Snowy Egret and Sandal
Anticipating Pelican
This Brown Pelican seems to know sometimes a little patience pays off. It stood there for a while, quietly waiting to see if the fisherman had any handouts. Unfortunately it never got that meal. Two other fisherman arrived and the pelican decided it was time to move along.
Diving Forster's Tern
Juvenile Laughing Gull
Running Sanderling
A sanderling runs from a breaking wave on the beach at Corolla, North Carolina.
Flamingo 1
This flamingo stood out among the group of its peers. It was a bit more relaxed and kept lifting its head, lending itself to a nice avian portrait.
Landing Zone
Animal tracks always catch my attention but they aren’t always very photogenic. These bird prints were on a beach along the James River. It would be impossible to identify the type of bird that left them but the deeper, wider prints in the foreground indicate the bird landed here and then hopped along the beach before taking flight. The early morning sun provided enough shade within the prints to make them stand out in the photo.
Forster's Tern
During a hike near the James River, I came across a group of Forster’s Terns flying above a stream. I watched as they floated, effortlessly in the air above the water. After a few seconds they would dive out of view and then come flying back up, circle around, and start over. I assume they were catching small fish but I couldn’t get close enough to be sure. The tern pictured here is hovering in position, waiting to dive.