anhinga – Wandering Dawgs

Bird Weekly Challenge – Birds That Eat Fish

March 18, 2021Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged American White Pelican, anhinga, Birds that Eat Fish, birdweekly, Osprey14 Comments

There are many more birds that eat fish as their primary diet. I’ve chosen these images of birds with the freshly captured fish.

American White Pelican with a mouth full of fish

Anhinga with a big catch in the Everglades

Many thanks to Lisa for this week’s Bird Weekly Challenge Birds that Eat Fish as their primary diet

Bird Weekly Challenge #18: Birds starting with “A”

October 13, 2020October 11, 2020Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged anhinga, birdweekly, Photo Challenge16 Comments

A is for Anhinga.

From the Audubon Field Guide: “A long-necked, long-tailed swimmer of southeastern swamps. Often seen perched on a snag above the water, with its wings half-spread to dry. Can vary its buoyancy in water, sometimes swimming with only head and neck above water (earning it the nickname of “Snakebird”). Often solitary when feeding, it roosts in groups and nests in colonies. Looks rather like a cormorant when perched, but not in flight, when the long tail may be spread wide as the Anhinga soars high on outstretched wings. Anhingas are silent at most times, but around nesting colonies they make various croaking and clicking sounds.”

Thank you Lisa. for this Bird Weekly challenge. Her original post is Bird Weekly Challenge #18: Birds that begin with the letter “A “

Bird Weekly Challenge #17: Macros or Close Ups

October 6, 2020Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged anhinga, Bald Eagle, birdweekly, Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Photo Challenge20 Comments

For me, getting a closeup of a bird is usually a real challenge. Most of the time, the bird is too far away or it flies away if I get too close. Occasionally, I’ll luck out and come across a bird who is not interested in me and I can get the shot I want.

The Bald Eagle in the above photo was sitting in a low branch of a tree in Chilcoot Lake State Park in Haines, Alaska. As I set up my tripod and aimed the camera at him I kept my fingers crossed that he wouldn’t fly off. He ignored me and I was a happy photographer.

Most Great Blue Herons I have seen are spooked by humans and will not let me get too near them. This one was hanging around the fishing pier at Ft. Pickens National Seashore in Florida. He was much more interested in getting an easy meal than he was in me.

This Anhinga was right beside the path in Shark Valley in Everglades National Park. We watched for a while as he struggled to swallow his fish. We didn’t stay around long enough to see if he succeeded in eating it.