Birds

I don’t know a lot about birds. I think the specimen below is a heron of some kind, perhaps a “Great Blue Heron.”

A different specimen on a different day.

Not sure about this one. He looks like he would rather not be photographed. One of the benefits of a long lens.

I thought this guy below might be a gosling, or a baby swan, or whatever they’re called. But there were bunches of them all swimming together without a big version leading them. They’re great, by the way. Their voices sound like soda-can pop-tops being thumbed. (UPDATE: thanks to Cthulhu, this is most likely an American Coot.)

The bird below was very cooperative about being photographed. This is fairly unusual, unless the birds think you have food. Usually they turn away. But he (or she) let me take some nice close-up (not too close though) shots.

Of course, I suspect he thought I was a lot less threatening than this fellow, who was circling overhead.

Seagulls like to take bad photos. So you’ve got to take lots to get one good one.

I guess they figure if you’re not giving them food, for free, you’re not worth cooperating with.

Now, this was an interesting photo day. Just seeing through the viewfinder, I thought a predator bird had found a seagull nest, and the seagulls were trying to drive the predator away. But looking at the pictures now, I can see that predator bird has caught a fish.

And then a seagull shows up. “Hey, you caught a fish! I like fish. Can I have your fish?” “No, go away.”

“Oh, come on. I really like fish! Can I have yours? Is it okay if I just jump in and grab it? I’d like that!” “No, go away, or I shall call the gendarmes!”

“Oh, come on! That’s a big fish! You’ll get fat if you eat it all, and the guys won’t dig you!” “Hm…well, if you want the fish…move in closer. I’ll only hold the fish with one talon! Yeah, yeah, closer!”