Great Swamp NWR
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A certain symmetry - a courting couple out on the local park lake in the Spring sunshine (Nottingham, UK) (4146)
(Ardea herodias) I do love my 800mm f11 lens! It is allowing me to capture shots I could only dream of before. Paired with my R6 or my R5 It's lightness makes it great for BiF for me - the animal eye focus on the new cameras works fantastically well. I found my 300mm f2.8 prime a fantastic lens but paired with a 1DX2 I couldn't hold it long enough and steady enough to focus properly.
This Great Egret flew across the lake at Orlando Wetlands, Florida. It was beginning nest building, and flew to another area for twigs and branches for the nest.
This egret is transitioning to breeding plumage/color. It will remain white, but its bill will become more orange and its facial skin will become greenish. It has already begun developing long plumes trailing alongside its black legs
Taken at Barton Marina, Staffordshire
Thank you to everyone who views, favs or comments on my photos, it is always appreciated.
Recorra la Great Ocean Road de Victoria, que alberga playas de surf como Bells Beach y los pináculos de piedra caliza de los Doce Apóstoles. Esta región también ofrece pueblos pesqueros, ballenas, playas doradas, selvas tropicales y parques nacionales. Camine la Great Ocean Walk o conduzca por la Great Southern Touring Route, que une Melbourne con Adelaida.
Wikipedia: The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It occurs in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is predominantly frugivorous, but also preys on small mammals, reptiles and birds. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2018. It is known to have lived for nearly 50 years in captivity. Due to its large size and colour, it is important in many tribal cultures and rituals. The Government of Kerala declared it as the official Kerala state bird.
The great hornbill is a large bird, 95–130 cm (37–51 in) long, with a 152 cm (60 in) wingspan and a weight of 2 to 4 kg (4.4 to 8.8 lb). The average weight of 7 males is 3 kg (6.6 lb) whereas that of 3 females is 2.59 kg (5.7 lb). It is the heaviest, but not the longest, Asian hornbill. Females are smaller than males and have bluish-white instead of red eyes, although the orbital skin is pinkish. Like other hornbills, they have prominent "eyelashes"
The great hornbill is native to the forests of India, Bhutan, Nepal, mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra.
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Three young great egrets looking for their next feeding - other photos of this group in the comments
Another shot from a great encounter with this Owl from a couple of weeks ago. Always a wonderful experience.
Great Egret – this bird is going into breeding season, you can see that the lore (the patch of bare skin between the beak and the eyes) is changed from yellow to lime green. The graceful plumes called aigrettes have not yet started to grow (they will eventually appear on the shoulder area and trail over the bird’s back). Early this morning I felt the need to escape from the evil of Putin news and go out and find something beautiful to photograph. Shame on this despicable man.
Morning Bicycle Ride 6-2-2023
Thanks in advance for any likes or comments. I appreciate your support. Peace and Light.
Great Egret
Seems to be waiting for something to happen while standing in the early morning light streaming over the ocean and sand.
From the National Park Service:
Second only to the Great Blue Heron in size, the Great Egret (Casmerodius albus), sometimes called the Great White Egret, is one of the largest of the wading birds that inhabit the Everglades. Standing over 4 feet in height with a wingspan of more than 50 inches, it is similar in appearance to the Snowy Egret but can be distinguished by its long black legs, black feet, stout yellow bill, and tremendous size. The Snowy Egret is smaller than the Great Egret and has a black bill and yellow feet.
Although numbers of Great Egrets have recovered throughout most of the United States in response to conservation measures, numbers have declined in some parts of the southern United States because of habitat loss. Data indicate that the Florida Everglades has undergone a 90-percent reduction in the number of breeding pairs of wading birds.