I was recently at Merritt Island in Florida and discovered this Black Skimmer zipping along on the water surface of one of the inland canals.  Their behavior is as unique as  their appearance.  They have scissors-like red bill and their lower bill is much longer than the upper bill.  They skim along the surface, scooping fish into this brightly colored bill.  As I followed this bird in flight, it dove under the surface and tucked it’s head under as it came back up above the surface.  I have no idea what purpose this head tucking  behavior serves.  If you know about this behavior, please share with me!

The Male Anhinga really puts on a colorful show during breeding season. His eyes completely change and he becomes this flashy bird with beautiful eyes. The Anhinga is so common but during breeding season they are extraordinary.  He looks like he is wearing turquoise eyeshadow!  I guess the girls really like that.

The Belted Kingfisher is one of the most challenging birds to capture in flight. They fly very swiftly with uneven wing beats and erratic flight patterns. I photographed this one out of a car window in the Viera Wetlands in Viera Florida, one of my favorite places to chase birds.

This image of a Least Tern in flight on a very dark overcast day was possible only because I increased my ISO beyond my usual comfort level. I don’t normally, even attempt to photograph birds in flight on days that are this dark because I don’t like the noise that results from the high ISO settings that are necessary to result in an adequate shutter speed for birds in flight. This image was shot at ISO 500, 1/1600th shutter speed.

This Bull Elk was snorting and making lots of noise as he crossed the river. What you can’t
see in this image is the female Elk over my left shoulder!
I quickly retreated back to my car as he nimbly approached her and they performed their courtship ritual. He was on a mission and I sure didn’t want to be in his way!