Roseate Spoonbill – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #393 – Lucky Shot

April 12, 2026Posted in Birds, Photography, WildlifeTagged American Bald Eagle, Big Horn Sheep, black bear, Elk, Green Sea Turtle, Lens-Artists, Lucky Shot, Photo Challenge, Roseate Spoonbill, wildlife photography37 Comments

Sofia’s challenge is to see how luck can play a big role in capturing some of our best shots.

Most of my lucky shots occurred because I was in the right place at the right time with my camera and the right lens. When we are traveling I always have my camera or my phone handy just in case we see something by the side of the road. When we are home I keep my camera close by so I can grab it if I see something interesting outside. Full disclosure: I have previously posted photos of all of these animals except for the Bald Eagle.

I would never have captured the birds in the following gallery without a little help from friends. Last week a neighbor called to let me know there was an American Bald Eagle perched on the power pole across from our house. I had to scramble to get my camera and telephoto lens ready. Lucky for me he stayed perched on the pole long enough for me to set my camera on burst and start shooting. I grabbed my camera on my way out the door one day last year after a friend texted me about a Roseate Spoonbill in a tree beside the road.

I captured the next three shots as we were riding along in our truck. For each of these shots Henry had to pull over on the side of the road so I could take a few photos. In each case the animal totally ignored us.

Black Bear in field of dandelions on the side of the road, Canada

Bull Elk beside the road in Banff National Park, Canada

Big Horn Sheep posing for the camera in Zion National Park, Utah

I was walking along a beach in Oahu when I came across this sea turtle on the sand. I was so glad I had my camera!

Green Sea Turtle on the beach, Oahu, Hawaii

I’ll finish with my favorite Lucky Shot. The look on this woman’s face is priceless.

Alligator with an attitude at Shark Valley, Everglades National Park

Patti’s challenge last week asked us to explore using the foreground, middle ground, and background when framing our shots. I enjoyed all of your creative responses.

Many thanks to Sofia for this week’s challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to her post Lens-Artists #393: Lucky Shot.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, April 18 at noon eastern time when John will be hosting the challenge

You can keep up with all the challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift

Roseate Spoonbills in the Neighborhood

September 19, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Coastal Georgia Birds, Pink Feathers, Roseate Spoonbill, Wading Birds39 Comments

I was getting ready to make a trip to the grocery store yesterday when one of my friends texted me to let me know there were Roseate Spoonbills in some trees by the side of the road on the way out of our neighborhood.

I grabbed my camera and my telephoto lens before I left home and hoped the birds would still be there. Lucky me! Two of them were still still around.

Roseate Spoonbill

It’s always a special treat to see these pink beauties here in coastal Georgia. I’m grateful to my friend who let me know where they were.

Every Day is a Gift

Rosy Red Roseate Spoonbills

February 9, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Color Challenge, Photo Challenge, Roseate Spoonbill, Rosy Red, Sunday Stills19 Comments

The color rosy red makes me think of Roseate Spoonbills. A few years ago I captured these beauties when we visited the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Wading Bird Rookery. During nesting season wading birds come to nest in the trees there. These nesting birds are wild and can come and go as they please.

Shared Terri’s Sunday Stills color challenge Rosy Reds

Backyard Bees, Butterflies and Birds

July 15, 2021Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Nature, PhotographyTagged Bee, birdweekly, garden, Gulf Fritillary, hummingbird, Northern Cardinal, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, summer, summer garden18 Comments

We’ve had lots of activity in our backyard these first two weeks of July. Bees and Butterflies are frequent visitors to the butterfly garden.

Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and Northern Cardinals are two of the birds we see every summer around our back yard. Snow Egrets are frequent summer visitors to the salt water creek. Roseate Spoonbills first started coming to our area a few years ago. I’ve seen them two years in a row now so hopefully they will keep returning each summer.

Shared with Lisa’s Bird Weekly Challenge: Birds Common in your area this time of year

More than one Bird Species in a Photo

June 8, 2021Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged birdweekly, more than one bird species, Roseate Spoonbill, Sand Hill Crane, Whooping Crane, wood stork19 Comments

Our Bird Weekly challenge this week is to show more than one bird species in a photo. The photos at the top of the page and this next photo were taken in the spring near Goose Island State Park in Texas. The Whooping Cranes and Sand Hill Cranes were in a farmer’s field every morning along with ducks and other bird species.

We wandered around Everglades National Park several times and enjoyed seeing the many bird species there.

Tri Colored Heron and Roseatte Spoonbill at Mrazek Pond 2012.

Spoonbill and Egret at Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012

At Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012

Closer to home, I often see Wood Storks sharing the same space with Egrets, Herons or Ibises. This image is one of my favorites of a Wood Stork with an Egret perched on the same tree branch.