Fauna

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Green Heron ~ Butorides virescens ~ Huron River
"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." ~ Elbert Hubbard
Green Heron Butorides vierscens yellow legs velvetgreen back rich chestnut body dark cap small heron heron daggerlike bill sometimes use bait bird shortnecked concealed in vegetation birthday
From *master gallery
Wood Duckling with Mom ~ Aix sponsa ~ Huron River
"I have a room all to myself; it is nature." ~ Henry David Thoreau
wood duck aix sponsa duck duckling waterfowl bird iridescence strong claws juveniles resemble females keep apart from other waterfowl river helmet long tail distinctive shape foragers dabblers strong fliers birthday
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House Sparrow, Near Cliff Swallow Nest ~ Passer domesticus ~ Huron River
"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." ~ William Blake
House Sparrow English Sparrow Passer domesticus not related to other North American sparrows nature outdoors not native bird Cliff Swallow nest birthday
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Baby Goose Down ~ Branta canadensis ~ Huron River
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” ~ Ansel Adams
Huron River outdoors nature Branta canadensis goose gosling down goose down Canada Goose honker waterbird long neck very young birds clad only in down thermal insulation water birthday
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Red-winged Blackbird ~ Agelaius phoeniceus ~ Upper Mahoning River Watershed, Ohio
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."
~ John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Redwinged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus male bird boldly colored abundant glossy black tumbling song territorial blackbird slender conical bill red shoulder patch bordered with yellow agile flyer
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Red-headed Woodpecker ~ Melanerpes erythrocephalus ~ Ohio River Valley
"Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past." ~ Bernice Abbott
Redheaded Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus bird woodpecker flying checkerboard entirely crimson head bold pattern mediumsized red scarlet red head stocky birthday x2
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Assemblé ~ Great Egret ~ Ardea alba ~ Southern Outer Banks
"An Assemblé in classical ballet has many different variations, but the basics are always the same: two legs joining together in the air." ~ ballethub.com
Assemblé Great Egret Ardea alba elegant wetlands svelte yellow bill wading bird bird white feathers shallow water colonial nester coastal marsh outdoors nature egret water birthday
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Another Perspective ~ Least Tern ~ Sternula antillarum ~ Southern Outer Bank Banks
"Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings." ~ Victor Hugo
Least Tern perspective Sternula antillarum nesting site Emerald Isle barrier island Bogue Banks Crystal Coast Eastern Seaboard Eastern North Carolina bird inflight seashore Atlantic Ocean American Tern plunger Species of High Concern loss of nesting habitat seacoast seaside outdoors nature birthday
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Least Tern ~ Sternula antillarum ~ Southern Outer Banks
"No place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film." ~ Robert Adams
Least Tern Tern Sternula antillarum Southern Outer Banks Atlantic Ocean American Tern bird inflight prefers nesting on sandy beaches oldest recorded was at least 24 years plunger Species of High Concern loss of nesting habitat Emerald Isle Bogue Banks seacoast seaside barrier island Crystal Coast Eastern Seaboard Eastern North Carolina outdoors nature birthday
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Brown Pelican ~ Pelecanus occidentalis ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim." ~ Tyler Knott Gregson
pelican brown pelican horizon outdoors nature Pelecanus occidentalis Southern Outer Banks bird soaring Atlantic Ocean sea seaside coast barrier island island water comically elegant oversized bill sinuous neck glide above the surf Eastern Seaboard Eastern North Carolina plungedivers species recovered from pollution seabird stretchy throat pouch updraft surfers wingbeats slow deep powerful nest.in.colonies birthday
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Herring Gull, probably 2nd year ~ Larus argentatus ~ Southern Outer Banks
"The only way to truly know a person is to argue with them. For when they argue in full swing, then they reveal their true character." ~ Anne Frank
Herring Gull 2nd year Larus argentatus Southern Outer Banks Atlantic Ocean ocean seacoast Emerald Isle Bogue Banks Crystal Coast Eastern Seaboard Eastern North Carolina coast sea juveniles are mottled brown 2ndyear brown wgray bird inflight shoreline nature outdoors birthday
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Morning Stroll ~ Southern Outer Banks
“A tear contains an ocean. A photographer is aware of the tiny moments in a persons life that reveal greater truths.” ~ Anonymous
Southern Outer Banks morning stroll beach ocean seaside sea isle island Atlantic Ocean water sand Bogue Banks Emerald Isle Crystal Coast nature waves outdoors seashore birthday
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Laughing Gull ~ Leucophaeus atricilla ~ Southern Outer Banks
"I have a place where dreams are born, and time is never planned. It’s not on any chart, you must find it with your heart.... Just think of lovely things, and your heart will fly on wings...." ~ J.M. Barrie
Leucophaeus.atricilla laughing.gull crisp.black.head strident call bird over beaches gull Eastern Seaboard Crystal Coast Bogue Banks Emerald Isle Southern Outer Banks raucous calls summer visitors to the Northeast yearround on coasts of Southeast and Gulf of Mexico coastal species inflight Atlantic Ocean seacoast island birthday
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European Starling ~ Sturnus vulgaris ~ Huron River and Watershed
Starling Murmations
