A Tale of Seven Birds

The Carolina Wren featured in “Some Elements of a Good Photo” signaled the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency. But, it didn’t know about the Delta variant and the return to mask mandates. The Common Yellowthroat never has to give mask mandates a second thought. It’s forever attired in a black one.

I wrote in “A Few Good Bird Photography Tips,” “If I had a nickel for every time I photographed a bird on a chain-link fence, barbed wire, power line, or cable, I’d be rich.” Well, here’s another one on a chain-link. I took the photo in my patch at Money Point. Why do birds take so readily to these things? Because they simulate natural perches, and they’re everywhere.

Tricolored Herons recently appeared in northern Virginia, and a White Ibis supposedly showed up in Massachusetts. It’s always amazing what shows up in MA—especially on the Cape and Islands. I was fortunate to capture both species a few weeks ago here in southeast VA, where they’re more common. It was early morning, and the birds were refueling. You might think I had hip waders on. I was actually sitting on a water control pipe.

You’ll recall the photo of the Roseate Spoonbill in “Self-Care to Spoonbills” and Tricia Lombardi’s comment about how the birds preen. She wrote that they preen using a row of ridges on their bills. Well, she sent me this photo in which you can see those ridges. Adaptations like this are fascinating. Someone noted that the species looks like a character in a Dr. Suess book.

Here’s a bird with a preening tool that makes a bit more sense to me. Few things are more important in the life of a bird than feather maintenance.

The photo below may be an even more striking adaptation example than the photo of the spoonbill. I’ll let the photographer, Cameron Sullivan, tell you about it in his own words.

“A close up of the business end of an osprey. It shows some of their unique adaptations to hunting fish, such as the rotating toe and spicules (rough barbs) on their feet that give them the ability to grip slippery, wet fish. They can snap their talons shut in 2/100th of second! If you look closely at the talons you will notice that that the osprey has linked a talon from each foot together.”

And This Just In

Many thanks to Tricia and Cameron for allowing me to use their photos. Always bring your cameras.

There was just a report of a Roseate Spoonbill that had made its way to southwest MA. It could be heading to Tanglewood.

Quip, Question, Quote