Rough Day For Fishing

On one of our recent very cold days, this great blue heron patrols the freezing salt marsh in search of a fish. Even though the weather is bad, the birds still have to be out there hunting if they want a meal.

The heron caught no fish on this attempt, so he flew off across the reeds turned brown by winter in search of better fishing grounds… 

Great Blue Heron Feeding in the Winter Marsh

Great Blue Heron Feeding in the Winter Marsh

Great Blue Heron Feeding in the Winter Marsh

The Quintet

Unwanted Baggage…

Earlier this week I glanced up and noticed this hawk zipping by quickly above me as I stood on the edge of the marsh. It was not until I looked at the images later that I realized the bird was trailing something behind it. I believe it is fishing line and if that’s the case it may have a hook stuck in it somewhere. Many times I have seen pelicans with hooks and fishing lures stuck in them and that’s often of a result of how they fish and glide low just above the ocean near shore where they get snagged by people surf fishing.

I don’t know how a hawk got snagged but I hope he can work free of it… 

Hawk with Fishing Line

Incoming Flight

Earlier this week I watched an adult brown pelican come gliding in from out over the salt marsh. Soon he was joined topside by a friend, then flew solo again across the water. 

Brown Pelicans Fly In

Brown Pelicans Fly In

Brown Pelicans Fly In

Surrounded!

Yesterday afternoon this cormorant who was fishing under water in the marsh pond, popped up right in the midst of six huge white pelicans. Cormorants can travel a distance under water when searching out a meal and I bet this one was more then a little surprised when he surfaced in front of this group! 

Surrounded

“Are You Going To Eat That All By Yourself?”

This afternoon a great blue heron plucked a fish out of the marsh pond then paraded it around in front of a hungry looking egret. But…the blue heron was not in the mood to share, and the poor egret was left to go catch his own fish or stay hungry. 

GBH with Fish and Egret

White Pelicans At Sunset

There was a small group of white pelicans hanging around in the marsh pond this afternoon doing their usual thing. I stayed to watch them until just prior to sunset, when these three came floating close to me lit by the warm setting sunlight. 

White Pelicans at Sunset

White Pelicans at Sunset

White Pelicans at Sunset

Mister Hoodie

This male hooded merganser was among the group that had to scramble to get out of the way of the incoming white pelican earlier this week.

It seems like the whole experience might have got this fellow a bit flustered…but it’s always hard to tell with hoodies because they are wacky little ducks and at times quite comical! 

Hoodie in the Marsh Pond

Hoodie in the Marsh Pond

Hoodie in the Marsh Pond

Hoodie in the Marsh Pond