Juvenile Red-Headed Woodpecker

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I've been on a mission to secure a photo of this Woodpecker with the black/dark brown head for a few weeks. I finally got a break today when it showed up and was in camera range.

I had no idea of this Woodpecker's ID with the dark head a few weeks ago until looking at Peterson's Field Guide. Then it all made sense.

Patience prevailed when it finally returned and was close enough for a picture.

You can see a touch of brown streaking on this juvi's breast. It is also beginning to molt into adult plumage as you can see by the touch of red beginning to form around its eye.

A Red-Headed Woodpecker is always a pleasure to see. Especially a Juvenile as it is a first for me.

Juvenile Swainson's Hawk

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My wife and I recently headed down Fabacher Road in Calcasieu Parish to see what was up. "Look!", my wife exclaimed as she pointed to a Juvenile Swainson's Hawk sitting in a tree. He was keeping a sharp eye out for prey in the field below. As we approached he turned his head and kept an eye on us as we admired this uncommon Raptor and took a few pictures. Once we left, he turned his head and continued watching over the open field looking for his next meal before the day ended.

What can be said about the presence of this juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Calcasieu Parish? Does this provide evidence that a pair of Swainson's Hawks successfully bred in Louisiana? How far do juvenile Swainson's Hawks range from the territory where they were hatched? Do they stick close to their birth area or did this juvenile fly in from another state?

Perhaps all that can be said is, "A Juvenile Swainson's Hawk was present on Fabacher Road in Louisiana", but there is certainly a possibiliy that he is a Louisiana product. What do you think?

Cute Factor: The Wood Duck Chicks

Hope you like the cute little Wood Ducks jumping from their nest box.

Left-click on the images for the full effect..
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Is this too cute or what?

This is TWICE as CUTE!!

This is the BEST !!

The time has come for the first LEAP of FAITH !!

We're having fun NOW !!

Head first ???

Impatient, impatient, impatient little ones  ... two at a TIME !

A perfect "10" !! This is my favorite. Be sure to left-click for the full effect. :)

The chicks gather around Mom after their daring jump (not all yet). Once all the little ones jump down Mom and her little ones waddle off.

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. :)

Jefferson Island Rookery

My wife, grandson and I took a trip to Jefferson Island Rookery recently to see what was up with the birds in the Rookery.

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The setting sun nicely lit a white juvenile Little Blue Heron hanging around in the trees.

This first year Little Blue Heron transitioning into adult-like plumage was a different looking bird and certainly cool to witness.
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A Cattle Egret landed in a tree and added his stick to his nest.

This Cattle Egret in his magnificent breeding plumage was continually hounded for food by his chicks.

'Golden Hour' placed a golden glow on this Cattle Egret as he set on the edge of a tree limb.

The baby Roseate Spoonbills were just plain cute with their little spatula beaks.

An adult Roseate Spoonbill showed himself on the edge of a limb later in the day.

My wife and I had a great time observing the variety of birds and chicks and look forward to going back one day next year.

Prothonotary Warbler

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Do you recognize this bird? It showed up about a week ago in a swampy area transforming into its adult plumage.

Once its transition is complete it will look like this. One of its parents was close by. This brilliant yellow bird is always a pleasure to see and is a striking sight in the Louisiana swamps.

Kistatchie's Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

Skilled birder Steve Shively put us on some of Kisatchie's endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers. A Bachman's Sparrow, Prairie Warbler, and  Brown-Headed Nuthatch were in the area, all of which were firsts for me.

Left-click to enlarge pictures

A Bachman's Sparrows was sitting on a vine singing away in the open Piney Wood's area.

The harsh, hilarious songs of the Yellow Breasted Chats broke the silence in the Piney Woods.

It was a delight to see the endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers. The thin line of red plumage behind his eye identifies him as a male.

A hat's off to the personnel at Kisatchie for doing an excellent job managing this endangered species.

A closer look.at the thin red line behind his eye between the black and white plumage.

A Prairie Warbler was a first for me. This little guy was singing his little heart out in a pine tree close by.

Here he is again perched on a limb.

Some Brown-Headed Nuthatches were seen in the area but never came into camera range. It's always great to add new species to one's list.

The Peveto Beach Surf Scoter

The Peveto Beach Surf Scoter reported on labird was not breeding in Canada or Alaska and was still present this morning. It was loafing around in the surf inside the barrier rocks almost even with the eastern boundary of the Santuary. It didn't seem disturbed at all by my presence.

Its multi-colored orange, yellow and white bill with a black circular spot was remarkable and a sight to see. I'm not certain why it doesn't have the white patch on its forehead and on the nape of his neck typical of male Surf Scoters but there must be an explanation. Regardless, it was a pleasure to see such a sea duck and obtain a picture for our fine group of labirders to see.

The dark area at the top of the picture is the barrier rocks just off the beach.

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