Cool Nature Photos

[deserteagle71]

Hawk chowing down on a dove he grabbed out of my yard. Ravens plotting a way to get the dove away from the hawk.............

 

[oosik]

With bass in my lake - I have a similar situation some winters. A pair of river otters will arrive in the dead of winter and stay for a week or so. They catch bass and make a pile of 3 or more up on the ice. Then they rest and chow down. A bald eagle will swoop down - temporarily frighten the otter & it will grab a bass off their pile. Flies out to the center of the lake - begins to eat the bass. Lordy - here come the Magpies - trying to get the bass away from the eagle.

It's Mother Natures three ring circus.

 

[MossRoad]

My wife and I were out for a walk the other day by a river. Was watching a great blue heron fly over. When it got to the other side of the river from us, I noticed it got to some trees behind the bank trees and started flapping like it was going to land in the top of the trees. Never seen that before. Well, then I noticed through some breaks in the branches that it landed on a pile of sticks in the top of the tree. A nest! Then I saw a bunch of other things moving and it was a bunch of herons on a bunch of nests all in one tree. I've heard of heron rookeries, and have seen them in books, TV, etc... but never seen one in person. No way for me to get a decent picture with a camera from that far away, with all the other branches in the way. Pretty neat to see that after all these years.

 

[/pine]

My wife and I were out for a walk the other day by a river. Was watching a great blue heron fly over. When it got to the other side of the river from us, I noticed it got to some trees behind the bank trees and started flapping like it was going to land in the top of the trees. Never seen that before. Well, then I noticed through some breaks in the branches that it landed on a pile of sticks in the top of the tree. A nest! Then I saw a bunch of other things moving and it was a bunch of herons on a bunch of nests all in one tree. I've heard of heron rookeries, and have seen them in books, TV, etc... but never seen one in person. No way for me to get a decent picture with a camera from that far away, with all the other branches in the way. Pretty neat to see that after all these years.

Where I grew up along the inter coastal waterway there were several spoil islands completely covered with mangroves...many were nesting rookeries for several different species of sea birds (sever varieties of herons etc...)...they were usually referred to as "bird **** islands"....you always wanted to stay upwind of them...especially in the summer months...

On a side note...Anyone that likes to fish should always remember to recover any and all discarded or unwanted fishing line...it's an absolute horror what it can do to birds that get tangled...!

 

[snymat68]

Some shots from this past Saturday (near Slippery Rock, PA).
As always, click thumbnails to view high-res versions.

Tree Swallow (Adult Male)
Scarlet Tanager (Breeding Male)
American Goldfinch (Breeding Female)
Eastern Song Sparrow (Adult)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Female)
Chipmunk
Crabapple Blossoms



Mating Tree Swallows
I feel like the commentary for the 3rd photo is... :laughing:
Her: "Herold, is he watching us?"
Him: "Hey buddy, this ain't no peep show!"


Killdeer (Adult)
Great Blue Heron (Adult)
Red-winged Blackbird (Breeding Male)
Common Grackle (Adult Male)
"Reflections"


H e l l's Hollow Waterfall

 

[deserteagle71]

Some shots from this past Saturday (near Slippery Rock, PA).

Outstanding work, snymat68! Sure wish there was a "Like" button I could use.

I grew up in NE PA and went to school in State College so those bring back memories!

 

[cqaigy2]

Outstanding work, snymat68! Sure wish there was a "Like" button I could use.

I grew up in NE PA and went to school in State College so those bring back memories!

Yup, i'd be mashing the like button. Those are outstanding bird pictures!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Bird ****

 

[snymat68]

Outstanding work, snymat68! Sure wish there was a "Like" button I could use.

I grew up in NE PA and went to school in State College so those bring back memories!

That's pretty funny. I grew up not far from State College and went to school in NE PA! :laughing:
And thanks!

Yup, i'd be mashing the like button. Those are outstanding bird pictures!

Thanks!

Bird ****

Trust me when I say these weren't even the raciest ones. :laughing:

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Another nice sunset