Anhinga, ready for his close-up

Anhingas are some of my favorite birds, and I spent some time this last winter visiting them down south where they live.

 Look at this guy all decked out in his spectacular breeding plumage!

This flirty male has it all going on.

Anhingas are not waterproof, so they often sit in the sun with their wings out to dry off. I've never seen one looking so punkish, though.

Although they're not waterproof, Anhingas still have an oil gland at the base of their tail that they use when grooming. 

So pretty.

Females have a lighter head and neck.

This is another male doing a snakey dance on a railing.

This individual remained on the railing as I spent time photographing other things. He seemed to be waiting for an audience.

This is a typical sighting of an Anhinga perched along the shore of a lake.

And this is what you see when they're hunting in the water: just a needle-tipped serpentine head.

I've posted photos of this sculpture before, but I really love it and have to photograph it every time I see it. It's the work of Paul Eppling and is perched along the lake shore of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St Petersburg, Florida. Boyd Hill is home to many of the sculptor's artworks.

Birds of a feather...

 

 

Tompkins Square hawks have one last fling before full-time brooding

Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawks, Amelia and Charlie, are officially into their brooding season. Amelia is spending most of her time in the nest, and Charlie can be seen giving her periodic breaks throughout out the day.

Below, the pair perch in a tree. Amelia looms over Charlie. 

Charlie enjoying some late afternoon sun:

Amelia:

Amelia looking fluffy:

This instance was probably the last time I'll be seeing the pair mate this season.

The whole sequence took about five seconds.

Amelia and Charlie:

Amelia:

Charlie perched on the nest just before evening:

When they're in the nest, it's very difficult to see the hawks. When the tree blooms, it might become impossible. But, we will be able to see them as they take turns incubating and taking meals.

 

For the best up-close look at what goes on in a hawk nest, check out Cornell University's live cam featuring Big Red and Arthur. Big Red laid her first egg of the season on Monday, so tune in to see her lay her full clutch, which is most likely to be three.

 

Revisiting Florida Scrub-Jays

Last year, I took a trip to Florida to meet Florida-Scrub Jays. This last February, when NYC was experiencing endless snow and cold, I took another trip to hang out with these little blue characters.

I went to a park where I had seen some before and, sure enough, they showed up to check us out.

All of the adults are banded and known to biologists. The jays live in family groups and this one appeared to be composed of five or six individuals.

Two of them came to the ground to go on a foraging expedition.

One came back up with some seed pods in its mouth.

After making sure no one was watching, this jay took the seeds to the ground and buried them for later.

Florida Scrub-Jays are endemic to Florida and are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act, meaning they are likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.

 

The 2025 State of the Birds report lists Florida Scrub-Jay as a Red Alert Tipping Point species, meaning that it has lost more than 50% of its population in the past 50 years, has a perilously low population, and has shown steep declining trends. This is due primarily to habitat loss (human development).

 

Learn more about these wonderful birds and how to help them at the Florida Wildlife Federation's website. 

Bald Eagles tussle over a fish

In February, I visited a spot I like for viewing Bald Eagles and, sure enough, there were a couple of immature birds battling over a fish.

The two eagles chased each other around and displayed some incredible acrobatics in the air.

I'm not sure what type of fish the eagle has, but it appears to be yellow.

The second eagle tried to grab the fish, but the first eagle hung on tight.

Things got a little heated...

The second eagle kept diving at the first eagle.

Oh noes!

The eagles continued to go at it after the fish fell.

As they were distracted, a bunch of vultures moved in on the dropped fish. I was too far away to get good photos of the vultures, but I caught the eagles flying off, perhaps to do more fishing.

Last year, I had a close encounter with some immature Bald Eagles playing around in the same area. I had set out to find different birds, but the eagles stole the show and really made my day.