Cattle Egret Bird – Long Legged Waders – 4/26/2013

The Cattle Egret was photographed at the Rockefeller State Wildlife and Game Reserve in Louisiana

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret is a white stocky egret with a yellow beak and yellow, dark, or coral pink legs. It is expanding in the United States since invading the south United States in 1952. Its habitat is farms, marshes, highway edges in Florida, and it associates with cattle. It is often seen feeding with cattle as they flush out insects. The diet is mostly insects and usually forages in flocks in dry fields.

 

Pectoral Sandpiper Bird – Small Waders – 7/30/2012

The Pectoral Sandpiper was photographed at the Vernon Marsh in Mukwonago, Wisconsin

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Pectoral Sandpiper

The Pectoral Sandpiper has a dark back lined in white with heavy breast streaks that end abruptly to white. The legs and bill are a dull yellowish green. Pectoral refers to an inflatable air sac on the male’s chest that can be puffed out. The range is the Siberian and American Artic and winters in South America. Its habitat is green grassy marshes, prairie pools, muddy shores, and fresh and tidal marshes. The diet is mostly insects.

 

Killdeer Bird Baby Chicks 5/2/2012

The Killdeer family was photographed at the Lake Ferry Express in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Killdeer Baby Chicks

I arrived at the Lake Ferry Express in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see if I could find the newborn Killdeer chicks. A birder sighting waterfowl was the original finder of the Killdeer nest next to the roadside at the parking lot. She explained that the nest was no longer there, and hadn’t seen the baby chicks. She pointed to a log that had been used to protect the nest from passing cars.

I proceeded to look for the baby chicks along the roadside when I heard a Killdeer crying out while flying and landing on the Lake Ferry Express parking lot. Turning toward the parking lot I saw one of the two Killdeer chicks running about and then halting. The adult Killdeer still cried out as it ran to stop the chick from coming toward me. Then the chick started running around toward the side of the ferry building. Looking about I then saw the second chick slowly moving to follow the first chick.  The first chick sped across a sidewalk with the adult bird trying to catch up to it. The lagging chick stopped on the sidewalk. The first chick’s legs were now lopping as it hurried through the grass. A second adult Killdeer stood calmly viewing the action. The first chick headed toward a gate going to a restricted Coast Guard Impoundment. The second chick followed the first chick as the two adults tried to control the chicks’ movements. I decided to leave them be.

 

Purple Sandpiper Bird – Smaller Waders – 12/31/2011

The Purple Sandpiper, being a rarity to the Great Lakes, brought out the bird watchers to see them at north of Bradford Beach, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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The Purple Sandpiper is a dumpy slate-gray colored bird with a white belly and eye ring, and short yellow legs. It is a rarity to the Great Lakes, so many bird watchers were out to get a first hand life view. Its normal range is the arctic, and winters along the coasts of the North Atlantic-further north than any other shorebird. Its habitat is wave washed rocks, jetties and eats mostly insects and mollusks. I was walking up the Bradford Beach when I came to a log to step over. The shells on the beached seemed to move. Looking closely, this small dumpy bird was seen darting around while the Gulls and Mallards were sitting.

 

American and Greater Flamingo Bird – Long legged waders – 5/27/2011

Flamingos are among the most distinctive birds in the world being pink, long-necked, and long-legged.

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The American Greater Flamingo bird is pink, long-necked and long legged. Note the thick sharply bent nose. When the Flamingo is in flight or when they open their wings, black in the wings can be seen. Most Flamingos are in aviaries except maybe those in southern Florida that come from the Bahamas. The Flamingo lives naturally in the West Indies, Yucatan, or the Galapagos Islands.

 

Great Blue Heron Bird – long legged waders 11/14/2010

The Great Blue Heron can be seen from south Canada to Mexico.

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The Great Blue Heron is a slender gray bird about 4 ft tall with white about the head, long legs, long flexible neck, and dagger-like bill. It can be found from southern Canada to Mexico. It has habitats in marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, shores, and tidelands. The Heron eats fish, frogs, crawfish, and mice and insects.

This Great Blue Heron was photographed on a small farm outside of Marshfield, Missouri.

Select this link to see the farm area where the Great Blue Heron was photographed.

 

White Ibis Bird – Long Legged Waders – 6/16/2010

 

Photo was taken at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, Orlando, FL.

This White Ibis was photographed at the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge in Bell City, Louisiana.

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The range for the White Ibis is Florida and the neighboring coasts. It’s habitat is salt, brackish, and fresh marshes, rice fields, mangroves, and Disney World.

 

Tricolored Heron Bird – long legged waders – 6/12/2010

Photos taken at a resort in Orlando, FL

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The Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron. It lives along the Gulf and Southeastern coasts with a habitat at marshes, swamps, streams, and shores. The dark body with a white belly and rump identifies it.

 

Great Egret Bird – long legged waders – 6/15/2010

Photo taken at a resort in Orlando, FL

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Great Egret

The Great Egret is a large, stately, slender white heron with an orange or yellow bill, and black legs and feet. It has a range of the United States to southern South America. It has a habitat of marshes, ponds, shores, and mud flats. It feeds mostly on fish. When feeding the bird assumes a forward pose with neck extended.

 

Sandhill Cranes – long legged waders 7/10/2010

Located in water soaked soybean field in New Berlin, WI

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Sandhill Crane

Sand Hill Cranes have a spotted range across the eastern U.S. and are resident year round in center Florida.