Heron Views, II

Herons come in different shapes and sizes. They have long legs that most use for wading in shallow water. They usually capture prey by striking out their coiled necks from a stationary posture.

Green Heron hovering

More versatile than other species, the Green Heron is capable of plunge diving on fish as well as stealthy shoreline ambushes.

Green Heron flying past a Black-crowned Night-Heron

Still-fishing relatives like the Black-crowned Night-Heron watch motionless while the Green Heron deploys its dexterity.

This one waited patiently at the edge of the quarry until a small fish rippled the water surface.

After a short flight the bird plunged, relying on momentum to catch its prey.

The heron submerged completely in its dive but the fish escaped this time.

Buoyancy and lack of webbed feet limited its pursuit under water.

Those feet did help propel it back into the air to return to its hunting perch.

The Green Heron's skillful marshalling of anatomy makes it a marvel in its niche.

Often enough it succeeds. For the bird, life goes on.

Heron Views, I

Recently a trifecta of herons graced the quarry rim on the same day.

A Great Blue Heron on a promontory beside a Double-crested Cormorant made a remarkable contrast between two fish-seekers constructed equally but entirely differently for the hunt.

Not far away a Black-crowned Night-Heron extended its nocturnal fishing vigil into daytime.

Before long it was time for the Night-Heron to retire into the surrounding woods.

A Green Heron rose out of the water after diving on a school of minnows.

Wings spread and legs stretched the bird softened its landing on a granite perch. 

Down to Earth, Part Two

 

Northern Mockingbird

The gray day that brought swifts and swallows swirling low around the Overlook also stimulated mysterious ups and downs by a nearby Mockingbird. Its performance enlivened that listless day.

I was a delighted observer. I know I shouldn't assume the bird was being theatrical, putting on a show for an audience. Its repeated upward sallies from the top of a cedar tree were nevertheless very entertaining. I'm quite sure that at mid-summer they had nothing to do with food, courtship, or territorial bravado. Other than the swallows we were the only ones around.

What comes down, must first go up. The Mockingbird launched itself skyward repeatedly. Dare I say it was having fun? Breaking the boredom of an overcast day? Do birds suffer from tedium?

Mockingbirds don't have much to offer in terms of colorful plumage or hunting dramas.

They are mainly known for their vast repertoire of vocal mimicry, repeating songs and calls from across the avian spectrum. What is the reason for that? Does it give them any advantage in life? Do they just like to hear their own chatter? 

Are listeners part of the Mockingbird's performance world? Does it like showing off?

To every looping sally from the treetop the Mockingbird gave full voice and panache. It came back to earth each time projecting a sense of fulfillment.

Down to Earth, Part One

A heavy sky shrouded Halibut Point. Atmosphere and ocean merged around the Overlook jutting into the Ipswich Bay. Conditions did not meet the photographer's dream.

Scimitar-shaped bird forms darted around the promontory where I stood.

Although details were indistinct the silhouetted proportions of Chimney Swifts were clear.

Chimney Swift

Something had brought these normally high-flying birds close to ground level. That 'something' must have been insect prey invisible to me but central to their zooming lifestyle. 

Finely articulated feather positions

I was getting a closer look at the swifts than I'd ever had under 'desirable' conditions. Later study of photographic images revealed some of the bird's aerodynamic intricacies. They were moving much too fast to locate in the viewfinder, so I tried shooting from the hip with the telephoto lens open as wide as possible at 1/3,200 sec, ISO 4,000. The pictures were inevitably grainy.

A second species in the mix

Some kind of swallows was also patrolling the sky, subtly different from the cigar-shaped swifts.

Bank Swallow

There was just enough clarity in the photos to recognize Bank Swallows. This was a bird I'd never seen before, another silver lining to the cloudy day.

When I returned the next day with clear skies and a light breeze there were none of these birds to be seen.