In Focus Daily

Yesterday, Merlin Bird ID said my bird of the day was the Glossy Ibis. That was not the case. My bird of the day was the Limpkin! The Limpkin is larger than an Ibis and looks similar in flight but the coloring is different and they apparently aren’t closely related. We had expected to start our Florida trip at the Orlando Wetlands which surprisingly (to us anyway) is closed on Mondays. Plan B took us to an area that was filled with Limpkins. And in the afternoon, we found more Limpkins. Limpkins eat primarily snails and small clams. In the second shot, the Limpkin has a small clam, complete with what appears to be nori to complement its sushi meal.

Saturday morning I arrived at the Ferrari Pond Trail just at sunrise. As I walked along the trail, I kept my eyes peeled so I wouldn’t miss anything in the dim light. As I looked from side to side, I noticed a dark shape on a rock. It was a Red-tailed Hawk and the hawk had just captured a vole. I watched and photographed for quite a while as the hawk consumed the unlucky creature. After it had consumed every morsel, the hawk flew to a nearby tree where it proceeded to strop its beak on a bare twig. It was fascinating to watch the entire process. This is the same young Red-tailed Hawk that has been frequenting the trail for a few weeks. When I moved closer, the hawk didn’t mind so I took quite a few head shots as the sun rose above the horizon. The sun, the clouds, and the horizon are all reflected in the hawk’s eye.

The other morning, Mr. and Mrs. Merganser were paddling around Angler’s Cove, disappearing briefly as they dove under water, then emerging again. Only the female Hooded Merganser had raised her crest. They swam in circles for a brief time, then turned and disappeared under the Ingram Parkway bridge. Last spring they had chicks. I’m looking forward to photographing their chicks here soon.

And, “you’ll never break, never break, never break, never break this heart of stone, oh, no, no, no.” So sang Mick Jagger in 1964. Sixty-two years later, a heart of stone appeared through the snow at The Brink of Upper Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I could hear Mick’s voice singing in the back of my mind as I was photographing this ephemeral heart. Maybe you can’t break it, but you can melt it. Happy Valentine’s Day!

The White-crowned Sparrows seem to be everywhere right now. They’re foraging in my backyard and spending time along the Ferrari Pond Trail. This one had a stare-down with my camera lens.

Tuesday was my last chance at getting decent photographs of my Lily Magnolia. When I arrived home from my last trip less than two weeks ago, I was surprised to see it fully budded and bursting into bloom even though it was still January. The weather was bright and sunny in the following days causing almost all of the blooms open. Then, as the weather began to change and the breezes quickened, just as suddenly, the petals were pummeled and dropping off onto the ground. Yesterday and today, intermittent rain dropped more petals. There are almost as many petals now on the ground surrounding the tree as remain on it. This was one of the last few flowers just beginning to open when I went out Tuesday. It was too breezy to try focus stacking so I went with a single shot.

Phoebes are flycatchers and this Black Phoebe is waiting and watching for flies in the meadow along Ferrari Pond Trail in Lincoln. Phoebes will sit still on an exposed twig and when a fly is near, they will fly up, capture (usually) the unsuspecting insect, and land back on the perch. Almost every morning when I arrive, a Black Phoebe or two flit among the branches near the parking lot. I don’t usually photograph them there because there is no clear shot of them, too many twigs and branches in the way. Out on the meadow, the dried grasses make the perfect background.

The Snowy Egrets at the Salt Pond are stark white and stand out from the blue water, an intense blue from the blue skies reflected on it. We’ve had a few days of bright, sunny weather after weeks of gloomy fog so the blue skies and blue waters are welcome. So are the Snowy Egrets that have returned to the Salt Pond to hunt, swishing their feet in the shallow waters to stir up prey.