European.Starling Sturnus vulgaris most numerous songbird U.S.songbird bird glossy iridescence murmations look like fourpointed stars in flight yellow beak in summer Starlling boisterous white spots on wings tight flocks in flight aerial ballet nature outdoors birthday
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Mallard ~ Anas platyrhynchos ~ Huron River
Yoga Backbend: Cobra Pose or Bhugangasana ~ strengthens spine, stimulates abdominal organs, helps relieve stress and fatigue.
Anas.platyrhynchos Mallard duck Huron River river water male gleaming green head black tailcurl dabbling duck wetland habitat bird animal winged birthday
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House Finch ~ Haemorhous mexicanus ~ Huron River and Watershed
"I once knew a man who built his own railroad. It was completely straight. Not one curve in it. He had a reason for that. I don't remember what it was. Reasons get forgotten." Baldabiou, *Silk*
House Finch Finch Haemorhous mexicanus long twittering son smallbodied fairly large beak flat head short wings male relatively shallow notch in tail bouncy flight streaking on flanks bird birthday
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American Goldfinch ~ Spinus tristis; White-breasted Nuthatch ~ Sitta carolinensis ~ Huron River and Watershed
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~ Iain S. Thomas
gold Whitebreasted Nuthatch bird Sitta carolinensis agile chestnut underbelly outdoors nature animal American goldfinch yellow Spinus tristis finch spring acrobatic bouncy.flight songbird birthday
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American Goldfinch ~ Spinus tristis ~ Huron River and Watershed
"I believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings…" ~ Gustave Flaubert
American Goldfinch bird yellow Spinus tristis nature outdoors finch spring male spring acrobatic bouncy flight songbird animal birthday
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White-breasted Nuthatch ~ Sitta carolinensis ~ Huron River and Watershed
"You are continuously discovering how you can ooze more Spirit into your personal life and there's no end to that process. It goes on and on and deepens and deepens and deepens." ~ Arjuna Ardagh
Whitebreasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis bird agile chestnut underbelly outdoors nature animal birthday
From *master gallery
Chipping Sparrow, Feasting After the Rain ~ Spizella passerina ~ Huron River and Watershed
"If you're small and on a search
I've got a feeder for you to perch on."
~ Mark O. Everett
feeder Huron River Watershed after the rain outdoors nature chipping sparrow Spizella passerina sparrow bright rufous cap loud trilling song bird feast birthday
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Downy Woodpecker ~ Picoides pubescens ~ Huron River and Watershed
"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it." ~ Peter Pan
downy woodpecker picoides pubescens Huron River Watershed bird acrobatic forager blackandwite red patch undulating flight path birthday
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another view
"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ Mother Teresa
Oriental Shorthair cat feline green eyes animal pet kitty Maui domestic cat almondshaped eyes triangular head shape muscular body social intelligent vocal related to Abyssinians and Siamese large ears mammal soft fur felis domesticus felid felis catus svelte ebony silver spotted sleek kitten portrait birthday
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Maui Focus
"When I am playing with my cat, how do I know she is not playing with me?" ~ Michel de Mongaigne
Maui focus playing cat kitty kitten Oriental Shorthair feline monochrome birthday
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Mute Swan in Winter ~ Cygnus olor ~ Huron River
"Beauty, picturesqueness, and all loveliness are the food of art." ~ Henry Peach Robinson
swan mute swan Cygnus.olor winter Huron River exotic elegant Russian ballets European fairytales not native to North America nature outdoors river bird waterfowl orange bill with black base white floating monogamous The Ugly Duckling birthday
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Green-eyed Blue
“Meow” means 'woof' in cat.” ~ George Carlin
Oriental Shorthair Blue green eyes cat feline kitty pet comfort domestic furry carnivorous mammal animal house cat felid social species blueticked tabby companion soft indoors good sense of smell alert birthday
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Blue
"Cats are connoisseurs of comfort." ~ James Herriot
cat Oriental Shorthair feline comfort domestic furry carnivorous mammal house cat felid social species blueticked tabby pet companion soft green eyes indoors good sense of smell cover
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Blue, Oriental Shorthair
"It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens." ~ Cynthia E. Varnado
whiskers feline cat kitten Oriental Shorthair carnivorous mammal fur green eyes short snout kitty pet fauna animal
From *master gallery
Blue Daniel Bear ~ Oriental Shorthair
"What greater gift than the love of a cat." ~ Charles Dickens
cat feline Oriental Shorthair animal pet soft furry green eyes Oriental colorful personality svelte elegant sleek almondshaped eyes large flaring ears foundation in Siamese breed sleek and muscular playful affectionate loyal birthday
From *master gallery
Something of Value ~ Great Egret ~ Ardea alba ~ Huron River and Watershed
"I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value." ~ Hermann Hesse
Great Egret Ardea alba Huron River Watershed Michigan holding pond birthday
From *master gallery
Cedar Waxwing, Juvenile ~ Bombycilla cedrorum ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Cedar Waxwing juvenile Bombycilla cedrorum Huron River Watershed Michigan bird
From *master gallery
The Harmony of Starlings ~ European Starling, Juvenile ~ Sturnus vulgaris ~ Michigan
"After a visit to the Wordsworths in the Lake District,
Coleridge caught a glimpse from his stagecoach
Of a gigantic flock of birds as it swooped, rose then fell
Above the frozen, wintry fields of a passing farm.

