The Birdarazzo Strikes Again!

Four Roseate spoonbills eat breakfast.

Earlier this week as I was enjoying my morning walk on our community’s bike path, I kept looking into the bayou near by. More like a long creek, the bayou often is abuzz with activity from its inhabitants, which mostly are turtles, snakes (ugh!), and birds. Usually those water-type birds are egrets, and I did see a couple of those long-legged beauties.

I love the spoonbills’ reflections!

Then I looked up ahead and suddenly spotted a wing in the air. A pink wing! I quickened my stride until I came upon four pinkish birds enjoying their early-morning meal contained within the murky waters. At first glance, they looked like flamingos. But then I saw their rounded bills. These were Roseate spoonbills!

Where does one spoonbill start and one end?

Spoonbills inhabit the Gulf coast region, but we don’t see them very often in our bayou. The times I had seen them, of course I didn’t have a camera with me. This time I was fairly close to my house, so I ran home to get my Nikon D700 and Nikon 70-200mm lens with the Nikon 1.4x teleconverter for extra reach. And I also grabbed my monopod to help keep everything steady.

When I returned, the spoonbills hadn’t moved very much, so I set up on the bike path and started shooting. I especially liked the great reflections from the pinkish birds.

Oh, oh! I’m busted!

I was having a great time snapping away, when suddenly one of the birds looked back at me.

Then a couple more spoonbills stared me down.

Okay, okay! I get the message. The birdarazzo isn’t welcome here. It was time to walk away from the spoonbills.

A reflective white egret

Strolling along the path back to my house, I saw an egret quietly enjoying the bayou water. I once again set up my equipment and started snapping away, enjoying the reflections.

Oh, oh! Busted yet again!!

Until the bird turned and stared straight at me. Oh, if looks could kill!

I quickly realized that the bayou fauna prefers to eat in peace.

I think I’ll go back to shooting flowers . . . at least they don’t complain!