The Salt Pond along the Ferrari Pond Trail has water in it and that is bringing in water fowl and shorebirds. An American White Pelican even flapped down into it the other day. The male Cinnamon and Green-winged Teals are showing signs of territorial prerogative, chasing after any perceived competitors as the females paddle idly about, ignoring the splashing antics of the males. The male Cinnamon Teals are strikingly colored, especially in the early morning sun and their bright red eyes make a startling accent. This male has been dipping beneath the surface in search of something to eat so the water drops have beaded on and his head and a single drop falls from his beak.

A River Otter, relaxed and chill on a very sunny afternoon in Yellowstone last week, watched us from the edge of a pond. As we watched, it lay flat and slid through the snow. It was either playing or attempting to scratch an itch. After several minutes of frolicking, it slid into the water and swam across the pond. Then it disappeared from view into a safe hiding place on the shore.

For such a tiny bird, the adorable Oak Titmouse has a big sound. Yesterday along the Ferrari Pond Trail, we could hear a consistent chirping, the distinct call of the Oak Titmouse, long before we saw it. At the end of the trail, there it was, perched in a leafless fruit tree chattering away. With its distinctive top knot and continuous calling, it is easy to identify.

A Red-tailed Hawk has been frequenting the trees along Ferrari Pond Trail in Lincoln. It’s been there for a few weeks, off and on, not concerned about the proximity of walkers (and photographers) nearby. A couple of days ago, it perched atop a Coast Redwood Tree.

This GBH (AKA Great Blue Heron) seemed frozen in place the other morning at Angler’s Cove. Poised and alert to pounce when something passed, the bird didn’t move for at least ten minutes. I kept focused the whole time, thinking it would dip into the water and emerge with a crawfish or something else but the GBH’s attention span outlasted mine. I finally gave up and left it standing, still frozen in place.

With his perky topknot and feathers puffed up to guard against the chilly air, this California Quail perched on a bramble of blackberry vine off the Ferrari Pond Trail yesterday morning. The California Quail is California’s state bird. It wasn’t until I moved to Lincoln that I have seen this bird regularly, and not just with fleeting glances as they disappear into the shrubbery but perched, like this male, highly visible. I had never photographed a California Quail until I moved here, either. Now, I see them often and frequently get chances to photograph the males as they survey their territory.

In winter, Yellowstone National Park opens to snow coaches at 7 AM while it is still dark. On the freshly groomed roads, headlights reveal what critters may have crossed it in the night offering a tantalizing suggestion for what the day might bring. But before the morning light reveals any critters, a pullout past the 7 Mile Bridge along the Madison River offers the first glimpse of light and color that promises a great day ahead. Mist rising from the river as the cold air hits the warmer water creates a classic Yellowstone sunrise.

For me, it’s always a thrill to photograph a majestic Bald Eagle, our national symbol, especially in Yellowstone National Park, our first national park. A few days ago in Yellowstone, as we returned from a stop at the Mud Volcano and Dragon’s Mouth Spring, this mature Bald Eagle perched on the top of a dead tree just above Sulphur Caldron. We shot through the open door of the Snow Coach with an unobstructed view of the bird and with a perfect background, while the steam spewed from Sulphur Caldron completely obscuring the bird at times and then quickly revealing it again.

In winter, Coyotes and other wildlife in Yellowstone often use the groomed roads for easier travel through the park.

It finally snowed on our last day in Yellowstone National Park. It wasn’t much but it certainly was a nice ending to our trip. And this Bison bull is enveloped in snowflakes as he stands knee deep in the snow already on the ground.

It was pretty quiet yesterday in Yellowstone. The anticipated snow did not materialize and we saw few critters. However, our morning visit to the Fountain Paint Pots was a rewarding event because the geothermal features there never disappoint. This is Celestine Pool, spewing steam into the atmosphere as the last colors of the sunrise disappeared.

On most of my trips to Yellowstone National Park, it always seems that there is one critter that stands out as the star of the trip. So far this trip, it appears to be the Coyote. The Park has been relatively quiet with not too many visitors and not too many critters but we have seen and photographed Coyotes each day so far. This Coyote, in a gorgeous winter coat, passed us by yesterday, as it veered off the road and down a snowy slope.