It’s Stephen Barnard Day again, as he’s sending me photos on the road, and I have some in old emails. These are in fact from May 3.
Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus): Desi keeping a close lookout and Lucy on the nest. [JAC: the eaglets have now hatched and fledged]:
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana):
Deets 🙂 (Canis lupus familiaris):
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura):
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) attacking another goose:
Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni):
Hi Deets – 🙂 indeed!
Fascinating bills on those avocets, too. Now I need to go look up their range.
Aha, more or less Great Plains, but some of them winter in Miami, Havana & thereabouts.
Good pictures as ever.
I’m always amused by a full face shot of the bald eagle. America’s bird appears to be born with a permanent squint.
It’s the slight supraorbital ridge above the eyes–cuts down a little bit of the sun glare from above. Seen in many birds of prey, which is why they can look so fierce.
Stephen’s photos are so sharp that you can see the ridges casting their shadows in that first shot. 🙂
Excellent as ever. Anyone know anything about the reason for the recurved beak?
Per the Cornell link, and as suspected, easier to catch unsuspecting noms while skimming the water.
Yes, that did look a bit of a dumb question when the link was there, what I was getting at was how common or evolvable that sort of beak shape is, as well as how useful.
They wade in shallow water and swipe their beaks back and forth in the silt to catch insect larvae and small crustaceans. The upturned beak appears well adapted for this. When the weeds come in and the water gets deeper they leave.
Thanks.
Sort of like the bird version of a blue whale, then.
I just want to say that I love these wildlife pics.
Thank you, Professor Coyne, for having this segment. Thanks also for all the other stuff, too.
Does Deets actually need a leash out where he lives?
No. He’s only on a leash when I take him to the vet. He freely roams outside all day, but he knows to stick around.
I still say carrion birds are unfairly maligned. They’re about as beautiful as birds get.
b&
I think vultures are incredibly cool looking, in a rather macabre way.
As always…very thrilling photographs.
A nice batch of photos Stephen. Deets looks like he’s been in the water. Good boy!
The photos are beautiful, as always! I would love to take Deets hiking, though I have a feeling he would herd me where HE wants to go. What a handsome boy 🙂
That first picture might be the best bald eagle portrait yet.
It’s a little odd. They see me and Deets every day, and they tolerate me and him, but I always have the feeling that they resent presence. That’s partly due to their stern expression, that they can’t help. It’s built-in.
Beautiful photos! I especially like the avocet and Swainson’s hawk and what a fantastic portrait of Deets.
Meets got skunked today. It’s not too bad.
*Deets*