It was November 1799 and he described the phenomenon
As “a vision” in his Journal, then detailed the way
This “vast flight” drove along “like smoke, and expanded
Then condensed”, then continually shifted shape.

First he saw the starlings as an arc, then as a globe –
A force field of matter that changed from an oblong
Into an ellipse, “glimmering & shivering, dim & shadowy,
Now thickening, deepening and blackening!”

The vision stayed with him all his life – a mystery as to how
“The one be many.” How thousands of creatures
Operated as a single entity, performing extreme stunts
Of swirling acrobatics – free from gravitational pull.

Coleridge was at the time devising an ideal community,
A utopia, which he called a Pantisocracy,
And which, together with his fellow poet, Robert Southey,
He planned to introduce to America.

Now here were starlings creating a miraculous order
Just by instinct. It was an object lesson,
Spelled out by nature herself, as to how human beings
Might happily interact and co-operate.

Watching starlings, on Otmoor, two hundred years later
I saw them spelling out the same lesson:
A towering organism was moving in perfect formation
With no discernible leader. No President.

It whooshed through the air at forty miles an hour.
Each bird reacted to another bird’s movement
In a hundredth of a millisecond. They tumbled and banked
In synchronized, spatial symmetry – collision free.

They moved like iron filings drawn by a magnetic field
To create their sophisticated, aerial society;
A society that flies, instead of creeping along, suborned
By unnatural pressures and alien orders,

And the flock’s structure echoes the physics of magnetism
With each particle’s electron spin
Aligning with its neighbor’s in a symbiotic harmony
Like a metal entity becoming magnetized.

It hints at the discovery of a universal principle
Which seems to tap into a natural order:
A physiological mechanism, happening almost simultaneously,
In birds that are separated by hundreds of feet.

starling 2
Since they can mimic us with an unusual facility
It shouldn’t be too hard to mimic them:
To rise high on nature rather than wrecking it;
To enjoy a life that no one can condemn.

There are no controlling starlings exercising force;
Not a single bird’s left behind in isolation.
Not one wastes time voting – they’d lose height if they did –
It’s anarchy in motion, and a glorious revelation."

