View allAll Photos Tagged behaviour
... firstly I must apologise for the quality of this shot ... to be fair on me it was very early, I was still pre-coffee and the yard outside the kitchen window was still fairly darkish. Still I'm glad I snuck out with the camera (wearing only an over-sized T-shirt with colourful abstract lizard pictures on it) to catch this behaviour shot before it launched itself into the water. As you can probably see the water is in a container balanced on an upturned recycling bin about a foot off the ground - makes you wonder how high they could climb if the urge took them! Presumably frogs will do anything in their search for the next tasty slug :-) Hope it makes you smile too ;-)
I was watching a group of Harbour (Common) and Grey Seals hauled out on the beach at Horsey, Norfolk during the first week of June when a big male Grey Seal caught my attention at the water's edge. It seemed to be holding down another smaller seal and when other seals approached it behaved aggressively towards them. The struggle continued for some time but the malevolent looking big bull clearly had the upper hand. Nov. - Dec. is the breeding seasons for Grey Seals on the east coast towards the latter part of which time male/male competition can be intense. This behaviour was, therefore, very unusual in that it was seen at a time of year when Grey Seals should not be competing (or mating). My thanks to Tim Melling for his explanation and interpretation concluding that the big size difference makes it likely that this behaviour was probably sexual aggression towards a non willing female.
This building is the work of two former students of Mies Van der Rohe. It shares the basic concepts put in practice by Mies in many of his buildings, but in this case the structrure is covered by a pronounced, curved skin.
OBSERVE Collective
All images are © Copyrighted and All Rights Reserved
germanstreetphotography.com/michael-monty-may/
experiencing some behaviour that I have never seen before from young red squirrels. These kits were unafraid of the water and would enter without any fear
Just met these guys over the weekend. Hoping to get to know them better, despite their sometimes tempestuous relationship
These two Hyena's may well have been outcasts.If you look at the one on the left his right eye appears to be milky suggesting he could be blind in that eye. Hiis 'companion' is missing his right ear.So they could well be looking out for each other(don't know if Hyena's do that kind of thing).They were most definitely alone though.The place is a waterhole in Etosha NP.
in my garden....a tiny Australian native bee, a honey bee and a few ants go about the business of living, on a Eucalypt (now Corymbia) flower.
Honey bee is about 15mm
Tetragonula carbonaria bee about 5mm
Ant about 3mm
The honey bee is headfirst into the nectar, looks as though the Tetragonula is after the pollen and the ants go for the nectar....sometimes drowning in it! There were a few more bees and ants in the other flowers.
It's an amazing world, - flowers, nectar, pollen, insects and so on and on and around again....
The insects... perhaps one could say that each one tolerates the others, I've never seen any aggressive behaviour no matter how crowded with insects some flowers can be.
The flower is a Hybrid Corymbia (formerly Eucalyptus) that is flowering out of season, normally it flowers profusely around December/Christmas.
CANON SX50 HS
Thank you for any faves but especially, I like comments.:o)
My photos must not be downloaded or copied in any way whatsoever without written permission from me.
Many thanks for the invitations to other groups!
Eared grebes have a variety of interesting bonding behaviours. I'm going to try to describe one of them. This images shows shows a single frame from a sequence (wish I had a video) where the male and female grebe face each other and are slightly puffed up. They vocalize, turn their heads, tilt their heads down and away from each other and do a quick bit of preening on their own neck area, face each other again, turn to the opposite side, and preen again. This is repeated a few times. Quite intriguing.
Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster
(Red-bellied Grackle / Cacique candela)
La Ceja, Colombia
Some male birds will bring food to a female as part of courtship to show he can provide for any chicks she may produce. He may simply bring the food for her to eat or in some cases actually transfer it directly to her mouth just as he would to hungry nestlings.
www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/courtship-behaviour-...
An image from about three weeks ago, of a small tortoiseshell butterfly nectaring on the chives in my garden, on one of the very few lovely sunny days we've had this year. I got lots of images with its wings open, showing its beautiful colours, but I didn't get the dof right in most of them.
