Category Archives: Birds

Scratching That Itch

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Thursday, October 15, 2020,

This is a juvenile Snowy Egret finding the spot. Luckily, these birds come equipped with a pair of excellent back (or neck) scratchers. And they’re very nimble. You can identify this Snowy as a juvenile by the yellow line that runs along the back of its leg. Snowy Egrets are known for their bright yellow feet aka “Golden Slippers.” Adults have all black legs but as youngsters, they have pale yellow legs. As the summer progresses, their legs lose the yellow and become black. In my mind’s eye and highly unscientific view, I imagine all that pale yellow coloration slowly draining down to their feet and concentrating into those classic Golden Slippers. JK.

JK

 

Red-breasted Nuthatch

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Thursday, October 8, 2020,

This is a Red-breasted Nuthatch. They are not particularly rare but this is the first one that I’ve ever managed to get decent pics of. I’ve been fairly lucky with their cousins, the White-breasted Nuthatches but never with these guys. I was visiting Manor Farm in Huntington when I spied this guy feeding on Sunflower seed heads. Many birds were doing the same, including Chickadees, Cardinals, and Goldfinches. They are all beautiful birds, but I was very happy to have finally captured this handsome fellow. JK.

JK