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Little Grebe / tachybaptus ruficollis. Barton Marina, Staffordshire. 19/01/16.
After an active feeding session yesterday, the LG retreated to a spot under a bridge for a rest.
Often described as rotund, this is particularly evident when they fluff out their feathers and retract their necks.
They become un-birdlike and more akin to a floating, feathered rugby ball I always think.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Southwest Florida
USA
Best seen in Lightbox -
www.flickr.com/photos/42964440@N08/33507042290/in/photost...
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.
Slavonian Grebe / podiceps auritus. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 21/02/21.
The light had been abysmal when the Slavonian Grebe finally transferred to the main, (largest) lake at Straws Bridge. Probably not a wise move on it's part, because of the high number of ducks, geese and aggressive swans there, plus the polluted state of the water. Anyway, it managed to get itself there and join the throng.
Despite diving frequently, I didn't see it surface with a fish very often. I can only think it was finding smaller prey items and eating them underwater. The swans in particular, took offence to it's presence and constantly harassed it.
Late afternoon the grebe popped up right in front me holding this Three-spined Stickleback in it's beak ... a well deserved meal after a fraught day spent ducking and diving.
I wish there had been soft golden light when I made the image, but it was not to be. Grey was the order of the day!
Common Redshank / tringa totanus. Bridlington, East Yorkshire. 19/11/21.
'HARBOUR LIGHTS.'
The beautiful light that day at low tide gave the exposed harbour mud a magical quality. The sparkly surface and shallow runs of water reflected the colours of boat paintwork - and in this image, an orange buoy.
I thought this group of six Redshank had chosen a perfect place to rest and loaf about. The wet, textured mud reflected the salmon pinky-orange colour of the buoy. This can be seen better if the image is viewed larger.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Slavonian Grebe / podiceps auritus. Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. 30/12/19.
On the day, the sun was shining though the light was harsh and the Slavonian Grebe stayed mostly distant.
After a heavy crop, this image can only constitute another record shot.
Little Egret / egretta garzetta. Blacktoft Sands, E. Yorks. 21/07/15.
This individual brought up from the shallows what I first thought was a piece of bone. On closer scrutiny I think it more likely to be part of a sheath that encased a reed.
Anyway, whatever it was, it certainly held the bird's attention for some time. It moved it around in its beak, dropped it, recovered it and shook it.
I'm guessing the paleness of the mystery item fooled the Egret into thinking it was a fish.
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be embedded or used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Bruce Finocchio.
Black-headed Gull / larus ridibundus. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 13/11/15.
Yesterday I spent some time with the gulls at a local lake. With the sun out for most of the day, it was an opportunity not to be missed.
The most numerous gulls were the Black-headed. This one was extremely vocal!!!
All my own components except the script texture, that is with thanks to Sophie G at www.flickr.com/photos/-smallfish-/3563513624/for
When I first chose this title, I thought it was part of a work by Edger Allan Poe.
Since then I have researched, it was used in many ways by various people
some of them are Shakespheare, Hemingway and the band Metallica.
This is the poem by John Donne (1572-1631) that seems to have the closest connection.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Ferruginous Duck / aythya nyroca. Staffordshire. 10/05/18.
I'm always rather dubious about the origins of these ducks...
This was my third UK sighting of one and as it showed well just beyond some reeds it seemed an ideal opportunity to make a portrait image. The white iris really stands out from the rich chestnut head colouring.
Common Kingfisher / alcedo atthis. Suffolk. 14/02/23.
'HOLDING THE PRIZE.'
A successful dive for this female Kingfisher as she held a stickleback catch in her beak. It was quickly bashed senseless against the branch, then swallowed!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
inspired by Machel's mushroom portraits and SophieG*'s fruit & vege series.
and for those that love mushrooms.. you should check out the new book that Machel has put together. its just plain awesome! you can find the link on her profile page.
i actually did go walking around my hood today Steve.. but when i got home i saw these...i just couldn't resist. we don't have any damp woods around here to find such cool looking little mushrooms. and how cute are they? had to take a couple snaps before they end up in our dinner. might post a shot from our walk today too.. .although i feel like i am getting a cold (wah).. so i just might go to sleep early.
