on the wing

...

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk ~ Buteo jamaicensis ~ Huron River Watershed, Michigan
"The wild hawk stood with the down on his beak and stared with his foot on the prey." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson
redtailed hawk bird raptor Buteo jamaicensis Huron River Watershed birdofprey buteo shape sharptaloned monogamous animal
From *master gallery
Three Little Goslings ~ Branta canadensis ~ Huron River, Michigan
"The early Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit, 'the wild goose.' And the reason why is they knew that you cannot tame him." ~ John Eldredge
goslings Branta canadensis Huron River Michigan Canada Geese chilsrap honker vformations water animal river
From *master gallery
Great Blue Heron ~ Ardea herodias ~ Pointe Mouillee, Lake Erie
“And I rose
In a rainy autumn
And walked abroad in shower of all my days
High tide and the heron dived when I took the road
Over the border
And the gates
Of the town closed as the town awoke.”
~ Dylan Thomas
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias bird Pointe.Mouilee water animal nature Lake Erie Great Lakes heron majestic bluegray.plumage hollow bones
From *master gallery
Black-necked Stilt, Juvenile ~ Himantopus mexicanus ~ Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio
forager; shallow water wetland; marsh; shorebird; bird; wader; animal; marsh; wetland; Metzger; Ohio; Great Lakes; watershed; water; waterfowl
j van cise photos
From *master gallery
when your rooster crows ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Don't think twice, it's all right." ~ Bob Dylan
rooster gamecock bird male chicke barnyard polygamous lookout cockadoodledo crows any time of day clucker hackles comb wattles feathers farm chicken farm Cobblestone Farm cockerel waltz Persian bird sacred in some cultures animal barn
From *master gallery
Mute Swan ~ Cygnus olor ~ Huron River
“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” ~ Don McCullin
water adaptable cisne vulgar white bird elegant Huron River exotic cygnus olor mute swan swan aquatic habitats river
From *master gallery
Sandhill Crane ~ Antigone canadensis ~ Huron River
"...nobility, won in the march of aeons." ~ Aldo Leopold
Sandhill Crane Antigone.canadensis elegance crimsoncapped gangly grace dancers trumpeters mate for life at least 2.5 millions years old live in open habitats buglers red crown large tall bird slate gray bird bird animal omnivorous Huron River
From *master gallery
House Finch ~ ~ Huron River Watershed
"I'm very happy being me, although sometimes I'd love to be a bird so that I could fly." ~ Joy Fielding
House Finch Finch Haemorhous mexicanus Perching.bird bird sparrow dipped in raspberry juice warbling song backyard animal
From *master gallery
Brown Pelican, Atlantic ~ Pelecanus occidentals ~ Southern Outer Banks
“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” ~ Marc Riboud
bird pelican Brown Pelican Atlantic Ocean Pelecanus occidentals seabird brown skin on throat pouch graybrown bird ocean sea seaside coast water waves divers gliders broad wings wingbeats slow deep powerful sea coast nest in colonies island barrier island North Carolina Eastern Seaboard Eastern North Carolina birdinflight onthewing wave
From *master gallery
Wings of Willets ~ Tringa semipalmata ~ Emerald Isle, North Carolina
“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” ~ Ansel Adams
barrier island coastline shorebird North Carolina Crystal Coast Atlantic Ocean Emerald Isle birdinflight bird Tringa semipalmata willet waves sky water sea ocean animal wings
From *master gallery
Flora ~ Huron River, Michigan
"When I have a camera in my hands, I know no fear." ~ Alfred Eisenstaedt
flora Huron River Michigan grass plant summer
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Willet ~ Tringa semipalmata ~ Emerald Isle
"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
~ Mary Oliver
shorebird distinctive wing markings piercing calls Tringa semipalmata willet Emerald Isle Atlantic Ocean beach Southern Outer Banks North Carolina barrier island sea ocean shore bird sand water
From *master gallery
European Starling, winter/non-breeding adult ~ Sturnus vulgaris ~ Huron River
"Just a dream and the wind to carry me and soon I will be free" ~ Carter Burwell
Sturnus vulgaris European Starling winternonbreeding adult bird songbird blackbird sized look like stars in flight white spots in winter boisterous short square tail black and white undertail yellow bill in summer aerial ballet Shakespeare enthusiasts added 100 to NA little genetic variations from 1st 100 vocal mimic strong flier
From *master gallery
Canada Geese ~ Branta canadensis ~ Huron River
"Time is the coin of your life. You spend it. Do not allow others to spend it for you." ~ Carl Sandburg
Michigan river Canada Goose Branta canadensis blacknecked signature white chinstrap mark honker waterbird bird birdsinflight field grazer vformation in flight water Huron River
From *master gallery
Ring-billed Gull ~ Larus delawarensis Larus delawarensis ~ Southern Outer Banks
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great." ~ "A League of Their Own"
ringbilled gull Larus delawarensis bird acrobat gull sociable opportunistic feeder ocean water sky inflight builtin compass oldest27 years adults play by scooping dropped objects sea waves animal
