Sunday, January 06, 2008

Sneaking an Entry During the Meeting

I wonder if anyone caught on that I'm blogging yet?

From the earlier entry, this was the scene not far from our hotel. The double-crested cormorant on the right (just sticking its head above water was stirrin' up some fish and the herons, egrets and ibises followed the cormorant to grab the freaked out fish.

We're here to learn more about optics and talk some digiscoping and when I went out yesterday, Ann came along to try this digiscoping thing. The crazy thing about Florida birds is that the birds just do not care about people and you can get fairly close, which was good for Ann above, she doesn't have an adapter for her camera and she was hand holding her camera up to my scope.

In Minnesota, you can't get that close to a cormorant, unless they are fightless in the nest. I was just fascinated by the detail in the cormorant's feathers.
Their eyes were such a beautiful emerald green, I don't think you can see it so well in this photo, maybe if you click on it, you can see it then.

The birds were diggin' this yellow floaty thing (I think it was damming the water). Up above we have a snowy egret, tricolored heron and white ibises. It must have been kind of a corral for fish, the birds would jump into there and gorge themselves...

and then back up to loaf on the yellow floaty thing.

And it was very much monkey see, monkey do. Once one bird would start preening, the rest would follow suit. It was a kick watching the Dr Suess-like ibis clean is feathers (that's the snowy egret behind it--the bird's yellow toes).

Speaking of toes, check out the freaky toes on this great egret (note how they are all black compared to the snowy egret).

This little group of birds was so great, you could really see the size difference. Look how tiny the ibis is compared to the great egret.

The tricolored heron was a treat, we just don't get too many of these (any) where I live.

It's even pretties on the side.

And I leave you with an ibis, while I return my attention to the meeting.


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11 Comments:

Anonymous Hawker said...

Tell us more about this meeting. An industry type of thing? Who else is there?

1/06/2008 2:03 PM  
Blogger Clive's World said...

Wow, you got some really great pictures. They are so beautiful. Love the details of the feathers!

1/06/2008 3:50 PM  
Blogger Yoga Gal said...

Great photos! I often seen those type of white cranes at the San Gabriel River bed but I've never seen a black crane before! Amazing photos!

1/06/2008 6:20 PM  
Blogger G. Brandon Hoyt said...

Wow, I'm a looser! I didn't even know you were round till now!! Anywho, lots of rarities in FL right now. Sorry it's been a little chilly lately
;-)

1/06/2008 9:54 PM  
Blogger dguzman said...

Naughty you! Of course, I blog in my office all the time...

1/07/2008 8:48 AM  
Blogger Monica said...

Thanks birdchick, love the tricolored heron

1/07/2008 6:12 PM  
Blogger Susan Gets Native said...

So, do you have one of those really quiet keyboards, or did you just type v e r y v e r y slow?

1/07/2008 7:23 PM  
Blogger JB's Big World said...

Really great photos, birdchick!
--JB

1/07/2008 7:24 PM  
Blogger Amy said...

That Snowy/Ibis shot is delightful, even photo-contest-worthy ;)

1/07/2008 9:03 PM  
Blogger birdchick said...

hawker,

it's an industry type meeting--all part of my master plan to avoid a traditional job and keep up my goal to be paid to write and blog for a living.

susan gets native,

I take notes with my laptop, and sometimes can discreetly toss in a blog entry.

amy,

high praise indeed! Thanks!

I'm so glad everyone else is enjoying the photos. I can't wait until I have the time to do a proper entry.

1/07/2008 10:30 PM  
Blogger momo said...

That cormorant photo looks like a painting! My mother used to take us to the Macdonalds in Marin county in California that was by an estuary. We'd get ice cream, and sit in the parking lot watching the egrets.

1/08/2008 4:09 AM  

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