~ Heathcote Williams
perching bird Michigan European Starling Sturnus.vulgaris Shakespeare songbird bird dazzling like fourpointed stars in flight serial ballet Darwinian dance murmation juvenile slender beak outdoor nature animal
From *master gallery
Lesson for a Canada Gosling ~ Branta canadensis ~ Huron River and Watershed
"What if I fall? Oh, my Darling, what if you fly?" ~ Eric Hanson
Canada gosling branta canadensis goose Huron River Watershed yellow young
From *master gallery
Song of the Brown Pelican ~ Pelecanus occidentalis ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Those who wish to sing...always find a song." ~ Swedish Proverb
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis elegant Atlantic Ocean Crystal Coast Southern Outer Banks bird birdinflight soaring Bogue Banks glider surf coast coastal Carolinas seashore seaside sea isle island echo of the waves diver seabird Emerald Isle ocean outdoor nature cover
From *master gallery
Osprey ~ Pandion haliaetus ~ Croatan National Forest, North Carolina
for Richard GG ~ fellow photographer and friend ~ who showed me the way to the Osprey
Osprey Pandion haliaetus Croatan National Forest North Carolina birdinflight soaring bird of prey raptor
From *master gallery
Berry Brush, with Cedar Waxwings Feasting ~ Bombycilla cedrorum ~ Croatan National Forest, North Carolina
"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." ~ Henry Miller
berries Cedar Waxwing feast Bombycilla cedrorum Croatan National Forest North Carolina Eastern North Carolina masked bandit
From *master gallery
Brown Pelican ~ Pelecanus occidentalis ~ Southern Outer Banks
"I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen.” ~ A. A. Milne
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis elegant Atlantic Ocean Crystal Coast Southern Outer Banks bird birdinflight soaring Bogue Banks glider surf coast coastal Carolinas sea shore seaside sea isle island echo of the waves diver seabird Emerald Isle ocean outdoor North Carolina nature
From *master gallery
Willet ~ Tringa semipalmata ~ Southern Outer Banks
“Each fresh peak ascended teaches something.” — Sir Martin Convay
Willet Tringa semipalmata Southern Outer Banks Emerald Isle North Carolina island Atlantic Ocean ocean seaside seashore sea nature bird
From *master gallery
Horned Grebes ~ Podiceps auritus ~ Southern Outer Banks
This pair are in prealternate molt ~ mostly in breeding plumage but retaining some winter plumage.
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus Grebe bird Southern Outer Banks North Carolina molt island harbor monogamous intensely territorial intricate courting red and black breeding feathers horns'waterbird diver outdoors nature water animal birthday
From *master gallery
Horned Grebe, transitioning into breeding plumage ~ Podiceps auritus ~ Southern Outer Banks
"If we could see the miracle in a single flower clearly, our whole life would change. " - Buddha
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus breeding plumage Southern Outer Banks North Carolina bird duck redeyed marina Emerald Isle island Intracoastal Waterway Bogue Banks nature
From *master gallery
Double-crested Cormorant ~ Phalacrocorax auritus
"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." ~ Eleonora Duse
double crested cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus prehistoric looking matte black related to frigatebirds and boobies divers waterbird colonial waterbird cormoran à aigrettes cormorán orejudo
From *master gallery
Double-crested Cormorant ~ Phalacrocorax auritus ~ Southern Outer Banks
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
~ T. S. Eliot
Doublecrested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus gangly cormorant Intracoastal waterway marina North Carolina prehistoriclooking fishing.bird relative of frigatebird and boobie diving bird waterbird float low on the water bird black sshaped neck sun themselves with wings widespread Emerald Isle island Crystal Coast Bogue Banks seacoast Atlantic Ocean seaside barrier island
From *master gallery
Red-breasted Merganser, Female ~ Mergus serrator ~ Southern Outer Banks
"The truth is, of course, that what one regards as interruptions are precisely one’s life." ~ C. S. Lewis
Redbreasted Merganser Female Mergus serrator Southern Outer Banks Crystal Coast North Carolina Bogue Banks Atlantic Ocean bird duck Emerald Isle water birthday
From *master gallery
Red-breasted Merganser, Male ~ Mergus serrator ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Our greatest experiences are our quietest moments." ~ Friedrick Neitzsche
Redbreasted Merganser Male Mergus serrator Southern Outer Banks Crystal Coast island Emerald Isle Bogue Banks water bird duck birthday
From *master gallery
Red-breasted Merganser ~ Mergus serrator ~ Southern Outer Banks
"What good are wings without the courage to fly." ~ Atticus
Redbreasted Merganser bird duck Merganser diving duck long thin bill prefers salt water shaggy crest Mergus serrator Southern Outer Banks nature outdoors water Atlantic Ocean birthday
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White Ibis, Spreading its Wings ~ Eudocimus albus ~ Southern Outer Banks
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." ~ E.E. Cummings
White Ibis Eudocimus albus Southern Outer Banks North Carolina estuary wetland southeastern United States red legs red bill wading bird bird black wingtips nest in colonies white blue eyes longlegged coastal wetland nature outdoors birthday
From *master gallery
White Ibis ~ Eudocimus albus ~ Southern Outer Banks
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” ~ Robert Lynd
Ibis Eudocimus albus Southern Outer Banks Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Seaboard shallow wetland estuary red legs red bill males are highly protective coast coastal wetland bird wading bird marsh blue eyes social bird roost and nest in trees water animal
From *master gallery
Double-crested Cormorant ~ Phalacrocorax auritus ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the places and moments that take our breath away." ~ Unknown
Doublecrested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Southern Outer Banks North Carolina Crystal Coast Bogue Banks Bogue Sound Emerald Isle bird
From *master gallery
Double-crested Cormorant ~ Phalacrocorax auritus ~ Southern Outer Banks
Harbor Master
harbor master Doublecrested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Southern Outer Banks North Carolina Crystal Coast Bogue Banks Bogue Sound Emerald Isle bird sunning birthday
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Fauna