View allAll Photos Tagged SmallFish
Little Grebe / tachybaptus ruficollis. Barton Marina, Staffordshire. 19/01/16.
I enjoyed watching a pair of LG's fishing close to a bank I was sitting on today. This one made several successful catches, including the Perch held aloft in my image.
Catches were presented to the mate, so I assume this is a male bird.
Interestingly, the mate wasn't overly impressed, only accepting one offering.
However, a canny BH Gull kept close watch and repeatedly tried to rob the grebe of any prey.
Thankfully the little guy stayed one step ahead and dived to protect its love tokens!
These lovely birds live off the coasts of Chile and Peru and they feed by plunge diving and surface dipping for anchovies and other small fish also crustaceans and offal. The male and the female have mustaches and scientists have looked into the mustaches and they believe that the length of the Inca Terns mustaches is a reliable signal of its body condition, and the longer the mustaches the better, they appear to mate with a bird with a similar length of mustaches and they bond together for a long period of time, a juveniles only get their mustache when they are about two years old and they live for roughly 14 years. These birds have two breeding seasons per year, one is April until July and then October until December they lay between one and three eggs per clutch and the eggs are tan or light brown with dark brown spots, both the male and female incubate the eggs and when the eggs hatch it is both the parents job to feed them and the young birds fledge when they are about seven weeks old.
Mandarin Duck / aix galericulata. Wollaton Park, Nottinghamshire. 05/04/18.
A portrait made almost two years ago.
Much needed colour to end the storm-battered day with, a day that has been so testing for hundreds of people across the country. My thoughts are with them.
Slavonian Grebe / podiceps auritus. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 21/02/21.
'CLOSE.'
I made this image late last Sunday afternoon, when the already poor light was fading fast. This local star had transferred itself to the largest lake and shown well all day. It's confiding nature had to be seen to be believed!
The Black Swan breeds from about February and in good years they carry on until September depending on the weather, they build their nests by the side of the water and it looks very scruffy. The swan is known for its fierce temperament and they have incredibly strong wings. Swans eat underwater vegetation such as seaweed and aquatic plants when they are on the water and a mixture of plants, seeds and berries when they are on land. Swans also eat insects both water and land based and the occasional small fish. Swans have many adaptations in order to successfully survive life on the water such as their streamline body shape, long neck and webbed feet. The wings of the swan are also very strong meaning that the swan is one of the few heavy birds that is able to fly, even if its only for a short distance. The black swan is a little larger in size than the white swan and the colour of their bill is bright red and has a blunt tip but the female has a slightly longer and straighter bill than the male.
The Swan is a large aquatic bird closely related to geese and ducks. The swan is known for its fierce temperament and they have incredibly strong wings. Swans eat underwater vegetation such as seaweed and aquatic plants when they are on the water and a mixture of plants, seeds and berries when they are on land. Swans also eat insects both water and land based and the occasional small fish. Swans have many adaptations in order to successfully survive life on the water such as their streamline body shape, long neck and webbed feet. The wings of the swan are also very strong meaning that the swan is one of the few heavy birds that is able to fly, even if its only for a short distance.
This Moorhen was fluffing his feathers up for quite a length of time and I am pleased I managed to get a nice photograph of it. They build large untidy nests on the water in spring but when this bird is not nesting it spends more time out of the water than in it. They have a varied diet anything from snails, insects, small fish and berries, when these birds are disturbed they normally take cover under vegetation as they are not very good at flying but if it does fly its only for short distances and not very elegantly. When its breeding season the male bird swims towards the female with its bill in the water and the two birds eventually nibble at each others feathers when this behaviour stops the birds then find a suitable place to build their nest which is made up of twigs and they will defend the nest vigorously. The female bird lays between 7 and 8 eggs and they take turns to incubate them, this is for about 3 weeks and its both birds that look after the chicks, the chicks do not have a bright red shield when they hatch. It has been documented that Moorhens have eaten other Moorhens eggs if they get the chance and it is believed they do this as a precaution to protecting their own eggs. Moorhens have been known to have 2 to 3 broods in a season also its possible that their previous years birds will help their parents with the current brood.
Black Guillemots / cepphus grylle. Oban, Scotland. 13/05/22.
These were the first Black Guillemots I located upon arrival in Oban. They were loafing in seaweed at the end of a short concrete jetty. They weren't looking very black either, so not in full monotone breeding colours at that stage. You will notice the light was terrible and there was a fine, steady drizzle to contend with.
*Perhaps they were first year birds? Maybe the seaweed colour was reflected in their plumage? Please comment with any suggestions as to why they looked brown.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Slavonian Grebe / podiceps auritus. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 20/02/21.
