“Thanks For Spoiling My Portrait Dude!”

I was at the edge of the salt marsh watching this cormorant fish when it popped up out of the water and decided to pose for a nice portrait. At the same time a brown pelican came floating into view and totally photo bombed the cormorant’s portrait session which seemed to greatly upset the cormorant! So…he started flapping and splashing water all over the place but once the pelican glided quickly by, the cormorant mostly settled down.

The mood however had now been ruined and the cormorant was no longer interested in having his portrait done. He gave me an indignant look (as if it was my fault) then quickly steamed off to continue fishing in a new location. 

Cormorant Portrait Ruined

Cormorant Portrait Ruined

Cormorant Portrait Ruined

Cormorant Portrait Ruined

Cormorant Portrait Ruined

Little Snack For Little Guy

A snowy egret knocks back a tiny minnow that it just plucked from the salt marsh at low tide. If he manages to catch and eat enough of even these little bitty fish, snowball will get a decent meal out of it. 🙂 

Snowy With Tiny Snack

Isn’t He Just The Cutest Little Thing Ever?!?

While our alligator friend is enjoying a nice quiet snooze at the edge of the swamp, a little Pied-billed Grebe goes casually floating by.

I just thought he was so cute! Oh, and I suppose the little grebe is cute as well. 🙂 

Alligator and PB Grebe in Swamp

Now THAT’S More Like It!

After yesterday’s post showing the egret in an embarrassing situation, holding on to a tiny shrimp while being scared off by a pelican, I figured it would be a good idea to show the egret in a much more productive mode!

Here he is plucking a nice size fish out of the salt marsh. So now everybody knows the egret is in fact a fearsome hunter and not just a little scaredy cat.

There….I feel better now that that’s taken care of.  🙂 

Egret With Big Fish in Salt Marsh

“Hey Watch It Pal!!”

This great egret was fishing in the salt marsh recently when a brown pelican suddenly, and unexpectedly, dropped in. This caused the shocked egret to quickly jump out of the way in a bit of a panic.

Notice however, the egret never dropped it’s small snack that it just caught which appears to be a tiny glass shrimp. 

Pelican Drops in on Egret

Pelican Drops in on Egret

Pelican Drops in on Egret

Salt Marsh Slalom Flight Event

This great blue heron expertly navigates his way through the dry reeds during the final round of the Flight Slalom event at the salt marsh.

If his time holds up, he will be the first blue heron to win the Gold (Fish) in an event where the smaller, lighter, terns and hawks usually dominate! 

GBH Slalom Flight Across Salt Marsh

Well He Looks Happy…I Think…

This alligator was out sunning himself in the swamp on a cold February morning and at a quick first glance I thought maybe he looked happy. But since I wasn’t sure and also was not about to ask him, I’m going with happy. It’s just better for everyone that way… 

Alligator Smiling in the Swamp

“Did I Just See Something?!?”

Yes you did Mr. Great Blue Heron, yes you did.

A while back I was watching this blue heron fishing in the salt marsh when he suddenly whipped his head around and went into full alert stalking mode. Did he see something? Well it turns out that yes indeed he did, because he soon plucked this large fish out of the water. After roughing it up a bit, the heron did eventually manage to get his big meal into place for a head first trip down the gullet.

That fish should fill him up nicely! 

GBH Spots Big Fish

GBH Spots Big Fish

GBH Spots Big Fish

GBH Spots Big Fish

GBH Spots Big Fish