During our two weeks in Sanibel Island, we made almost daily visits to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Interesting birds were always around, although, perhaps due to dredging on the part of the refuge, birds did not seem as close to the tour route as they were during previous visits. How many bird species are in the top photo? I count at least five: Tricolored Heron, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, White Ibis, and, most strikingly, Roseate Spoonbills.
Reddish Egrets are our favorite heron. They dance around the shallows, watching for minnows to make a move. Other times they hold their wings out to create a shadow. Minnows may seek shadowy habitat to avoid the bright sunlight. Possibly the egret is just reducing glare to better see their prey. Or both.
The final photo shows a Reddish Egret capturing a minnow entangled in vegetation. Different studies indicate that the percentage of captures per strike ranges from 25 to 42 percent. Young are less successful than are adults (Lowther and Paul 2002). For more information and photos from Texas and from Florida, follow the links I just provided.
No comments:
Post a Comment