It moved...it's alive!!

Well I did, finally, finish composing all the bird photos yesterday afternoon. At least getting them framed and some with a watercolor effect. Now, it's going through all of them [I'm gonna use about 250] named/titled. That'll be next week's project. I know for a fact, there are a few that are UFB [unidentified flying birds], so I'll have to get out my handy dandy guide and see if I can find what they are. After they're named, I will then get the DVD maker out and begin making the movie to watch on the TV.

HANS SUTER WILDLIFE REFUGE... a Bird HAVEN.

Speaking of birds, Thursday, Bud and I took a couple hours out of the day to get outside since it warmed up nicely and the sun broke through the dreary grayness. We drove to a city park reserve and walked to spot some birds along the feeder canal that goes into the bay. Now one particular bird, the night heron, if we ever do see them in the bush during the day, they're all asnooze and oblivious to what is nearby. Well, I should say that they're sleeping the day away since they're nocturnal hunters. And usually when I do photograph them, they're like the pink plastic flamingos....stalwart as in unmoving, barely breathing...like a plastic statue. Y'know. Well, this one time, one was actually moving!! Surprise, surprise. At least to me.

..this is their usual daylight stance, most often with closed eyes, tho this one had it's eyes open...they're reddish orange eyes. Most often if they're spied in the bush during the day, they're sound asleep with their oversized head tucked deep within its chest.

As I walked the boardwalk, I happened to look back, and it was watching my every move...but, lo and behold...IT had moved!!

...then, as I stopped to watch it watch me, boredom took over and I guess it figured I wasn't a threat after all...it began cleaning itself. Right there...in front of everyone. At half past daylight o'thirty!!!

...the egrets were quite active, one in particular, after we got to the covered gazebo viewing area, was hunting bugs in the grasses, just inches away from me. While the one photo I'm sharing is one that was grooming itself along the feeder channel. Great Blue Herons, coots, ducks, egrets, pelicans, white ibis with some juvenile ibis [they're spotted brown and white] were making good use of the fresh water haven this beautiful afternoon. When we left the area, before getting to the parking lot, you walk through a dense wooded area...there, along with cardinals, phoebes flying here and there, there were a great number of yellow rumped warblers. I only got one clear shot of one, and wouldn't you know, it was showing me the UNDERside of the rump. Figures!!

yellow rumped warbler

juvenile white ibis

great blue heron

egret

---connecting to:

Bird D'Pot

Saturday Photo Hunt* this week's challenge: HAVEN

Camera Critters
Gattina's Something Yellow