'SCARCE LOCAL VISITOR.'
This scarce winter visitor has been causing a bit of a stir at my local lakes during the past week. For me, a lockdown bonus which I have been able to enjoy just five minutes from home!
I made the image last Saturday when it was showing on the smallest of the lakes. Weak sunshine, light on the water and reflections from surrounding vegetation gave nice photo opportunities ... plus of course, the bird's confiding disposition.
Grey Phalarope / phalaropus fulicarius. Titchwell, Norfolk. 25/10/21.
'SPINNER ... ' (3)
The juvenile Grey Phalarope that made a prolonged stopover at Titchwell in October. Its non-stop spinning was difficult to sustain watching for too long. (The intensity of the spins upset my sense of equilibrium!)
I stuck with the task though, because to observe this scarce passage migrant was an unexpected treat. The bird had a constant crowd of admirers during its stay.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
The Male Wood Duck is full of different coloured feathers and this makes it very easy to identify but the male birds do not keep its distinctive markings all year round, the different coloured feathers are to attract a female during the breeding season, after the breeding season they grow grey feathers with blue marking on the wings and white marking on the face and neck, but even though the marking are different it is still possible to recognizable these lovely birds. These birds build their nest in tree hollows / cavities and they prefer trees that hang over water or are quite close to the water as this helps the chicks when they leave the nest. The chicks are born with feathers and this enables them to leave the nest quickly and if the nest is built over water it is a softer landing than on the ground and less time to travel to the water and therefore they are less vulnerable. Wood Ducks alter their diet throughout their lives, as a juvenile they eat a lot of invertebrates and occasionally small fish as they mature, they change their diet to mainly plants, seeds and nuts also they will eat aquatic and land invertebrates. The photograph was taken at Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough, Ormskirk, England.
Black Guillemots / cepphus grylle. Oban, Scotland. 15/05/22.
I watched Black Guillemot courtship behaviour whilst pairs were swimming and also, when they flew to the top of the esplanade wall. The short displays were very intense and animated and I think would become more protracted as the month advanced.
The pair shown here had suddenly flown up from the sea and were vocalising to each other, beaks pointing slightly downwards. Moments later the male started a high-stepping walk around the female, his beak angled more acutely downwards. She immediately crouched submissively, but copulation didn't take place. It was early days for them and the behaviour more about strengthening their pair bond than procreation.
What a striking pair they made!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Little Egret / egretta garzetta. Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk. 11/10/22.
'RIGHT ON TARGET.'
One of the many lucky strikes I witnessed, as this Little Egret hunted for food in a tidal creek. The prey that day only seemed to be small fish.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
The Common Shelduck is a big lovely looking bird having a white body with dark green head and an orange brown band around the breast and black patches on the back and wings. These birds use their sharp beaks to arrange the twigs and fibres together when building their nest and they use spiders webs or mud to strengthen the nest and bring it all together, the nest is made in old rabbit burrows or low holes in trees and in haystacks. The female lays between 7 to 14 eggs and they hatch around 26 to 30 days after. The chicks must learn quickly to feed themselves because soon after hatching the mother takes them to the water to make them skilled at swimming and looking for food. These ducks eat plant material, seeds, small fish, snails, crabs and larvae and pupae which are found under rocks. When in the malting phase these birds loose the tail and wing feathers which prevents the Common Shelduck from taking flight until they are replacement by the new feathers.
Black Guillemot / cepphus grylle. Oban, Scotland. 14/05/22.
'MAKING ITS WHEREABOUTS KNOWN.'
A well renowned colony of Black Guillemots nest in drainage holes along the esplanade wall at Oban. Although the esplanade itself is busy with local pedestrians and tourists, the birds pay little notice to them. Their confiding nature means, with patience, photographing them is relatively easy.
I watched this bird fly up to a drainage hole from the sea below, where it had been swimming and pair bonding with its (presumed) mate. Having entered the drain, it manoeuvred round so that it was facing outwards. Here it can be seen peering out, beak open as it uttered a whistling call.
I was blessed with some nice afternoon light when I made the image ... a huge bonus!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
I've not done anything like this before... so... let's see how it goes.