Common Goldeneye / bucephala clangula. Staffordshire. 10/05/18.
'AN ITCH ON THE BACK OF THE LEG.'
She had partially rolled onto her left side, revealing her grey flanks and a flash of white belly.
'Goldeneye' really is a misnomer for the female of this species. If viewed large you can see the eye is actually whitish-lemon and rather cold looking.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Mandarin Duck / aix galericulata. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 11/04/20.
Not the best of images as it was taken in poor light one evening shortly after this pair arrived at a local lake. At this stage they were inseparable and the drake devoted all his attention towards the female.
Since then she has disappeared from the scene, leaving him to make amorous overtures to a female Mallard now! I'm not sure if the female Mandarin died, abandoned him and moved on, or is nesting somewhere nearby. It will be interesting to keep an eye on things.
Near The Gulf Of Mexico
Naples, Florida
USA
The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is a large duck native to Mexico, Central, and South America. Small wild and feral breeding populations have established themselves in the United States, particularly in Florida, Louisiana, and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada.
They are large ducks, with the males about 76 cm (30 in) long, and weighing up to 7 kg (15 lb). Females are considerably smaller, and only grow to 3 kg (6.6 lb), roughly half the males' size. .
This non-migratory species normally inhabits forested swamps, lakes, streams and nearby grassland and farm crops, and often roosts in trees at night.
The Muscovy duck's diet consists of plant material obtained by grazing or dabbling in shallow water, and small fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, and millipedes. This is an aggressive duck; males often fight over food, territory or mates. The females fight with each other less often. Some adults will peck at the ducklings if they are eating at the same food source.
The Muscovy duck has benefited from nest boxes in Mexico, but is somewhat uncommon in much of the east of its range due to excessive hunting. It is not considered a globally threatened species by the IUCN however, as it is widely distributed.
Common Kingfisher / alcedo atthis. Suffolk. 13/02/23.
'CHECKING WHAT'S ABOUT.'
After a successful dive and quickly eating the stickleback she caught, the female Kingfisher was happy enough to rest on the branch. Resting included scanning her surroundings every so often. She stayed there for about 5 minutes.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Grey Phalarope / phalaropus fulicarius. Titchwell, Norfolk. 25/10/21.
'SPINNER ... ' (1)
Record shot of the juvenile Grey Phalarope that made a prolonged stopover at Titchwell in October. It was very active for long periods. Its characteristic fast spinning motion produced a vortex, bringing small food items up to the surface. Only once did I see it leave the water (distantly) and stand on the edge of a mud bank to preen for a few minutes.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Little Egret / egretta garzetta. 23/08/19.
'BEAK THAT PACKS A PUNCH.' (8) Little Egret.
In hunched, contemplative mood after just flying in. The spats with others of it's kind hadn't started yet that day.
This view of the Little Egret shows it's robust, dagger-like beak very clearly. As a small fish or frog, you wouldn't want that suddenly stabbing towards you ... it would be the last thing you ever saw for sure !
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Little Grebe / tachybaptus ruficollis. Barton Marina, Staffordshire. 19/01/16.
One very relaxed, fluffed up Little Grebe enjoying some nice winter sunshine.
I liked the intricacy of the reflected tree branches on the surface of the water, as well of course, as the little floating bundle of cuteness!
Grey Phalarope / phalaropus fulicarius. Titchwell, Norfolk.
'NOT WHAT IT SEEMS.'
This image is deceptive!
You could easily assume that the Black-tailed Godwit was pecking the Grey Phalarope. Wrong!
The feisty little passage migrant clearly resented the BTG encroaching into its feeding spot and moved in fearlessly. Just look at the body/beak size differences!
It had already attacked the BTG's left flank. Here it is swimming rapidly (hence motion blur), round the front of the bigger bird who merely raised its beak a little and made no contact.
