Okay, I've been in a coma for a while because I guess I had way too much fun in Orlando. I haven't even been to the movies this week! I did take more pictures of the birds in my last photo but I didn't have the energy to post. I just wanted to make sure I posted the one, at least, and I put it on Facebook at the same time.
I was making a run for the border (aka: getting burritos at Taco Bell) when I saw the birds in the pasture. I didn't have my camera on me, just my crappy cell phone. I went home, ate, and then drove back up the road. Some of you may remember last year when I was taking pictures and I got my car stuck and Dad had to tow me out. This is that same pasture. This time, I parked in a guy's driveway. Well, in the grass because I didn't want to block his driveway. I still managed to set off his motion detector and he came out to make sure I was okay.
I told him I was taking pictures of the birds and how I got stuck before and Dad had to tow me. He said with all this rain we've had I definitely didn't want to park on the side of the road. He was very nice, but I did notice there's a church on the other side of the road about 100 yards up. A bit more of a walk, but a nice parking lot for next time! While walking along the road, I also had the opportunity to make sure the Timberland boots I bought myself for Christmas are indeed waterproof.
I saw the Roseate Spoonbill right off, but I wasn't sure about the Wood Stork because it had its head down when I first drove by. The second time I drove up, it actually had its wings spread (I think it was drying them) and I so wish I could have gotten a picture because it looked awesome! Still, I'll just be happy at seeing an endangered species and be quiet.
This Little Blue Heron looked really blue to me. Like, darker and more intense color. Or maybe it's just my better camera?
Wood Storks still look weird to me, but I kind of like them. Not everyone can be a Painted Bunting!
When I got home, I was reading my book and it said Wood Storks have pink feet. And I thought, "Did I even see its feet? Weren't they in the water or grass?" But then I saw this picture.
When I went to Orlando last week, I wanted to see lots of things, but I did really want to see a Roseate Spoonbill. And I did see that juvenile one. You can really see how this one is colored much more intensely. But I couldn't help but stand there and think, "We drove to Orlando, and here you are a mile from my house."
Dad also tipped me off tonight on a spot to check out. He's a retired letter carrier and they see things. FYI, don't you think it's hard to groom one's self with a spoon-shaped beak?
This is my unintentionally "arty" shot. I like the reflection of the bird in the water. Didn't even mean to do that.
They say, "Birds of a feather flock together". But I think most water birds are happy in each other's company. Also, my book said the Spoonbills will hang with Egrets and Herons. It also says they are closely related to the Ibises, which I can kind of see. I thought it was neat seeing these two species so close together. Also, you can really see the size difference. My book says they're closer in size, and I thought Roseate Spoonbills were generally bigger. Maybe it's the way they stand. The Spoonbill tends to bend its legs while the Stork was mostly upright.
There was a Snowy Egret in the same general area, but when I walked toward it, it got spooked. The pictures are a little blurry because it was walking away from me very quickly. I can't blame it.
Here's another shot of the trio. The pink flowers are some kind of Rhexia spp., FYI.
In other news, I was watching the bird feeder today. It's mostly Tufted Titmice, but I think I saw the Carolina Chickadee once. The Titmice are pretty funny about taking turns on the feeder. Like today there were at least three of them because I could see when they flew back into the tree. So I would watch as one would eat at the feeder while the others waited their turn in the tree. Sometimes, I've seen two at the feeder, but not often. I'm not sure if they were skittish because the male Cardinal was feeding on the ground. And that brings me to a question. I've seen this before, but I forgot to ask, but then I saw it happen three times today. The female Cardinal flew over and I watched the male bring seeds to her. Do they normally feed their mate? Is that some kind of courtship thing? I'm fairly sure it wasn't a juvenile because she was as big as him and she flew around into several trees and bushes as I was watching. I just thought it was sweet.