Part of the courtship display of the Great Crested Grebes. This is the head bobbing and shaking that preceded the (once in a lifetime for me) weed dance. Incidentally seeing this behaviour made me realise I need to understand and get more into video (for moments like this) alongside the stills.
Taken in Suffolk.
The robin is on high alert. There was another robin in the garden and he did not like that one bit. So after chasing him around and making him leave the garden he found himself a high perch to stand guard :-). You gotta love them
OBSERVE Collective
All images are © Copyrighted and All Rights Reserved
germanstreetphotography.com/michael-monty-may/
Every once in a while you are surprised by the behaviour of the critter you are photographing. In this case, the great grey owl kept flying down the fence line, from one post to another, towards me. It would pause and check for voles, then move yet closer again. It then flew right past me, went across the road, and perched again to continue hunting.
This image was taken in the fall of 2024. I posted a shot of the same owl flying previously (www.flickr.com/photos/40724294@N04/54144281190).
Firstly, I want to point out that whilst I have been 'lucky' enough to have had some very close encounters with Short-eared Owls recently, NOT ONCE HAVE I FELT OR HAD THE NEED TO CLIMB OVER FENCES NOR TO TRESPASS ON PRIVATE LAND IN ORDER TO DO SO. It seems some people are willing to do anything to get the photograph though sadly, giving photographers a bad name in the process. This sort of behaviour is likely to move-on any owl that may be present anywhere.
I had to get down particularly low in the grass for this one.
Many thanks to all those who take the time to view, fave and/or comment on some of my images.
Radiohead - „There, There“
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AQSLozK7aA
In pitch dark
I go walking in your landscape
Broken branches
Trip me as I speak
Just ′cause you feel it
Doesn't mean it′s there
Just 'cause you feel it
Doesn't mean it′s there
There′s always a siren
Singing you to shipwreck
(Don't reach out, don′t reach out)
(Don't reach out, don′t reach out)
Steer away from these rocks
We'd be a walking disaster
(Don′t reach out, don't reach out)
(Don't reach out, don′t reach out)
Just ′cause you feel it
Doesn't mean it′s there
(Someone on your shoulder)
(Someone on your shoulder)
Just 'cause you feel it
Doesn′t mean it's there
(Someone on your shoulder)
(Someone on your shoulder)
There, there
Why so green
And lonely, and lonely
And lonely
Heaven sent you
To me, to me
To me
We are accidents
Waiting, waiting
To happen
We are accidents
Waiting, waiting
To happen
I know that hundreds of Northern Hawk Owl images have been posted, over the last couple of months, but I wanted to share this one as well. I hope that you don't mind.
It shows the behaviour of caching. If prey is abundant, Northern Hawk Owls will take advantage of this by caching food for later consumption.
This owl had caught a vole and flew to this branch. It spent nearly 5 minutes attempting to stuff the vole into the crack of this broken limb. It rotated the vole several times trying to make it fit. Ultimately it was unsuccessful and finally flew off to try another location.
Image created on Jan 8, 2020 west of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Image cropped slightly for composition.
A male Wood Duck does some stretching as it preens. Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, can be a great spot to observe behaviours of Wood Ducks.
Rare and endangered birds found only in a few places across the country. Sightings are prized by bird lovers and photographers. They behave like terns both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These birds are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.
The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. This was one of the largest concentrations of the bird.
Habitat degradation such as fishing, transportation, irrigation schemes etc.. are the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars of the rivers on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well. Feral dogs, crows and other predators are known to decimate breeding colonies.
Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.
"At not one point did I say I was innocent darling...."
Model: Stella Fiorani
Photographer: Stella Fiorani
Location: Sunny's Photo Studio
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunny%20Photo%20Studio/128...
Backdrop "Devilish in Black"
Pose customized in Black Dragon
A stray kitten looks up with wide, hopeful eyes and a soft meow, silently pleading for care and nourishment. This tender moment captures the innocence and vulnerability of street animals, reminding us of the compassion they deserve.
A line of elephants striking quite the impressive pose. Behaviour wise, probably a nice balance between inquisitiveness and being protective of their herd.