Once the Grey Phalarope had got on the righthand side, it started to jab and peck into the BTG's breast. Once again, the godwit did not retaliate, just turned its head in surprise. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the right position to catch the aggressive action ... it would have made a very dynamic behavioural image I think.
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be embedded or used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Bruce Finocchio.
Common Goldeneye / bucephala clangula. Staffordshire. 10/05/18.
'DUCKING & DIVING'.
I'm always pleased to see these busy little winter visitors. In my experience they keep their distance and seem to spend more time under water than on top of it! This makes photographing them quite tricky, particularly predicting exactly where they will surface after a dive.
I thought I was in luck with this drake when it popped up close to the bank. However, sensing a human with camera, it did what they usually do....swam away at sped!
The result, lots of out of focus shots and a couple of passable ones, but sadly, at a distance. In this image, feeling the security of deeper water, it had slowed down and decided to give me a backward glance which is so frustrating. I'm sure it's the Goldeneye equivalent of a V-sign!
1. 144/365: Happy as the grass was green, 2. ♥ Ferris Wheel ♥, 3. HOPE, 4. tea time, 5. Peonies for Sarah..., 6. Untitled, 7. Untitled, 8. Mint Bug, 9. Pretenders
I still seem to be in grungy fog mode :o)...Just spent a few hours editing some more images from the South Shore taken last weekend. I don't know why but I felt the urge to add a postcard texture to this one, maybe because there was so much grey top and bottom I felt it needed something.
Stonehurst is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Lunenburg Municipal District in Lunenburg County near to Blue Rocks.
View on Black!
Trivia: The 2005 movie Stone Cold featuring Tom Selleck showcased this very spot, as did the 1995 movie Dolores Claiborne featuring Kathy Bates.
Postcard texture by SophieG
www.flickr.com/photos/-smallfish-/3879692348/in/photostream/
thanks very much to SophieG for the beautiful texture
www.flickr.com/photos/-smallfish-/4177006798/in/pool-text...
Just wanted to say this photograph is going to be in the National Audubon Society's Annual Report. It went to print yesterday.
Frontpage Explore
To get rid of poverty, the farmers have started cultivating fish on their paddy fields to maintain their livelihood. Fish breeding in paddy fields encouraged. Considerably raising the per-hectare yield of rice and fish production In the rainy season throughout this region many small fish can be caught in the paddy fields and small ditches: an environment highly familiar to the Lao people. The small fish are used to make a dish called Pa dek. It is a kind of fermented salted fish, and to the people of Laos, this food is second only to rice in importance. The dish is made by mixing together rice bran, fish, and the salt harvested from the earth. The mixture is allowed to stand for over three months and is then ready to eat. A specialty of this region and an extremely important element of the culture.
I think the best way to explore Laos is by bicycle or feet. Meeting friendly Lao people in the small villages along the way and enjoying its countryside. I had to stop many times to make a photo. A beautiful scenery of rice fields next to the limestone hills where the clouds are hanging. I capture this boy fishing while his father was working with his hand tractor nearby Vang Vieng.
Om armoede van de hand te doen, zijn sommige boeren begonnen met het kweken van vissen op hun rijstvelden. Zo hebben de boeren aanzienlijk meer opbrengst per hectare van rijst en vis productie. In het regenseizoen worden in dit gebied vele kleine vissen in de rijstvelden en de kleine beekjes gevangen: De kleine vissen worden gebruikt om een schotel te maken genoemd Pa dek. Het is een soort vergiste gezouten vis. Naast rijst is deze schotel van groot belang voor de inwoners van Laos. De schotel wordt gemaakt door rijst, vis en het zout samen te mengen. Het mengsel moet drie maanden gisten en is dan is het klaar om te eten. Een specialiteit van dit gebied en een uiterst belangrijk element van hun cultuur.
Slavonian Grebe / podiceps auritus. Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. 30/12/19.
'CROWD PULLER, STAR ATTRACTION.'
