, monkeys are not my favorite animals. That said however, this guy was little, cute and the afternoon sun made for a shot I couldn't resist.
Goeldi's Monkeys
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I had never seen this kind of crow
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The Jackdaw
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Flying shots are hard to get.
The bird
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What a face. A puppy and a kitten sleeping together in a basket couldn't be cuter than this!
Visit the San Francisco Zoo
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The flamingos
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This photo was taken late March of this year and many birds were still in just black and white. For courting and breeding the necks and chest acquire a rusty or tan color.
They really seem to enjoy their mud-flats.
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Taking photos from a boat was a new experience. I was able to get much closer to this flock of Pelicans before they took flight.
These appear to be Australian Pelicans
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Yesterday I thought these birds might be Australian Pelicans
I'm glad that's settled.
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I went out on my brother's boat last Monday and saw many
Great Blue Herons
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This is a photo of the heron taking off as the boat got too close for comfort.
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I didn't see a pheasant when I looked at this tree, only the Egret. As the boat drew nearer to the tree the pheasant burst out, startling the egret and me. I tried to get a shot of them as they flew past, but I was much too slow. It wasn't until I looked at the photos at home that I had the pleasure to see I had gotten a shot of the pheasant after all.
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The bird on the left is a young adult who won't achieve the look of the mature bird on its right for another year.
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There are many hawks
living in the Delta, doing their part to keep the circle of life rolling.
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The namesake tail.
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To get a shot of a graceful bird flying is always a coup.
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Seeing a bright red eye on a bird, to me, is quite startling. Although the heron
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I got this shot just as the egret was landing. Look closely and you can see the feet haven't quite come to rest on the pipe.
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I think I am addicted to taking shots of flying egrets.
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I don't usually photograph English Sparrows because it is common knowledge what this introduced species looks like. I like this shot not so much for the subject, but for the shot itself. The narrow area of focus lends the bird a softer and more delicate appearance.
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This photo caught a sleepy juvenile
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This is a North American River Otter
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I hate to give away the secret behind this shot but, in actuality, this ferocious tiger
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When the brown and white penguin
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Here is a photo of a lion
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This little guy
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Here is a cormorant
The name "double-crested" is insired by the tufts of white feathers over the eyes that only appear in breeding season.
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An adult Western Grebe
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A small shorebird, about 4-6 inches long, was perched on a rock. I don't know what kind it is.
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These two large tortoises ambled about and were not as sluggish as one might expect. I dont know which species of tortoise this is because I forgot to photograph the sign.
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This photo reminds me of peach colored roses in a garden, ready to unfurl.
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The face of an Australian bird
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I was fascinated to watch this egret hunt
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I generally prefer to photograph individual birds or pairs. But sometimes the flock
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The Great Egret has just caught a small fish.
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This gorgeous male pheasant
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In all my visits to this area over the past year, I finally captured a decent shot of a Harrier
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A well camouflaged
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When Canada Geese
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Killdeer
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I know this should be the Animalblog, but my only son, Dieter, got married this Sunday!
Here is Dieter with his beautiful wife, Lizzy. My Congratulations and Best Wishes to them both.
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The profile of a warthog
They do have their niche in nature, but they just don't look good filling it.
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This hawk unaware that it was Thanksgiving morning, none the less, enjoyed the holiday while helping the city lessen its vermin problem.
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Disturbed by photographer, the Thanksgiving hawk
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Fall colors provide a wonderful background for this little sparrow.
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What a face.
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Pickleweed makes even a little sparrow look good.
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The quintessential Christmas animal.
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A female hummingbird on a stick.
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