Bud and I took a day trip to Goose Island [near Rockport/Fulton/Lamar, Texas] the other day. There was a reported Bald Eagle in the vicinity. Tho we didn't spot the eagle, we were surprised to see three Whooping Cranes in the field, feeding along with the Sandhill Cranes and Cattle Egrets!! While taking a series of photos of a Red Tailed Hawk on a power pole, I sighted above my left shoulder two of the three Whooping Cranes flying in to land. I decided to go through my bird photos and 'collect' for this post birds throughout the year; in flight...
OSPREY
photo taken: Sunset Lakes - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Osprey
WHOOPING CRANES
photos taken: Goose Island State Park - Lamar, Texas
habitat map: Cranes
GREAT EGRET - FORSTER'S TERN
photos taken: Leonabelle Wildlife Refuge [Port Aransas, Texas] -- Padre Island National Seashore - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Egret, Tern
LITTLE BLUE HERON & WHITE IBIS
photos taken: Charlie's Pasture - Port Aransas, Texas -- Indian Point Park, Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Heron, Ibis
BROAD WINGED HAWK & ROSEATE SPOONBILL
photos taken: Rose Hill Cemetery - Corpus Christi, Texas -- Leonabelle Wildlife Refuge - Port A, Texas
habitat map: Hawk, Spoonbill
BROWN PELICAN & BLACK SKIMMER
photos taken: Packery Channel - Corpus Christi, Texas -- Indian Point Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Pelican, Skimmer
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER & PIGEONS
photos taken: Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas -- Lakeview Park, Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Oystercatcher, Pigeons [everywhere]
NORTHERN PINTAIL & [Harlan's ?] RED TAILED HAWK
photos taken: Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas -- Chapman's Ranch - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Pintail, Hawk [Same as Red-tailed...but this I found]
- Range: Migratory - breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada and winters from Nebraska and Kansas to Texas and northern Louisiana. This population may well be a separate species.
Now, share your birding experiences:
or use text linking only copy text in lavender text area below and paste into your blog post:
I love them all, but those of the Whooping Cranes coming in for a landing are really outstanding!
ReplyDeleteso many gorgeous birds in flight. The Black skimmer image is a work of art. Love that one. And pintail is a favorite of mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting :)
It's exciting to take birds in flight...even more exciting for me to come home and find out some of them turned out good! You take amazing photos! Love that dark hawk. Hope you're not getting bad weather today! Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteThe cranes are my favorite. They are really an awesome sight! They are so majestic with the black & white, and seeing them in flight is wonderful. Not a single blur, just perfection. It makes me think of how Japan makes cranes sacred. Other favorites are the spoonbill and hawk in flight.
ReplyDeleteAll great photos, but the Whooping Cranes are my favourite.Perhaps because they are not that common and I have never seen one.
ReplyDeleteThese are all wonderful flying shots of the birds. My favourite amongst them is the one of the black skimmer
ReplyDeleteHello Anni, I love this collection of birds. I would be thrilled to see the Whooping Cranes in the wild. Thanks for hosting. Happy Sunday, enjoy your week ahead!
ReplyDeleteHi Anni. And isn't that just the case? Go out looking for one bird and along comes something a little unexpected. Such surprises is what makes birding such a wonderful pastime. I think your pictures of Whooping Cranes dropping una just brillant in capturing the two just at the exact dramatic moment of lowering their landing gear. I really like the Pintail too as i know how difficult it is to take such a picture with the correct exposure and shutter speed etc. Nice work Anni.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week down there in sunny Texas.
I have returned! Your HEADER!! It is awesome with the little chickadees!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful in flight photos Anni! Love seeing the whooping cranes too.
ReplyDeleteHello Anni!:) I have fallen behind with my visits, as my back has been bothering me.:( Anni, you do such a good job of photographing birds in flight, and these are all great captures. The Roseate Spoonbill, Fosters Tern, Pintail, and the Whooping Cranes are among my favourites.
ReplyDeleteWow - amazing shots.
ReplyDeleteDearest Anni; Wonderful photographs of varieties of birds in flight♫♫♫
ReplyDeleteIt's aleays my dream to take flying birds shots p:-)
As I bought new years card to prepare, Cranes' desighns are most used for them :-)
So sorry for my belated comment; my husband kindly gave me his cold but I'm catching up♡♡♡
Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*
ps; In my next post, I have flying duck potos. Whew, not so dramatic compared with I felt when I saw, haha.
DeleteHi Anni...like sunshine you are with all of these lovely presentations with birds, and so many of them. I am glad that you can tell if that one hawk is a Broadwing, for I would have guessed a juvie Red-Shouldered Hawk...The only way I can tell the difference is if they yell ;) The Harlans Hawk ID I think is right on, but then again, I am guessing. I think that all of the Red-Tailed Hawks are so gorgeous, but the further West those darker, rich coulourations that I adore. Have a wonderful week my friend. Hugs from Kentucky~
ReplyDeleteAnni, first your holiday theme is perfect...love the blue and the header!!! Now my second ohhh and ahhhhhh was the osprey...I have many that soar over with their catch and one of my eagles hot on their tail...the other birds are super action shots...you are quite the photographer!!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteHello Anni,
ReplyDeleteWonderful array of different flying birds.
Best regards, Irma