Heermann's Gull

(250 views)
by Terry Costales

This juvenile Heermann's gull exhibits its main identifying marks clearly: black feet, red bill and dusky body. As an adult, its head will become pure white.

White-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis)

(250 views)
by Terry Costales

I was quite taken with this two foot tall, chicken-turkey-like bird. It's a ground dwelling native of eastern Africa.

Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus)

(250 views)
by Denver Welte

Taken July 2007, this photo shows the summer coloring of the Arctic Fox. In winter it will be snow white.

Long-nosed bat

(247 views)
by Terry Costales

On a tour of the Canal of Palms, this was the first animal spotted by our guide. There were three of these tiny bats on the underside of a dead branch. How the guide even saw them was a mystery because they were perfectly camouflaged. The guide identified them as long-nosed bats.

Wild Horses of Unalaska

(246 views)
by Denver Welte

Part of the small herd of wild horses on the island. They were originally brought to the island about 12 years ago and then abandoned.

Black Crowned Night Heron

(245 views)
by Terry Costales

It's breeding season again for the Night Herons and Snowy Egrets. Here is a Heron settling a property dispute with his Egret neighbor.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

(245 views)
by Denver Welte

Bald Eagles are very numerous in Dutch Harbor, where they live year round. They are used to people and you see them perched on dumpsters and piers, looking for an easy meal. Bald comes from the Old English "pie-bald", which means partially white.

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

(245 views)
by Terry Costales

A large fledgling appears mesmerized by the camera.

Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

(245 views)
by Terry Costales

This juvenile was perched directly across the canal from the adult bird I posted on this blog yesterday.

American White Pelican

(244 views)
by Terry Costales

There was this one lone white pelican at the nature center that day. It was probably an injured bird being nursed back to health, or it just knew a good hand-out when it saw one.

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)

(244 views)
by Terry Costales

Wood storks are common in this area, unlike the Jabiru. They aren't as tall as the Jabiru but equal them in their unusual appearance.

Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix)

(244 views)
by Terry Costales

The Chiloe Wigeon comes from, as its name suggests, Chile. The duck was curious and friendly even though it knew we weren't going to feed it. The "No feeding the animals" rule is strictly adhered to in Germany.

Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)

(244 views)
by Terry Costales

Unlike yesterday's bright green plumed basilisk, this brown one has a yellow stripe. Here the male shows off his crest.

Grey Heron

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

The Grey Heron is the European version of our Great Blue Heron and quite plentiful in the city of Stuttgart. I saw this one in a large city park where I was lucky to get this in-flight shot. When we got to the Zoo, we discovered dozens of them perched in the trees. Others were perched on buildings ledges, while several were already nesting.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

These little birds were everywhere. They were always on the move, hopping, flitting, hanging upside down and really fun to watch.

Mourning Dove

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

The shy Mourning Dove reveals some lovely colors.

Western Grebe

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

There were many Western Grebes on the lake. They were more wary of people than the ducks and kept their distance.

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

(243 views)
by Bryan Costales

I had no camera that day in Union Square. So I became the director of the photo shoot. That means I said, "Honey, get a shot of that starling for me!" I'm not sure if I said please, but Bryan is always forgiving.

Canvasback female

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

Here is the mate of yesterday's male Canvasback. She is in almost the exact same pose that he, but here you can see her paler, gentler colors.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

I saw this osprey dive into the river and come up with a fish. Unfortunately the image is not sharp because the boat was moving fast, the bird was far away and flying fast. I'm glad I at least got to see it.

Siberian Tiger Tatiana

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

Here is Tatiana on Sept 29, 2007 looking alive and well. Due to incompetence at the Zoo and the malicious idiocy of a few young men, she and one of those young men are now deceased. A needless tragedy that ought never have happened. One should build wild animal enclosures with as much protection for the animals from the public as the public from the animals. We all know bridges and buildings in San Francisco must be built, or retrofitted, to withstand an earthquake the magnitude of which we m . . .

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

Yesterday's posting showed storks nesting in a tree. Here is a photo showing storks nesting on top of a building that was in the Stuttgart Zoo.

Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

Up close and personal with a curious ostrich.

Lesser Scaup

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

The male lesser scaup is almost identical to the male greater scaup. The head of the lesser gleams purple whereas the greater gleams green. Supposedly the lesser is also smaller than the greater, but I haven't found that to be so.

Greater Scaup

(243 views)
by Terry Costales

This is the female scaup. Much more muted in coloration than yesterdays male.