Laura G.

A male and female goose couple raise their bodies out of the water and flap there wings to shake off the water after taking their morning baths just as the sun was rising.

I know some look down or dismiss photos of common birds, but I always enjoy photos of geese in the early morning just as the sun is coming up and they are starting their day. This couple swam towards me this morning and I was able to get quite a few different photos.

#birds #birdphotography #nature

Paper hearts decorate a light pole.

3 paper hearts stuck to the back of a van.

Red paper hearts stuck to the entrance of a house.

Paper hearts stuck to a fence in front of a house.

Apparently it's a Valentines Day tradition in St Pete FL to plaster the entire neighborhood with red paper hearts. Every car, street sign and house is covered. Spread the love! ❤️

The St Pete Pier at sunset with a flock of shorebirds in the foreground.

Sunset with Black Skimmers, Willets, Marbled Godwits, Dowitchers, and Laughing Gulls. 🪶
St Petersburg, FL.

An American Alligator swims towards the camera.

Sometimes I'd like to be like this guy, drifting through warm water in the sun like a giant bitey pool floaty. 🐊
Seen in St Pete, FL.

LOL! Definitely bullying going on...

I once watched a pair of RTHAs allow a Cooper's hawk to hunt in their territory, then steal its catch (a starling). I thought they were smart to let another hawk do all the work to catch lunch.

A Brown Pelican skims the top of a lake with its open beak as it hunts for prey in some shallow water. The bird is gray with a white stripe running from its eye down its throat. Its wings are outstretched and its bright yellow eye gives it kind of a crazed expression.

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #OpenBeak so here is the very large open beak of a Brown Pelican as it skims the shallow water of a lake while hunting for prey. 🪶

Very pretty!

Thanks, Helen!

Thank you 😊

An Abdim's Stork looks straight at the camera. The bird has a dark purple neck and head with a large rough orange bill. The background is black.

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme #EyeContact - this is a portrait of an Abdim's Stork. It's dark purple plumage makes it almost invisible against the dark background. 🪶

She's out at Coney Island. I kept going out there until I could get a decent photo...even in a snow squall lol.

A female Common Eider floats in the water and shows off her beautiful brown patterned plumage.

A female Common Eider sits up in the water and stretches out her wings.

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BrownIsBeautiful - here is a female Common Eider duck showing off her multi-shades of brown and intricate patterns. 🪶
#Ducks

An immature Red-Shouldered Hawk perches on a railing in the Lower East Side neighborhood of NYC.

Today's hawk: this immature Red-Shouldered Hawk perches on a railing in the heart of the Lower East Side, NYC. This individual has found an area in the city where pigeon prey is abundant. 🪶
#Raptors

An Echo Most caterpillar scoots across a sandy path. It has black and yellow stripes with rusty red spikes.

Forbidden fuzzy: an Echo Moth caterpillar scoots across a sandy path. I encountered many of these last spring in Florida. 🐛

Two Burrowing Owls stand in a field next to their burrow and look towards the camera. This photo was taken with a telephoto lens and cropped.

Timeline cleanse: a pair of Burrowing Owls appear unamused by your shenanigans. 🪶💙

Thank you!

A Red-Tailed Hawk leaps to an air-conditioner in the window of an apartment building. Air-conditioners and fire escapes provide nice perches for urban birds.

Today's hawk: a young Red-Tailed Hawk leaps to an air-conditioner in the window of an apartment building. In NYC, air-conditioners and fire escapes provide convenient perching places for these urban raptors. 🪶
#Raptors

A Red-Tailed hawk perches in a tree during a snow storm. Ice crystals are stuck to his face.

Today's hawk: a Red-Tailed hawk toughs it out in a snowstorm, ice crystals sticking to his face. When it's cold and the weather is hostile, the hawk hunkers down and waits it out. 🪶
#Raptors

Snow covers the beach at Coney Island, NYC. A sprinkler in the shape of a palm tree is lonely and covered in snow.

I was not expecting serious snow today, but here we are at the beach at Coney Island which is covered in snow. The eerie calls of Black Scoters fill the air.
#nyc

A Cooper's Hawk flies across a blue sky. The hawk is mostly white with brown barring on its wings and body. It has a bright yellow eye and a fierce look on its face.

Today's hawk: a Cooper's Hawk goes zipping after who knows what. Its fierce expression shows it's on a mission. 🪶
#Raptors

☺️

A young Red-Tailed hawk soars across a wintry background. It is nearly all brown, with a bright yellow eye. Its tail is spread to show a beautiful barred pattern.

Today's hawk: a young Red-Tailed hawk flies across a wintry landscape of bare trees and gray sky. Its bright yellow eye is focused on the next best thing. 🪶
#Raptors

A Red-Tailed Hawk perches on the white dome of a building. A Kestrel casts a shadow on the side of the dome above the hawk.

Today's hawk: a Red-Tailed Hawk perches on the dome of a building while a Kestrel (out of frame) casts a shadow on the wall behind it. 🪶
#Raptors

Thank you!

A Black-Bellied Plover in non-breeding plumage walks alone across a patch of sand on a rocky beach.

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Solitude and I think this Black-Bellied Plover fits the bill. It explores a patch of sand on a rocky beach, a bit of sun illuminating its way. 🪶

Behold this amazing creature.

Wow!

Thank you!

I like your theory ☺️