I've used a texture "Scratched sink" provided free by SophieG*, a very talented flickr friend. You really should go and check out her stuff. Well, off you go then! (oh, by all means leave a comment first ;oþ )
The Common Shelduck is a big lovely looking bird having a white body with dark green head and an orange brown band around the breast and black patches on the back and wings. These birds use their sharp beaks to arrange the twigs and fibres together when building their nest and they use spiders webs or mud to strengthen the nest and bring it all together, the nest is made in old rabbit burrows or low holes in trees and in haystacks. The female lays between 7 to 14 eggs and they hatch around 26 to 30 days after. The chicks must learn quickly to feed themselves because soon after hatching the mother takes them to the water to make them skilled at swimming and looking for food. These ducks eat plant material, seeds, small fish, snails, crabs and larvae and pupae which are found under rocks. When in the malting phase these birds loose the tail and wing feathers which prevents the Common Shelduck from taking flight until they are replacement by the new feathers. The photograph was taken at Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough, Ormskirk, England.
20.6.09
Yeah, well, I did take a negative space version of this, of course I did, but it didn't look quite as good as a screen just crammed full to bursting with refreshing peas. So just the bottom rung of the stepladder today.
I don't think I've ever shelled fresh peas. Clearly, I haven't lived. The pod actually does go 'pop' though. Who knew?!
Have had a couple of days out, and going to catch up with you all now. I've just set up a redbubble site too, though it needs more work (and more content). If a weirdo called smallfish just started stalking following you on redbubble, that'll be me. ;)
Give peas a chance. (Sorry, I had to do it.)
Explore #32
Alaska
Cooks Inlet
Duck Island
Lake Clark National Park
This Horned Puffin image was taken on Duck Island in Cooks Inlet in Alaska. The island is used by several sea birds during mating season. The horned puffin is one of just three Puffin subspecies. The other puffin on the island is the tufted puffin. The third type of puffin is the Atlantic Puffin over near Europe. They are extremely fast flyers and live the rest of their lives out on the open sea diving for fish. Another image of a horned puffin can be seen in the first comment section.
The horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is an auk, similar in appearance to the Atlantic puffin; this bird's bill is yellow at the base and red at the tip. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.
The yellow bill plate grows before the breeding season and is shed later. They have a small fleshy black "horn" above their eyes.
This species breeds on rocky islands off the coasts of Siberia, Alaska and British Columbia, in burrows, in rocky cavities or among rocks. It winters far out to sea. Feeding areas are usually located fairly far offshore from the nest. There is usually one chick and both parents feed the young.
Horned puffins will return from hunting with several small fish in their beaks. They also eat squid and crustaceans.
The population of these birds has declined due to the introduction of rats onto some islands used for nesting. Info: Wikipedia
Little Grebe / tachybaptus ruficollis. Barton Marina, Staffordshire. 19/01/16.
'LITTLE GREBE, PERCH AND A BUBBLE.'
A decent meal for a Little Grebe, plus the sizeable bubble made when it resurfaced.
An image made back in 2016 when it was cold but the water was nice and calm. This was a showy, confiding individual that often floated in close to me and just stared at the camera.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Common Goldeneye / bucephala clangula. Staffordshire. 10/05/18.
'RED LETTER DAY.'
An image I made just under two years ago when I connected with some Goldeneye.
After a lot of diving for food, this female moved to the shallows to preen. It was the first time I had ever seen one with body fully out of the water, so a rare treat! She preened in short bursts of activity and would stand still in-between, observing what was happening around her. How obliging was that!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Black-headed Gull / larus ridibundus. Salthouse, Norfolk. 12/03/22.
'TRANSFORMATION.'
Ahead of the game!
Black-headed Gull captured looking good in almost full summer plumage and ready for the breeding season.
Little Egret / egretta garzetta. 23/08/19.
A rare moment when this Little Egret was actually stationary!
It mostly spent it's time feeding energetically. This involved running about wildly in the shallows, in order to drive small fish into panic so they became easy to pick off.
When not feeding, it defended this area of water against any other egrets. If one ventured too close, it would launch itself at it, uttering noisy squawks. This strategy proved extremely successful and encroaching birds always departed with no resistance whatsoever.
Grey Phalarope / phalaropus fulicarius. Titchwell, Norfolk. 25/10/21.
'SPINNER ...' (2)
The juvenile Grey Phalarope that made a prolonged stopover at Titchwell in October. It had developed much of its winter plumage but feathers at the top of the mantle remained brown and the bird still had a peachy flush on the front of its neck and upper breast. This record image shows the extent of the orangey coloured base to its beak.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Southwest Florida
USA
From Wikipedia -
The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) (sometimes placed in its own genus Ajaja) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in South America mostly east of the Andes, and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, the Gulf Coast of the United States and on central Florida's Atlantic coast Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge adjoined with NASA Kennedy Space Center.
