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.

Sandhill Cranes are wonderful parents! The mated pair stay together year round and migrate together. They typically lay 1-2 eggs and both parents participate in incubation. The Chicks are able to follow Mom and Dad around to forage within 24 hours of hatching. The Chicks stay with the parents for 10 to 11 months. The young Sandhills migrate with Mom and Dad but until they find a mate at about age 7, the “teenagers” flock together with other teenagers. The Sandhill can live up to 20 years. They are very protective and loyal and are almost always seen in a family group or adult pair. Sandhill Cranes are remarkable in their habits and behavior!

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 bird is one of my favorites and it is uncommon in North America!  They feed on freshwater apple snails and here is one grabbing a snail. They are large wading birds like ibises but are in a family represented  by only one species.