Slavonian Grebes are one of the UK's rarest nesting species and appear on the Red List for birds of conservation concern. Breeding only on a few lochs in Scotland, they usually spend the winter months in marine environments once they disperse. These scarce birds generally occur at sea, in small bays or estuaries. However, they do turn up even more scarcely inland.
A Slavonian Grebe was last recorded at Attenborough NR fourteen years ago, so little surprise this bird has proved to be such a crowd puller !
Little Egret / egretta garzetta. Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk. 11/10/22.
'POISED AND PATIENT.'
Lovely to watch this Little Egret work the waters edge when the tide started to flow back in. Ever alert, it was generally poised like a coiled spring, ready to strike. It fished very successfully too while I watched it, then retired to a mudbank for a spot of preening.
Mandarin Duck / aix galericulata. Wollaton Park, Nottinghamshire. 05/04/18.
This male Mandarin Duck stuck like glue to his mate.
After spending a short time resting on the bank, she had just returned to the stream. Within seconds, he followed, as this image shows. I think his extreme vigilance that day was due to another unattached male in the area who kept attempting to muscle in.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
In mid-April, minnows swim at the edge of the pond located along the interpretive trail at The Dalles Discovery Center, Oregon.
A polarizer has cut the reflections off the water allowing a clear view through to the fish.
[Explored May 23, 2014 #64]
texture by .SophieG
Congratulations! This is my 'Pick of the Week'
Excellent work !!!!! Week of Aug 22nd, 2011.
www.flickr.com/groups/soul_heart_life/discuss/72157626891...
Common Kingfisher / alcedo atthis. Suffolk. 13/02/23.
'WITH FOOD IN MIND.'
This little beauty suddenly appeared on a mossy branch and got to work fishing. She peered into the water with full concentration. Food was at the forefront of her mind ...
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Slavonian Grebe / podiceps auritus. Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. 30/12/19.
There are some superb images on social media of the wintering Slavonian Grebe at Attenborough NR, which was first noted on 17/12/19.
Sadly, this isn’t one of them (!), because the bird remained fairly distant and light on the day was harsh. With such a heavy crop too, my effort will have to do as a record shot only. However, for as long as this crowd-pulling winter grebe stays, I’ll continue trying to improve on photographing it, I just need everything to come together, however briefly that may be. Keeping my fingers tightly crossed :-))
Black-headed Gull / larus ridibundus. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 13/11/15.
This afternoon I spent some time with the gulls at a local lake. The sun actually appeared and stayed out all day, so it was too good an opportunity to miss.
Gull numbers have increased considerably in the last few weeks but have yet to peak. L.B.B's, Common and Herring Gulls are seen daily now but the lake is dominated by the B.H Gulls.
This individual stood out from the others because it has retained most of its dark head feathers. Although no longer the chocolate brown colour they would have been during the breeding season, they illustrate that this gull has a way to go yet before it is in full winter plumage.
I just couldn't figure a way to photograph these tiny 2 inch Sticklebacks. And getting close to them was also difficult. Furthermore, they seemed terrified of their own reflection (yet didn't mind the Pike that lived in the weeds). In the end, I held out the camera, facing skyward and I stayed motionless for 10 minutes. Soon they gathered around and I managed to get the shot.
Nikon D90
Nikon DX AF Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED
Ikelite underwater housing
Ikelite wide-angle dome port
400 ASA
Mandarin Duck / aix galericulata. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 29/04/20.
There have been a pair of Mandarin ducks appearing on and off at a local lake since April 10th. At first they were inseparable and on a few occasions I saw them displaying, albeit rather half-heartedly! Later in the month only the male could be seen so I assumed the female was holed up on a nest somewhere locally. Maybe that was the case - but then I noticed, a few days before making this image, that he was devoting all his time and energy on a female Mallard. He followed her about, seeing other birds off with aggressive chases and indulging in yet more displaying.
I'm left wondering :-
- Is he transferring attention to another bird because his mate deserted/died ?
- Is he playing away from home and testing out a bit of polygamy ?
- Is he an immature bird and just very confused ?
All ideas welcomed :-)
BEST VIEWED LARGE.