Spoonie And Snowball
This past weekend our surprise pink April visitor was out busily working the salt marsh at low tide. Then at one point he also had a friend join him when a snowy egret decided that the spoonbill must be on to some good fishing. Snowball quickly got with the program and when he spotted a small fish, he blew right past spoonie kicking up water as he marched himself along the marsh!
Phil Lanoue Photography 
Don’t you just love the quizzical look the spoonie is giving the egret? It’s a real “All this rushing about, when you can just stand here and let the fish come to you!”
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That goofy spoonie makes so many comical faces which is a big reason I take so many photos of him. Every time he lifts up his head and gives me the ‘I’m so cute’ look I just snap away.
Snowys always seem to be rushing around like their tails are on fire. 🙂
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I’m guessing that the spoonbill doesn’t care if a little mud is kicked up by the snowy. What’s a little more mud in his food?
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Yeah they seem to consume their fair share of mud along with the little fish and shrimp they scoop up. I was actually surprised the spoonbill put up with that snowy picking around in his area, normally that gets a snowy a good bite on the tail.
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Superb pictures, Phil! Cool to see a tropical visitor with a native South Carolina species. Well done!
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Hey thanks Gareth! I’m very happy you enjoyed seeing our surprise pink friend.
Sadly, I believe he left Sat. night so we may not see more until summer.
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Super shots – the roseatte looks completely unphased by the egret. Don’t think I have seen a photo of these 2 species together before….lovely
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Thanks very much for your visit here and for your kind comments. I was surprised the spoonbill put up with the snowy coming in so close, normally that would get the snowy a tail bite from the spoonie at minimum.
Here is another species you may not have seen associating with a spoonbill before: 🙂
https://phillanoue.com/2013/08/28/mr-grumpy-meets-his-match/
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Mr. Grumpy Meets His Match is one of my favorite posts, Phil!
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Ha! Yeah that still remains a fave of mine as well! It’s almost like they are both thinking… what the heck is that thing?!
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I know, love it. Another of my faves is your alligator eating a Croc (I hate those things) shoe, as you know!
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Those fugly shoes should be fed to the gators. Except I don’t really want some poor unfortunate little alligator choking on one of those ghastly things. Bleh
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Fantastic work Phil – I put a comment on the link rather than here – just started my blog this weekend, so feeling my way around the navigation!!! I visited the Everglades from the UK in October 2012, desperate to see the roseates, (spoonbills have fascinated me since I saw a picture as a kid), but was a couple of weeks early. Got some shots of an Australian yellow-billed spoonbill in August of last year though as a small consolation :0)
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Thanks again James I appreciate you checking out my photos!
You have terrific shots on your blog, and even though you missed the pink guys in FL, lucky you to see the yellow-billed in Australia, that’s fantastic!
If you ever get a minute and are so inclined feel free to see many more spoonbill photos in the gallery here:
https://phillanoue.com/spoonbill-photos-2/
And various posts here:
https://phillanoue.com/category/spoonbills/
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Super shots, Phil! I can see how close they were. It looks like his pink friend didn’t stay long there… 🙂
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Glad you liked our funny pair out there Amy! I still can’t believe that spoonie put up with snowball for that long. Usually the spoonbills are a lot more twitchy about sharing their space.
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Beautiful shots, beautiful birds, the spoonie looks like a flamingo except with a different nose!!! The colors are amazing, glad there werent any alligators there!!!… :-)))
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Thanks a bunch Linda, I’m very happy you enjoyed seeing this goofy pair!
However… sometimes there are alligators around! See here:
https://phillanoue.com/2013/08/28/mr-grumpy-meets-his-match/
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Who knew spoonies and snowies could mingle so well? Was it happy hour?
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Normally a snowy coming over to pick around in the exact same space as a spoonie qualifies the snowy for an instant bite on the tail. But somehow they got along this time. I believe it was happy hour but even better because it was free shrimp appetizer day at the marsh! Woo Hoo!
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Ooh free shrimp appetizer at happy hour? Please send me the address and I’ll be hanging with the birds tomorrow.
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Who would know better where all the best places to hang for Happy Hour are then a big goofy pink bird?!
Follow that bird if you want to go where the action is!
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Wonderful reflections of these two beautiful birds. The Spoonie’s bill makes the Snowy’s beak look like a single chopstick. 🙂
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Ha! You are right about that chopstick snowy bill Sylvia! Spatula face has to use his utensils much differently.
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Che immagini spettacolari, sono fantastiche. E che bello vederli così vicini 🙂
Ciao, Pat
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Sono felice che tu piaceva vedere questi uccelli Pat 🙂
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Terrific shots as usual Phil. They make a cute couple.
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Hey thanks Edith and yes they are a cute couple! 🙂
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Lovely photos!
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Thanks a lot Hans, glad you enjoyed these!
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I think that definitely proves that isn’t Mr Cranky or that Snowy would have had several bites on the butt. It was almost like he was asking for it! 🙄
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We were 90% sure this was Mr. Cranky from last summer but yes our well known dysfunctional friend would surely have given that snowy a good nip on the tail for pulling this move. Unless… being in breeding condition has mellowed our boy out. Could be those hormones are making him Mr. Happy! 🙂
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That sounds pretty reasonable. Perhaps Mr C had something other than a nip on that butt in mind. 😮
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Oh my pink friend … :)!
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He is pretty in pink!
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In that third image, Snowball is twisting himself up into quite a knot, it appears. Or is he just doing the Hucklebuck? 🙂 Those spoonies are such lovely birds.
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Those was a fun, goofy pair to watch Steve, especially when that snowy (which are usually very nervous birds) started going through his whole routine. Nutty birds.
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Very beautiful, Phil. They make a nice pair, just friends out for lunch.
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They are a very nice pair, and surprisingly well behaved. I was shocked.
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Everybody getting along? It must have been hard for you come up with something to say.
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You don’t know the half of it. I sometimes wonder if they do these things to me on purpose.
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So that’s why he flew off. That is some nerve prancing in his personal bubble. Hmph! Lol.
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Our snowy friend was acting up a bit but that is typical for the snowys, they are almost always nervously flitting about creating mayhem. 🙂
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Close walkers.
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So not far that spoonie seems to be hinding from my camera. If it where not for your pictures I would not get to see it in breeding colors. Thanks Phil for your my morning coffee site.
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Thanks very much for looking and commenting and I’m happy you enjoyed these photos of our pink friend!
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That’s a lovely pairing! Very pretty.
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They really are some pair!
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Beautiful colors! That must have been a good bug spot to feed at.
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That spoonbill very a *very* bright pink. They were grabbing small shrimp and fish at a pretty good clip there.
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Big spoonie has some entertaining expressions. I love that third shot in this series! Even Mr. Spoonie’s eyes look soft here.
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He does have that “I’m so cute” look down pat. Such an entertainer!
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