The Lesser Yellowlegs is very gregarious and chatty and surprise has long yellow legs. I photographed this one landing in a shallow pool at Merritt Island, Florida.

I captured this goose, landing in the water in the Orchestra position, at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge last winter. I assumed it was a Snow goose because the pond was filled with white geese that everyone around me referred to as “snow geese”. Something looked a little different about this one but, caught in the moment of capturing the image I didn’t pay attention to the details. It wasn’t until I processed the image that I saw that it is much smaller than the Snow Goose and the beak is different. It lacks the black “lips” of the Snow Goose. This is a Ross’s Goose that lives in the same habitat as the Snow Goose and sometimes cross breeds with the Snow Goose.

This Juvenile Northern Harrier was hunting in a field in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, USA. It was flying back and forth in an area across a field where I saw it every day for 2-3 days. I originally identified it as a Red Shouldered Hawk but now realize it is really a Juvenile Northern Harrier. Raptor identification is extremely detailed and difficult!

I spotted this beauty sitting on the shore of a pond in the Viera Wetlands in April. It is a male Hooded Merganser. The strikingly large crest on his head is folded back. I watched him for a while as he sat on the shore, appearing to be waiting for something. Just as I was ready to move on, he raised his fan shaped crest. I learned later that raising the crest is part of his displaying behavior. The next day I found him again sitting in the same spot but this time he was accompanied by a female Hooded Merganser. They scooted away before I could get their photograph. I guess that huge crest has lots of sex appeal because I didn’t see the pair again!

I found this adult Killdeer tending it’s chicks on Merritt Island in April.  They are so tiny but look at those huge legs!  They run incredibly fast with those huge legs and one chick insisted on hiding under Mom (or Dad?) while being tended.  The adult constantly ran about rounding up the errant chicks except the one that insisted on staying under her. It is a powerful example of the strong instinctive bonds between parents and offspring.