Precious Eiders and Other Birds At Risk
Thanks to Audubon for this alert: Let your voice be heard!! Ledyard Bay, off the northern Coast of Alaska in the Arctic Ocean, is a haven for all four species of eiders. Spectacled, King, Common, and Steller’s eiders feast there. All of western North America’s King Eiders, an estimated half a million birds, stop here. Proposed new offshore oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, where oil spills can’t be cleaned up, could put this valuable place at risk. Please tell the Department of Interior: “No oil development in the Arctic Ocean” in a comment on the new 5-year oil and gas leasing program at http://policy.audubon.org/take-action ...
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Graceful Comorant
On my recent trip to Hilton Head Island, SC I had many opportunities to photograph a somewhat common shore bird, the Comorant. The Comorant is a large, dark shore bird usually seen along the Atlantic coastline and inland waterways, rivers and lakes, etc. These birds have webbed feet and long, usually pointed, bills referred to as a hook. They swim fast underwater catching fish. Comorants are unlike many other waterbirds and don’t have oily feathers. They are often see with wings outstretched drying their feathers. The have long bodies and long necks. I think the precisely designed blondish neck against the black body is lovely and they are quite graceful drying out their feathers after a dip in the lake for dinner. Quite entertaining to...
Read MoreWhite Ibis
I saw my first White Ibis in Florida as we walked along the banks of the Jupiter Inlet. We were posing for photos and then this lovely, lanky bird walks right toward us as if to say “Hey, you should be photographing me. Am I not graceful?” Of course, I turned my camera to the ibis and just love the graceful stroll he took right by us. The White Ibis are wading birds of the deep South, always looking down to see what they can find for dinner or a snack. They have pink skin on their faces, legs and bills. This pink turns almost scarlet in breeding season. The birds appear totally white but the black edges to the underneath part of their wings is only seen when they are in flight. Their favorite habitat is salt marshes, but they can also be seen walking along lawns probing for insects to...
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National Audubon Society
Help support the efforts of our National Audubon Society in conservation of natural bird habitats. Visit: www.birds.audubon.org