More wading birds: American Avocets

An American Avocet, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

When I revisited the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ, on the day after Christmas, 2011, I saw a white spot sitting on a mud bank in the distance of one of the Preserve's larger ponds.  I couldn't make out what it was, even after zooming all the way in with my 500mm Sigma lens. Whatever bird it was, it was sleeping and had its head tucked under wing and had its back to my viewpoint. I finally gave up and moved on. A pond later I saw some long-legged white/black birds wading through the shallow water. I became excited because I knew immediately that they were American Avocets (pronounced A-vo-set) (Above), and they would be an addition to my Life List. However, they were extremely backlit by the sun and didn't make for very good photography. I took some photos and I decided that I would hike around to the opposite shore of the pond to try to get good light, hoping they would still be present.

A nice reflection of an American Avocet, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

More than a half an hour later,  I reached the other side of the pond and the Avocets had moved, but I found them at another part of the pond and they were even closer and in better light than I could have hoped for (Below).

An American Avocet, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

An American Avocet dipping its head in the water in search of a meal, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

An American Avocet sweeping its bill back and forth to stir up a meal, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

Not only are these Avocets beautiful birds, even in their non-breeding plumage (all these pics), but they are fun to watch as they sweep their long up-turned bills from side to side in the water, to stir up insects, crustaceans, and invertebrates, their favorite meals (Above).

An American Avocet, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

American Avocets are a western bird commonly found wading in shallow ponds from texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico spreading north to Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, the Dakotas and into south central Canada. They can also be found further west in Washington, Oregon, N. California and Nevada. I felt extremely luck to find this wader in Arizona where it can be seen in a small pocket in the souheastern corner.

An American Avocet, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

On my return trip out of the Preserve, I passed the mud bank where the I first noticed the "white spot." wich was no longer there, but I saw another American Avocet asleep (Below) in the water much closer to the shore I was on, and I concluded that the "white spot" must have been an American Avocet.

A sleeping American Avocet on one leg, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

Wading birds: Black-necked Stilts

Graceful Black-necked Stilts, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011

Black-necked Stilts (Above) were in abundance at the Riparian Preserve at Water ranch late last December. I probably saw 4-5 dozen each of the two days I spent observing and photographing birds in this wonederful nature preserve.  These waders are fun to watch as they gracefully tip-toe through the shallow pnds and mud flats.

This wary Black-necked Stilt kept approaching nearer, even though I was only a few yards away, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2011

A picture-perfect mirror image of a Black-necked Stilt, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011

Their long red legs in contrast to their black and white plumage adds a nice spot of color in the photographs, especially when they are reflected in the blue /green pools of water.

A Black-necked Stilt walking past  the much larger Great Blue Heron (behind), Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011

Black-necked Stilts at 14" long are a good-sized bird, but next to the 46" Great Blue Heron, it seems quite small (Above).

Another great reflection pic of a Black-necked Stilt, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011

Snowy Egret catching a fish

A Snowy Egret catching a fish,  Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2012.

This is no April Fools gag. I was in the right place at the right time to be able to witness and photograph a Snowy Egret catching a fish (Above and Below).  He looks like he is dancing on the water as he is trying to establish a good grip on the unfortunate fish.

It gets a firm hold...

... and turns to make its getaway with meal in tow...

Nothing will take this well-earned catch from it ...

... and off he goes to feast.

I love the burst mode on my Canon Rebel T1i.

Egret Weekend! Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch

The Great Egrets show off why they are called "Great" next to the smaller Snowy Egret, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2012.

I saw 75% of the North American Egret species in one spot last December. The only one missing was the Reddish Egret. The three I saw were Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets (Above) and Cattle Egrets (Below).

Cattle Egrets foraging in a grassy field of the Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2012.

For the past few weekends, I have been extolling the merits of the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ.  Bird lovers must visit this preserve as it includes ponds, wetlands, mud flats, marshes, chaparral, wooded areas, flower gardens and much more that would attract birds in the middle of the Arizona desert.

A pair of Snowy Egrets resting, but keeping watch for a meal opportunity next to a pond, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2012.

I spotted the Snowy (Above) and Great Egrets first,  as both species were hanging around a deep pond. The Snowys stayed in the same area, but the Great Egrets (Below) were spread out in many different areas of the Preserve.

A Great Egret strutting its stuff, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2012.

