Avocet non-breeding plumage

(441 views)
by Terry Costales

This photo was taken late March of this year and many birds were still in just black and white. For courting and breeding the necks and chest acquire a rusty or tan color. They really seem to enjoy their mud-flats.

Avocet in breeding plumage (Recurvirostra americana)

(431 views)
by Terry Costales

This view shows the extent of the buff coloring avocets acquire on neck and chest in the breeding season. They stand about 15 to 20 inches tall and Wikipedia has more info on these birds if you're interested.

Great Egret flying

(430 views)
by Terry Costales

To get a shot of a graceful bird flying is always a coup.

Great Egret (ardea alba)

(430 views)
by Terry Costales

This shows all the markings you would look for in identifying this bird in the breeding season. The lacy plumes on the back and the green/blue "mask" that extends from the base of the bill to the eye are only present during this time. The Audubon Society came into existence to stop the extermination of great Egrets by plume hunters and has this bird as it's logo. Great Egrets are found world-wide, even in Australia .

Breeding pair of Avocets

(430 views)
by Terry Costales

Taken Early May, they are guarding a nest and looking lovely. Maybe next trip out there I can get a shot of some Avocet chicks.

Great Egret

(430 views)
by Terry Costales

I was fascinated to watch this egret hunt . He moved very patiently and slowly, then his head would dart into the shallow water and he would come up with a little fish. It must take a lot of little fish to fill such a large bird.

Great Egret (Ardea Alba)

(430 views)
by Terry Costales

These large egrets are graceful and breathtaking in flight. I watched this bird flying back and forth several times bringing nesting material back to it's mate. There was only one pair that I saw amongst dozens of the smaller Snowy Egrets.

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

(430 views)
by Terry Costales

Yesterday I thought these birds might be Australian Pelicans but with further research I found they are American White Pelicans in non-breeding plumage. I'm glad that's settled.

Polar Bear (Urus maritimus)

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

What a face. And under all that gorgeous white fur is black skin. All the better to absorb heat and keep the bear warm.

Great Egret

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

I think I am addicted to taking shots of flying egrets.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

The Grey Heron is very similar to the larger Great Blue Heron we have in California. This one seems to be in full breeding plumage. It was the only heron I saw in Hyde Park and was standing on one leg near several mute swans. He didn't seem in the least bothered by all the people that were around. He actually has a very long neck but they sit with it pulled in and folded against the chest. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has a nice page on these herons where you can see the lo . . .

Barn Swallow

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

This picture was taken moments after the one I posted yesterday. It's a small bird, about 7 inches long, and was singing its little heart out. I only saw a couple of barn swallows that day, but there were almost a hundred cliff swallows nesting under the eaves of the Interpretive Center. The name barn swallow derives from the fact that their nests are usually found inside barns. The nest is an open cup made of mud mixed with grass.

Great Egret and Pheasant

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

I didn't see a pheasant when I looked at this tree, only the Egret. As the boat drew nearer to the tree the pheasant burst out, startling the egret and me. I tried to get a shot of them as they flew past, but I was much too slow. It wasn't until I looked at the photos at home that I had the pleasure to see I had gotten a shot of the pheasant after all.

White Pelicans

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

Taking photos from a boat was a new experience. I was able to get much closer to this flock of Pelicans before they took flight. These appear to be Australian Pelicans because of the pink bills. Or do American White Pelicans have pink bills in the winter? Further research needed.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

This is a photograph of a pair of Mallards nesting on a concrete outcropping that is part of this canal lock. The roar of the water as it leaves the lock and close proximity to boats going by doesn't seem to faze them. The female Mallard is sitting on the nest a few feet behind the male and is very well camouflaged.

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

This picture was taken late May of this year. This is a very active bird so I was surprised and delighted to see it perch long enough for me to photograph it. The Barn Swallow is the only American swallow that has that deeply forked "swallow-tail".

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

(429 views)
by Terry Costales

In all my visits to this area over the past year, I finally captured a decent shot of a Harrier. Up until now, they have always been too distant and too fast.

Jackdaw

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

The Jackdaw is another type of crow common to Europe. Smaller than the Hooded crow from yesterday's posting and much less shy.

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

Something about a swan. I see one and I feel like I am getting a small glimpse into a fairy tale. Swans conjure images of fairy princesses, enchanted lakes and talking animals. I almost expect to turn my head and see a unicorn come to drink at the edge of this pond. A more realistic approach to these birds is not to just admire them but protect them as well. The population of swans had declined in the UK due to habitat loss and lead poisoning, but their numbers are rising again. The Mute s . . .

Hawk

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

Disturbed by photographer, the Thanksgiving hawk fled to higher ground.

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

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by Terry Costales

The face of an Australian bird which is odd, but compelling.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

Taken late March, this bird is probably a year or two old and has the yellow legs you see on both juveniles and non breeding adults. They get their full adult plumage in the third year. If you look at this shot and the thumbnail below it, you can see they are roughly the same size and shape. Nice of them to pose for their comparison shots.

Two Red-tailed Hawks

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

I took this photo before the fog had burned off yesterday. These two aerial acrobats had a good time swooping and clowning around. After this display they landed on top of a cypress tree and then sat peacefully side by side.

Black-crowned Night Heron

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

The bird on the left is a young adult who won't achieve the look of the mature bird on its right for another year.

French Donkeys

(428 views)
by Terry Costales

Just west of the Louvre are wonderful gardens called Jardin des Tuileries. The gardens contain outdoor cafes, fountains, scattered statuary, chestnut trees, formal flower beds and trimmed hedges. But, to my surprise, there was also a children's playground, carousel and pony and donkey rides. The photo above is of one of the donkeys, or âne in French.