From *master gallery
Black-Crowned Night-Heron ~ Nycticorax nycticorax ~ Southern Outer Banks
"May the heron carry news of you to the heavens, and the salmon bring the sea's blue grace." ~ James Berlolino
BlackCrowned Night Heron Heron bird Southern Outer Banks North Carolina Emerald Isle stocky bird Pine Knoll Shores Waterway grayandblack plumage longwhite head plume social birds breed in colonies most widespread heron in world black crown foragers in evening roost and nest in groups wetland habitat feed between evening and morning monogamous
From *master gallery
Double-crested Cormorant ~ Phalacrocorax auritus ~ Pine Knoll Waterway, Southern Outer Banks
"In the Greek tale of Ulysses, after a storm broke the mast of Ulysses' raft, a sea nymph disguised herself as a cormorant and handed Ulysses a girdle to keep him afloat while he swam to shore." ~ https://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/subjects/literature/what-does-the-cormorant-bird-symbolize-in-mythology
doublecrested cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus gangly prehistoriclooking fishing bird bird waterbird sshaped crook to neck Pine Knoll Waterway Southern Outer Banks North Carolina Emerald Isle water wings seabird
From *master gallery
Black-Crowned Night-Heron ~ Nycticorax nycticorax ~ Southern Outer Banks
“How often, in the gathering dusk of evening, have we heard its loud, choking squawk and, looking up, have seen its stocky form, dimly outlined against the gray sky and propelled by steady wing beats, as it wings its way high in the air toward its evening feeding place in some distant pond or marsh!” ~ Arthur Bent
BlackCrowned Night Heron bird Southern Outer Banks Nycticorax nycticoras most active at night gray and black plumage long white head plumes heron social birds common in wetlands sky pines birdinflight
From *master gallery
Brown Pelicans at Dusk ~ Pelecanus occidentalis ~ Southern Outer Banks
"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other." ~ Charles Dickens
5236 44628 j van cise photos
From *master gallery
Sandhill Crane ~ Antigone canadensis ~ Huron River Watershed, Michigan
"Nobility, won in the march of aeons." ~ Aldo Leopald
j van cise photos
From *master gallery
Ankole-Watusi (African Long-Horned) Bull ~ Domino's Farms, Michigan
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/ankolewatus
Ankole Watusi African LongHorn Bull cattle African Cattle of Kings ancestry dates back more than 6 000 years bovine animal horns considered sacred striking appearance private herd
Common Grackle ~ Quiscalus quiscula ~ Huron River and Watershed, Michigan (urban feeder)
Land I Love, Nappy Brown
grackle Quiscalus quiscula blackbird glossy iridescent body large and lanky long tail golden eye racuous chatter overall black plumage iridescent blue and bronze bronzed grackle bird tallest longesttailed blackbird nature outdoors birthday
From *master gallery
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
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
Resting in the Sunlight ~ Huron River and Watershed
"And remember how final a hush then descended of old on the bush." ~ Robert Frost
hush shadow bush nature outdoors sitting resting sunlight Huron River Watershed insect macro leaf birthday
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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
From *master gallery
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
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
summertime ~ Huron River and Watershed
"Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry.

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by."
~ George Gershwin
summertime outdoors nature wings 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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
Feral Rock Pigeons in the Morning Sun ~ Columba livia ~ Huron River
"I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see....
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow ~ ....
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
Rock Pigeon feral Columba livia orange eyes shadows pigeon bird morning bridge nature outdoors sense earth's magnetic field domesticated more than 5K years ago birthday
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
tethers ~ Southern Outer Banks
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~ Mark Twain
kite tethers recreation kiting kiteboarding kitesurfing sport synergy of wind and water beach Southern Outer Banks Eastern Seaboard Eastern North Carolina Bogue Banks Emerald Isle barrier island Atlantic Ocean sea seaside seacoast harness the wind dream of flying pilot majestic swoops outdoors birthday
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
Sanderling ~ Calidris alba ~ Great Lakes and Watersheds
"All good things are wild and free." ~ Henry David Thoreau
Sanderling Calidris alba Lake Michigan sand surf beach bird peep sandpiper shorebird breed only on High Arctic tundra winter along beaches wave chasers water nature outdoors birthday
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
From *master gallery
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
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
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
From *master gallery

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