Great Egrets are the largest of the three at 39" long with a wingspan of over 4 feet. In the summer months, I often see Great Egrets up north in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin where I do most of my birding.

A Cattle Egret, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2012.

Later I spotted a small stampede of about 6-7 Cattle Egrets (Above) foraging in the tall grass of an open field next to a mud flat. The first time I saw a Cattle Egret was 4 summers ago while visiting Hawaii. They will venture into southern and central Illinois, but I have not seen them in the Northern part of Illinois. But there are pockets in northeastern Wisconsin and North Dakota where they are commonly seen. cattle Egrets are the smallest of the North American Egrets growing to 20" n length with a 3 foot wingspan.

A Great Egret searching for its next meal, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2012.

Tomorrow I will feature a series of photos of a Snowy Egret catching a fish.

Great Blue Herons at the Riparian preserve

This Great Blue Heron is enjoying its meal; Riparian preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

Wherever there is water and fish to be found, you can be sure to find a Great Blue Heron. Likewise I saw a few at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ, last December.

He is looking pretty satisfied after gulping down its midday meal.

Is it Wild or Domestic? Chinese White Geese & ABA Rules

We birders (which I guess I now must consider myself one - since I have started to keep a list of the birds I have seen - although novice as I am) pride ourselves in three main talents in varying degrees: 1.) How many different species of birds we have been able to observe in the wild and identify them.  2.) Being able to identify a wild bird by its sound (song, call, etc.), 3.) Being able to identify a wild bird by its appearance and/or habits. My interest in birds evolved from my love of nature and nature photography. Being a birder at first was secondary to getting a good photograph, and getting a good photograph is indeed a challenge. Then seeking a good photograph of a bird has lead me to want to get as many photographs of differerent species as possible which in turn has led me to want to travel to areas where I might be able to see a bird I have not seen or photographed.  Hence, I became a birder.

Getting a Magnificent Frigatebird in flight displaying its inflated red gular pouch is a an example of a good photograph

Then there are those hard core birders (Of which I am not one ... yet) who not only keep lists of how many different species of wild birds they have seen, but keep different lists of when and where they have seen a wild bird: a.) in a year, b.) in a month, c.) in a day, d.) in a particular region: continent, country, state, county, park, yard, feeding station etc. (Um... I guess I keep track of some of those).  Regardless of when and where, there is a common term involved, and that term is "wild." There certainly wouldn't be much of a challenge to see or photograph birds that are held in captivity such as raised on farms, or kept in zoos (Below). The thrill of the chase, the discovery, and the patience (and luck) that is involved in getting a good photograph is what makes it satisfying. I myself am happy to be able to see a new species of bird that I have not seen before, but getting a good photograph of it is what makes it a fantastic experience for me (Above).

This Wattled Crane was a captive at the interantional Crane Institute, but would be considered wild in Africa. Baraboo, WI; 7/31/10.

This trio of Chinese White Geese appeared at the Riparian Preserve. Are these wild? Gilbert, AZ; 12/24/2011.

This raises the question about what makes a bird wild. When a bird is not in captivity and is not owned by anyone is it wild?  We would assume so. Ah ... but not so fast. What if it was in captivity at one time and escaped and lived the remainder of its life "free." Is this bird considered wild? If I saw a bird such as this, could I count it on my list of wild birds I have seen? What if the bird is an offspring of a bird that was once held in captivity, but has subsequently escaped, and was conceived and hatched and raised in the wild? This bird IS obviously wild, but is it considered as species of a wild bird? While I was photgraphing birds in the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert Arizona, I saw up to 40 differet species of birds. But one species was the Chinese White Geese (Above). They were obviously living and thriving in the wild and were not the subject of anyone's ownership. These birds are considered domestic fowl (raised on farms in Russia and China) and are not included in any Bird Guide that I own (I own six different bird guide books) as a wild species. According to the ABA (American Birding Association) Chinese White Geese are not on their list of birds that birders are allowed to count as a wild species.

To be wild or not to be wild - that is the question. Is this "Wild Jungle Fowl," which is listed in many Hawaiian Bird Guides as a bird in Hawaii, accepted on the ABA list of wild birds? It seems that it would be considered wild because of Rule #3iii (below). But "wild" jungle fowl is not listed, whereas "Red" Jungle Fowl is. But the bird (Above) is more likely to be a hybrid offspring of an escaped domestic chicken with a Red Jungle Fowl. These offspring are called "Wld" Jungle Fowl. Is it then not considered wild because of Rule#3iv?  ; Oahu, June, 2008.

