eating – Page 10

July 4, 2010January 14, 2013

Catch Of The Day (Photo of the week)

Watching birds in action can be much more interesting than just watching them look back at you. Mornings and evenings are the best times to catch birds moving about, most often looking for food.

This great egret had found a spot along the edge of a slough with plenty of fish. He seemed to be preoccupied with eating, allowing me to slowly sneak closer. I was surprised with the frequency at which he plucked fish out of the water – about one every 20 to 30 seconds.

He would stare at the surface of the water, his body leaning forward, and his neck coiled back ready to strike. At the opportune moment, his head would dunk into the water, almost every time coming up with a fish. Throwing his head up and back, he could fling the fish back into his throat, swallowing the fish whole. As he was swallowing, his neck and head feathers bristled, making his head appear almost twice its normal size.

Great egrets are one of my favorite species to watch eating because they tend to fish from the same spot, instead of moving around to look for food.

June 23, 2010January 14, 2013

They grow up so fast

Canada Goose Adolescent — An adolescent canada goose takes a break from eating grass

This adolescent canada goose was photographed a few weeks after a similar gosling in my spring babies post. While I obviously can’t guarantee it was the same chick, it was in the same location, and all of the juveniles were about the same age.

This picture shows the juvenile feather development, the development of wings, and a longer body than the chick. Each time I see canada geese in the spring and summer, I am amazed at how fast they grow. Then I see all the grass they are scarfing down, and it makes a little more sense!

May 3, 2010January 14, 2013

Willet Eating a Mollusk (Photo of the week)

In taking this week’s photo, I had the opportunity to watch up close a willet’s feeding behavior when one opened a mollusk (probably a mussel) and pulled it out of its shell.

It started by moving to a likely area of shallow mud at the edge of a slough. Using its beak to poke repeatedly into the mud, it soon hit the hard shell and pulled the mollusk free. Then, it slipped the tip of its beak into the opening of the shell, and began to pry it open. Once it had a large enough opening, it was able to reach inside and grab the creature, shaking it back and forth through the water, most likely to clean it off, and shake it free of the shell. This process went on for a couple of minutes, the willet slowly extracting more and more of the mollusk from its shell. Finally, it was pulled free and vanished down the bird’s throat. Satisfied, the willet stalked off in search of other prey.

April 19, 2010January 14, 2013

American Avocet With Food (Photo of the week)

I photographed this american avocet at first light, just as the sun was peeking over the eastern horizon. Like most avocets this time of year, this one is in full breeding plumage, with reddish feathers all around its neck and head. In non-breeding plumage, its head and neck match the white of the rest of its body. This avocet had just snatched a food item from the shallow water. They feed either by dunking their entire head into the water, or by skimming their upturned beak across the surface of the water.

Early morning is a great time to photograph wetland birds as the water is usually very still, and the birds tend to be very active with morning feeding. Also, with the still water and low sun angle, reflection shots are possible.

Here are a few more photos from the same morning of this and other avocets.