The behaviour of many species of fantail has not been studied, but overall the family is highly uniform in its habits. Anecdotal observations of less studied species suggest a high degree of similarity with the better studied species. Fantails are highly active birds, with several of the smaller species continuously on the move; even when perched they continue to rock back and forth, spin 180° on the spot, wag their tail from side to side or fan and unfan it. In flight they are highly agile and undertake highly aerobatic and intricate looping flights while using their fanned tail to catch insects in flight.
Every once in a while, a snipe will perch and call and call and call. And, they are somewhat approachable. I appreciate that!
The giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, other than the arid southwest.
The Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) is the largest kingfisher species in Africa, reaching lengths of 42–48 cm (16.5–19 in). It is a resident breeding bird found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, primarily near freshwater rivers, lakes, and estuaries.
Physical Appearance
Plumage: Distinctive black upper-parts finely spotted with white, a large shaggy crest, and a massive dagger-like black bill.
Sexual Dimorphism:
Male: Features a chestnut (rufous) breast band with white-spotted black underparts.
Female: Has a white-spotted black breast band and a chestnut belly.
Mnemonic: A popular way to distinguish the sexes is to think of the male wearing an "orange shirt" (chestnut breast) and the female wearing an "orange skirt" (chestnut belly).
Diet and Behaviour
Diet: Feeds mainly on crabs, fish, and frogs.
Hunting: It typically hunts from a stationary perch overhanging water, making precise dives to catch prey. For larger prey like crabs, it will repeatedly beat them against a branch to remove shells and pincers before swallowing.
Social Structure: Solitary and highly territorial, though they are monogamous breeders.
Voice: Known for a loud, harsh, and rapidly repeated "wak wak wak" or "kek-kakh" call.
When our holiday cottage in Norfolk mentioned Little Owls, I was sold. These were in a disused bit of the farm 50 metres away, and I didn't waste any before asking the farmer if I could setup a popup hide. So, holiday sorted. On this particular day, the owls had perched quite close to the hide and I had to crawl to it through stinging nettles (cue sleepless nights with stinging legs). It did however allow for some amazing Little Owl watching. Including this from an adult, who was overheating and therefore opening its mouth and panting to try and cool down.
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Common Blackbird
Turdus merula
In Australia, the Common Blackbird is often viewed as a pest, but the early pioneers were determined to ensure that Blackbirds were successfully introduced into their adopted land. Blackbirds were released dozens of times throughout south-eastern Australia, mostly in the 1860s. Though most Blackbirds are sedentary in Australia, their range has expanded and they are capable of making long-distance movements, with some regularly crossing the Bass Strait; a few have even reached subantarctic islands!
Identification: The male is the ‘black’ bird, with deep orange to yellow bill, a narrow yellow eye-ring and dark legs. The female is a brown bird, with some streaks or mottling, and has a dark bill and legs. Immature birds are similar to the female with lighter underparts. Their average size is 27cm and their average weight is 89 grams.
Songs and Calls: A repeated ‘tchook’ call and a melodious, warbling song. Bird call recorded by: Fred Van Gessel
Location: The Common Blackbird, was originally confined to Melbourne and Adelaide. It has gradually expanded its range throughout south-eastern Australia, both on the coast and inland, as far north as southern Queensland, and including Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands.
Habitat: The Common Blackbird is most often found in urban areas and surrounding localities but has successfully moved into bushland habitats. It is often seen in orchards, vineyards and gardens, as well as along roadsides and in parks.
Behaviour: The Common Blackbird can be a pest in orchards, parks and gardens, being rather destructive of ground vegetation, particularly backyard vegetable patches.
Feeding: The Common Blackbird eats insects, earthworms, snails, spiders and a range of seeds and fruit. It mainly forages on the ground, probing and scratching at leaf litter, lawns and soil.
Breeding: The Common Blackbird builds a cup-shaped nest of dried grass, bound with mud, and lined with fine grasses. It is usually placed in a tree, shrub or low bush, but they will also use tree hollows. Their clutch size is 3 to 5 eggs (usually 4 eggs) with an incubation period of 14 days and a nestling period of 14 days. Breeding season is from September to January.
(Source: birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/common-blackbird/)
__________________________________________
© Chris Burns 2025
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.