My Back Yard (1 Viewer)

CJC

Active member

• Sep 9, 2009

• #1

I consider it "mine," the lake is a 15 minute walk from my house in a small town in central Florida. Not all from today but the last few weeks.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx281/cjc45/IMG_1857_2.jpg
Common Gallinule chick, one of three. This was taken three weeks ago, they now look like teenagers, no more fuzz.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx281/cjc45/IMG_1928.jpg
Black Vultures sunning themselves.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx281/cjc45/IMG_1343_2.jpg
Great Blue Heron fishing.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx281/cjc45/IMG_1885.jpg
Tricolored Heron

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx281/cjc45/Geese.jpg
Domestic Geese and White Ibises fleeing the hated leaf-blower.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx281/cjc45/Egret.jpg
Great Egret

 

K

kiwicraig7

Active member

• Sep 9, 2009

• #2

Some nice shots you got, I particularly like the one with the Geese and the White Ibises. Up here in Canada I'm used to seeing only Canada geese down at our local lake.

 

G

Gretchen

Well-known member

• Sep 10, 2009

• #3

Nice sightings. I'm particularly interested in the vultures. I never knew they "sunned themselves" - were they actually standing that way for a while? I wonder what the purpose is.... (I know that cormorants have to let their wings dry, but I didn't know any other birds sat spread-winged)

 

CJC

Active member

• Sep 10, 2009

• #4

Gretchen, I don't know why they do it but they sit that way for a long time. They weren't hot because there was plenty of room in the shade (and it was closer to the garbage bin where a couple of them were feeding), they chose to be in the sun. I stand that way sometimes but it's to let the cool air get to the armpits. I've seen the turkey vultures do it too. The anhingas also do it but for the same reason as the cormorants.

 

G

Gretchen

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2009

• #5

By the way, I happened to be looking at pictures of black vultures here, and found this bit of text: "Tuesday morning sunlight was intermittent, so for long periods all the twenty or so vultures perched preening or just resting, but the moment sunlight broke through, in unison, they'd all unfurl their wings like the one in the photo, and keep them open until the next cloud covered the sun. " But no explanation as to why.... Now I'll be wondering if any other vultures do this.

 

D

Dave B Smith

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2009

• #6

CJ,
Nice photos. I've also seen both the Black and Turkey Vultures "sunning" themselves, usually early morning before taking off. I've also seen them take this same position in a light rain - looked like a tree full of umbrellas!

 

UtahnBirder

Well-known member

• Sep 13, 2009

• #7

Wow, that vultures picture is great! It's my new desktop backround!

 

CJC

Active member

• Sep 13, 2009

• #8

Thanks Utah, I'm honored.

 

UtahnBirder

Well-known member

• Sep 13, 2009

• #9

Yah, that Vulture in the middle is nearly perfect, which is really rare. I've never seen such a perfect one, ussually they look really craggly, like the one of the left.

 

CJC

Active member

• Sep 13, 2009

• #10

The ARE craggly, the one in the middle is just showing off.