6/1/13 - First Baby Birds of the Year

Carolyn and I went out to the Happy Place on June 1st and saw baby birds for the first time this year.  Very cool!!  I think Carolyn was the photographer for most (all?) of these pictures, but I can't remember for sure.

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird

For the second week in a row I found this Green Heron on her nest.  This time we were able to get a little closer.

Green Heron on her nest

Green Heron - pretty funny angle I think...

Green Heron - I actually took this picture with the flash on.

Green Heron - after the flash she decided to head out.

Green Heron

After we left the Green Heron nest we worked our way into the thickest part and found this Little Blue nest.

Baby Little Blue Herons - these guys may be just hours old...

Baby Little Blue Heron - peek-a-boo!!

Baby Little Blue Herons

Baby Little Blue Heron up close and personal

As we were leaving this beautiful Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin) swam by right where we just got out.  Very cool!!

Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin)

Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin) - I love the tongue!!

5/27/13 Carolyn Happy Place Memorial Day

We went out on Memorial Day and Carolyn was the photographer while I paddled for the most part.

Carolyn really got this Snowy Egret in flight!!

This Cattle Egret wanted us to leave really bad!!

We haven't seen many Roseate Spoonbills out there this year.

I wonder why they call them Spoonbills?

He was all alone just standing up in this tree for the longest time.

It's pretty incredible how well she got the focus on this Black-crowned Night Heron.
It was a long way away!!

It amazes me, but we can get great pictures of the Least Bittern almost whenever we want.

He got a little blurry on her while eating, but it was still pretty cool to be this close while he ate!!

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Where's Waldo?

This picture cracks me up.  Not his best side for sure!!

Okay, I have a confession to make.
I've been thinking for weeks now that this was an immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak but...
I now know that it is a female Red-winged Blackbird.
So it is incorrectly labeled in all the other posts.  So sorry to have lied!!

Green Heron making a break for it.

This is a Least Bittern nest.  Look closely to see the brown spotted eggs just under the reed in front.
You can't see it, but Caleb and Samantha were using the oars to push the reeds back so that I could get this shot.

Tier was so funny - she would worry about us in the kayak so she would swim out...

...but when she got there she would realize she could do nothing so she'd turn around and head back.

Sammy and I decided to race mom back to the car.  Look at that girl row!!

I'm pretty sure this is a Red-Shouldered Hawk.

Whatever it is, it's unbelievably mangled!!