A pair of Northern Gannets caught my attention as they were flying over the ocean near Machias Seal Island, which is 12 miles away from Grand Manan, New Brunswick. Colonies of these large and graceful seabirds breed on steep slopes or rocky cliffs of oceanic islands. They spend their remaining time on the sea. Northern Gannets are lifelong monogamous mates. I captured this image in mid June during breeding season, so I assume this pair is a couple.
The Black-Crested Titmouse is a variety of Titmouse that hails from Mexico and South Texas. Their appearance is very similar to the Tufted Titmouse, which is common in the Eastern half of North America. Smaller in size, the Black-Crested has a distinct black crest and a one-of-a-kind song. I captured a photo of a Black-Crested Titmouse mid air as it jumped off a dead tree and onto the sand in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.
Male Cinnamon Teal swimming in pond (sandra calderbank/scalderphotography.com)
The Male Cinnamon Teal is a compact duck with brightly colored feathers and beautiful red eyes.. The Female Cinnamon Teal is smaller and darker and looks very similar to a female Blue-Winged Teal. I took a picture of this Male swimming briskly across a pond. Cinnamon Teal often nest in fresh water. This is only the second time I’ve seen a Cinnamon teal. During flight, powder blue feathers are visible on the upper wing. Cinnamon Teal are only found the western part of North America, where they are one of the least abundant waterfowl in North America.
I went to the Stick Marsh in Fellsmere, Florida, hoping to photograph nesting birds.The Roseate Spoonbills were very active. Roseate Spoonbills build their nests in the shady areas of the trees, usually mangroves. They prefer to construct their nests over the water or on an island. I noticed this one pulling up a stick at the water’s edge. The Spoonbill flew away from me back towards the island. The male typically gathers the sticks to hand over to his chosen potential mate, and the female constructs the nest, so I assume this Roseate Spoonbill is a male.
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is an outstanding place to photograph birds during the winter months. This picture was in mid December several years ago. I was traveling around the back section of the North Loop of the refuge after a wintry shower and this magnificent rainbow formed in the sky. I stopped to position myself to have a good view of the rainbow. As I was scanning for the ideal perspective, this Red-tailed Hawk swooped in and touched down on this bare tree with the rainbow as a backdrop. The hawk has undoubtedly just ingested a grisly meal, as shown by the blood of his prey on his feet and beak. Even though the Red-tail didn’t wipe his face and hands after eating, he finished my quest for that ideal rainbow picture viewpoint.
