Snow in the Trees

SELF | Jan 07,2009 | swampsniper

[SWAMPSNIPER]

White Ibis taking a break. Before I left they were down on the ground digging for bugs and crawdads.

[Sawdring]

We have a lake just South of where I live and it is full of Pelicans every summer. I wonder why they congregate there. Must be good fishing or maybe the water does something to the females.

[lawnguy]

Do those Ibis usually flock up like that? I don't know much about them.

Up here in Kansas we get the Cattle Egrets that come through here and are often in bunches in the pastures, but not in trees.

Anyway, those are nice pics, and so are the others on here.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I’ve seen flocks with over a hundred birds. Breeding season is affecting behavior, there will be some population concentration as a result.

[rustbucket]

From my old film days before switching to digital.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

They may look ungainly but they are a graceful bird.

[Grammy]

Thanks swamp, gorgeous as usual.

[okimhere]

Okay, your headline caught me : ) . I thought you’d gone on a trip to snow country.

Wonderful photos, as usual. That sky is unbelievably beautiful.

Thanks SS and others for showing us your shots. Now I’m going back and enjoy them again.

[okimhere]

Amazing pictures. I’ll bet you smiled when you saw that you’d captured these birds with full wing spread. That’s something we miss when we watch them with the naked eye.

[pandoraou812]

Wonderful pictures as always..Thanks!

[El Gato]

That squirrel looks like he’s up to something...

They always are. :)

[lawnguy]

I’ve seen flocks with over a hundred birds.

Do they nest in groups like the Great Blue Herons?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Flock size depends on several factors, food availablity, and season more than anything. Nesting areas must meet certain requirements to support large flocks. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm swamp exhibit is a good example, trees of varying sizes, and the gators at ground level control tree climbing predators. It is a small area, and it gets packed wall to wall with several species. The Ibis are more social than the Egrets and herons, which usually hunt alone.

The brown birds are last years chicks.

[poobear]

Hi Swampsniper! I've noticed all the water foul pictures show the birds with unusual colors during the winter months. Do they do that every year?

Also, just yesterday while turning into my driveway a fresh killed squirrel was in the road. Just as I was reaching for my camera to see if the nesting red hawks would swoop, suddenly the largest bald eagle settled in and grabbed him.

I have seen hundreds of eagles in Florida, this one was by far the largest and had the longest white head I've ever seen. He looked as if he were over 3 feet tall!

Just thought I'd share.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Lot’s of color, and color changes, for breeding season. Feathers grow longer. The yellow on Snowy Egrets turns bright crimson, lores and feet. The yellow lores on the Great Egrets turn lime green. It’s all tied to hormone levels. Most birds have but little sense of smell, if any, so the changes are visual signals of readiness to breed.

[poobear]

Breeding purposes makes sense. They are certainly brilliant this time of year! The picture of the pelican (yours) on the dock piling has been my screen saver for a while now. His head feathers and beak are extremely bright.

I wish I could have shared that eagle picture with you. I feed our squirrels peanuts daily (remember your post ‘got peanuts?’) with the hopes of helping out my red hawks but this was unexpected and beautiful. Look forward to your next post.

Take care!