This species feeds in shallow fresh or coastal waters by swinging its bill from side to side as it steadily walks through the water, often in groups. The spoon-shaped bill allows it to sift easily through mud. It feeds on crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, newts and very small fish ignored by larger waders. In the United States, a popular place to observe roseate spoonbills is "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Roseate spoonbills must compete for food with snowy egrets, great egrets, tricolored herons and American white pelicans.
The roseate spoonbill nests in shrubs or trees, often mangroves, laying two to five eggs, which are whitish with brown markings. Immature birds have white, feathered heads, and the pink of the plumage is paler. The bill is yellowish or pinkish.
Common Moorhen / gallinula chloropus. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 10/09/21.
'THE PERFECT MODEL.'
There's something about a Moorhen's eye that, - for me anyway - makes photographing them obligatory! This confiding individual made the task easy as it perched on a rock in the shallow water margin.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
captainkimo.com/small-fishes-from-bucket-caught-with-cast...
Out here in the country there are no regulation on fishing so what you catch, you keep and it's pretty much limitless. These small fishes were caught by my Grandpa. I told him he needs to throw these small fishes back and let them get bigger before he takes them home for dinner. He says if he throws them back then someone else will eat them.
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Venetian gondola ready to take you along the picturesque canals of the laguna town.
Watch the small fish in the water gap between last step and gondola.
Common Greenshank / tringa nebularia. Morston Quay, Norfolk. 12/03/22.
'THERE'S SAFETY IN NUMBERS.'
A solitary Greenshank captured sleeping at the edge of a tidal creek, unfazed by the close proximity of c30 Brent Geese. It was possibly using them as a security cover. The ever alert geese would be sure to sound the alarm in the event of any threat.
It's summer and green is calling!!!
1. Freizeichen, 2. green sea of chairs, 3. Grace, 4. Photosynthesis, 5. puzzle, 6. House Plant on Window Screen, 7. GRANNY SMITH APPLE, 8. "Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.”, 9. It took me a long time, she said, to stop confusing safety with love., 10. 210/365: Sweet as the moment, 11. Catalunya al natural, 12. tunnel vision, 13. Leaf
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
There is a lot going on in this picture, lol. The apex predator, American Bald Eagle, just caught a small fish and is taking a sharp turn upward to avoid the screaming geese. The male Goldeneye duck is speeding up his swim to get away from the hectic situation while the female is a safe distance away. Totally uninterested in the situation is a pair of Mallard ducks as they continue sunning at the edge of the glistening ice.
1. Beyond the pale, 2. morning treat, 3. Old pic (just for reference), 4. ecrus, 5. ~Muted~, 6. Golden Haze, 7. Barely There, 8. 356/365: No yolking matter, 9. cutting edge
Yah, SophieG is pretty much the Master of Macro, The Goddess of Negative Space, The Queen of Fruit, Vegetable and all things Edible.
Yes, I worship SophieG. And, when I got a macro lens of my very own, I set out to be just like her. I got out the step stool. I washed the fruit. I delicately arranged it in the bowl. I found my natural light. And then, the cat got in the way and I almost fell off the stool.
Its not easy being Sophie!!
In all seriousness - Sophie, you're the best. You were one of my first Flickr contacts and I've admired your work from day one. Smooches to you. Hope you enjoy this little tribute!!
XO!
PS. See the strawberries alone.
Aberdeen has errupted with roses in the past week, it seemed a shame not to use them!
**Explored, September 19, 2012
I want to thank everyone who stopped by to see this photo. I appreciate every comment and kind word. Thank you.
One big egret "massages" the small size fish, that probably has no time to think "Fear", before launching him down the dark chute of no return...
Mandarin Duck / aix galericulata. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 03/08/20.
'DISHEVELLED.'
An image made at a local lake in overcast, windy conditions. It was very breezy too and occasional gusts would play havoc with the female's plumage!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
1. A Promise, 2. And the world spins madly on., 3. Untitled, 4. Baby colors, 5. Marshmallows!, 6. dreamy, 7. Daydream (2/4), 8. Bunting!, 9. 225/365: Pastel explosion
Created with fd's Flickr Toys
Mandarin Duck / aix galericulata. Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. 14/12/15.
It was good to encounter this little lady on a rather drab afternoon. She was quite obliging too, posing on the rock I first found her on, then swimming and finally coming ashore.
These photos are not mine, just some of my favs.
For "Things I love Thursdays!"
1. Untitled, 2. simply white., 3. Time out, 4. “If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Common Redshank / tringa totanus. Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk. 10/10/22.
'REFLECTIVE.'
A remarkably confiding Redshank resting at the side of a tidal creek. It was well aware of me but remained relaxed, head over shoulder, beak resting on back feathers. Viewed in gorgeous light, against some reflected colours on the water - an image I was pleased to make.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.