Tuesday, September 16, 2014,
No Frank Sinatra here folks. This is a Double-crested Cormorant. They’ve got the eyes but certainly not the voice. Anyone who has visited a breeding colony of these guys can attest to that fact. You won’t be hearing ‘It Was A Very Good Year‘ or anything close. Frogs cannot croak better than these birds. Nor as loudly. Despite their musical drawbacks, Cormorants truly do make a joyful noise unto the world. JK
Tuesday, September 2, 2014,
Here’s a trio of shots of a juvenile Osprey I saw at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. I was kayaking through on the Lower Carmans River when I took these pics. This stretch of water supports several working Osprey nests and this bird is one of the season’s crop.
Look at this guy. He’s already as big as his parents. That wingspan is over five feet, no exaggeration. This is no small bird. Now check out that beak and those eyes and those talons. Only fish know which of these is the sharpest. Doesn’t he look fierce stamping back and forth on that branch? This could be Edward G. Robinson crying out, “Made it Ma! Top of the world!“, only with better scenery.
Well appearances can be, and often are, deceiving. This is one of those occasions. Instead of being a tough guy or proclaiming his magnificence, this bird is begging, yes begging, for a handout from Mom or Dad. Despite his size, this guy is still more than dependent on a little help from his folks. Think teenager and you’ll get the picture. Oh! My bad. Did I say that out loud? JK
Monday, August 4, 2014
JK
Friday, June 20, 2014,
This is a male Red-winged Blackbird bringing home a little something for the kids. Male Red-wings often help out when it comes to feeding their young. They’re also very protective of their nesting areas, which is probably how I managed to get this shot. I was exiting Avalon along the boardwalk that serves as Avalon’s main entrance when I realized that this guy was cursing at me. Joe Kayaker is growing deaf but even I can recognize cuss words. It was obvious that he was attempting to ward me off from his and his mate’s nest. I never looked for his nest; instead I tried to capture a shot of him as he was flitting amongst the branches above me, cursing all the while. And such wonderful curses they were. Birds have been cursing at potential predators for perhaps as many as 150 million years. This has given them plenty of time to be quite creative with language and as a result, they come can come up with some real zingers. I had no comebacks so I settled for trying to get a shot of this guy as he jumped from branch to branch. I took this pic was taken from just four feet above my head. This Daddy had no fear of me. And despite of all of his cussing and threatening gestures, he never released hold of the caterpillar that he had captured for his nestlings. His eye was on the prize the whole time. Good going Mr. Red-wing. Keep up the good fight. JK
Saturday May 31, 2014,
JK