Purple Gallinule / Mississippi Kites

The Purple Gallinule with its kaleidoscope of colors is certainly an interesting sight to see in our Louisiana marshes.

Robby Bacon informed me he had a Mississippi Kite roosting in his yard a while back. I was over there in a flash. Sure enough a couple of Mississippi Kites were sitting in trees in his yard. They were cooperative to a degree but if you got too close they would fly to another tree nearby.

Another Mississippi Kite perched in a tree with the sun setting.

Thanks Robby! :)

Red-Bellied Woodpecker + Video

Mother Nature was kind enough to share this pair of Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. It was fascinating observing the two parents as they attended to the needs of their little one inside the cavity.

Left-Click on any picture to enlarge

One day a Red-Belllied Woodpecker lit next to a decayed cavity on this dying Holly Tree and peered inside.

Lo and behold, he entered the cavity and disappeared from sight.

A few minutes later, Dad peeked out to see what was going on.

He cut loose with his signature rolling call.

He stuck his head further out the cavity appearing to be looking for his mate. Mom and Dad repeated this process of flying up to the tree, landing, disappearing inside the cavity of tree, then flying off when the other returned.

Many days passed. Then one day ...

There was movement inside the cavity. Could this be the baby Red-Bellied Woodpecker the parents had been attending to?

The baby Red-Bellied Woodpecker peered out from inside the cavity. What did he think about the big new world that lay before him?

He looked to the left.

He leaned wayyy out of the cavity checking out his surroundings. Do you see the small patch of red on his head? Left-Click to enlarge any picutre.

He spotted me, jumped back into the cavity and stuck his tongue out at me. The Dirty Rat!

It wasn't long before Mom flew up carrying food in her beak for her little one.

My favorite picture is this one with Mom clinging to the tree leaning to the side placing food into her little one's beak.

The baby Red-Bellied Woodpecker now flies around with its parents and is doing fine.




WANT TO SEE THE VIDEO ??????

Click on the link below to see a video of the Red-Bellied Woodpecker parents tending to their little one inside the cavity of the tree.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62255553@N06/5667000753/

Tricolored Heron

Pictured below are a series of pictures of a Tricolored Heron, formerly known as the Louisiana Heron that lives in Louisiana..

Left-Click on images to enlarge and see more detail.

With wings held high, this Tricolored Heron wades the shallows watching for the slightest movement in the water.

He detects movement in the water and freezes in his tracks. The Tricolored Heron pinpoints the precise location of his quarry. He is in luck. The fish is in range of his long neck and sharp beak.

Water splashes into the air as his s-curved neck snaps forward with l-i-g-h-t-n-i-n-g speed!

This expert fisherman is rewarded with a small minnow at the tip of his beak. Left-Click to Enlarge.

His stalking skills prevail a few minutes later. Note the minnow in his beak.

This Tri-Colored Heron certainly has some cool moves as he skulks the shallows for prey. They are entertaining and hilarious to watch.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of this fine Heron species. :)