The ABA  developed  a code for "birding" thirty years ago and has been amended as recent as 1999.

Members who submit lifelist and annual list totals to the ABA for publication in their annual List Report must observe the ABA Recording Rules. A bird included in totals submitted for ABA lists must have been encountered in accordance with the following 5 rules:

(1) The bird must have been within the prescribed area and time-period when encountered.

(2) The bird must have been a species currently accepted by the ABA Checklist Committee for lists within its area, or by the A.O.U. Checklist for lists outside the ABA area and within the A.O.U. area, or by Clements for all other areas.

(3) The bird must have been alive, wild, and unrestrained when encountered. ***

(4) Diagnostic field-marks for the bird, sufficient to identify to species, must have been seen and/or heard and/or documented by the recorder at the time of the encounter.

(5) The bird must have been encountered under conditions that conform to the ABA Code of Birding Ethics.

Okay, so I put an asterick (or two or three) next to #3 above.  Below is the ABA's definition of what is considered "wild" bird:

“Wild” means that the bird’s occurrence at the time and place of observation is not because it, or its recent ancestors, has ever been transported or otherwise assisted by man.
(i) An otherwise wild bird that voluntarily uses or is attracted to a feeder, nest box, tape recorder, ship at sea, or other nonnatural device without being captured is still considered to be wild. Physical contact between an observer and a bird does not automatically preclude a bird from being counted, as there are situations where wild birds have learned to eat from outstretched hands, or have used people as temporary perches.
(ii) A species observed far from its normal range may be counted if in the observer’s best judgment and knowledge it arrived there unassisted by man. A wild bird following or riding a ship at sea,
without being captured, is considered to be traveling unassisted by man.
(iii) Birds descendant from escapes or released birds are considered “wild” when they are part of a population which meets the ABA definition of an established introduced population (see the Hawaiian Wild Jungle Fowl Above).
(iv) A bird that is not wild and which later moves unassisted to a new location or undergoes a natural migration is still not wild.
C.“Unrestrained” means not held captive in a cage, trap, mistnet, hand, or by any other means and not under the influence of such captivity. A bird is considered under the influence of captivity after its release until it regains the activities and movements of a bird which has not been captured.
(i) A bird is under the influence of captivity during its initial flight away from its release point and during subsequent activity reasonably influenced by the captivity, such as initial perching and preening or early sleeping or roosting near the release point.
(ii) A nocturnal species released during daylight which goes to roost near the point of release is considered under the influence of captivity until the next nightfall, when it has left its roost and
begun normal nocturnal activities.

FYI, there are 13 species of geese accepted by the ABA. They are listed below (The * notes which geese I have seen and photographed):

Taiga Bean-Goose
Tundra Bean-Goose
Pink-footed Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose *
Lesser White-fronted Goose
Graylag Goose
Emperor Goose
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose *
Brant
Barnacle Goose *
Cackling Goose *
Canada Goose *

Northern Shovelers

A male Northern Shoveler, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

A couple of pairs of Northern Shovelers were present at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ. The colorful male (Above) sports rufous flanks offset with a white breast and undertail. Its back is comprised of darker blackish / bluish feathers streaked with white edges. The Shoveler's dark green head and piercing yellow eyes holds its trademark very large black bill.

A female Northern Shoveler, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

The female (Above) is less colorful, mostly mottled with varigated colors of brown, but its bill is no less striking than its male counterpart. The female's bill is orange with a gray upper mandible.

A Northern Shovelr with a muddy bill from its searching the shallow pond for plankton, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

Shovelers are named for the way they use their bill. They swim with their heads stretched out in front of them scooping up plankton off the surface of a pond. Their large spoon-shaped bills have comblike projections along its edges which allow the water and mud to filter out leaving the food inside. The photo (Above) shows the muddy bill of a female after it has completed her shovelling up food from the muddy marsh.

Another colorful male Northern Shoveler, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

Summers will find the Northern Shovelers in the north western quadrant of North America (Alaska, Western half of Canada, and the North midwestern and western states of the U.S. In winter they will migrate to the southern third of the U.S. and into Mexico.
I always enjoy photographing Northern Shovelers as they always make for good bird photography with their unique pofile and their colorful plumage.