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Gulf Coast Whimbrel

By Mia McPherson, on April 25th, 2013%

Whimbrel on a floating mat of seaweed

Among the shorebirds I enjoyed seeing and photographing while I lived in Florida were Whimbrels, I could see flocks of 25 or more during the winter along the coast. There had been rough waves the day before I photographed this Whimbrel which pushed floating mats of seaweed up close to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, the Whimbrels were feeding on small crabs that were in the seaweed.

I know that Whimbrels do show up here in Utah during their migration north but I have yet to be able to get close enough to photograph them. Whimbrels breed in northern Arctic regions and can live up to 1 years. They are similar in appearance to Long-billed Curlews that I often photograph here and in Montana but bill length helps with ID. The curve of their bills matches the curve of the burrows of Fiddler Crabs, their favorite prey item.

Mia

*I am going to be away from my computer a lot until Friday, please feel free to share this post with your friends and family.

Goin’ Green

By Mia McPherson, on April 24th, 2013%

Leaf Abstract

I’ve posted about Thinking Pink and Shades of Blue so today I thought I’d share some images about Goin’ Green. I have plenty of images of hillside covered in green but not that many of the huge green leaves I would find in USF’s Botanical Garden in Tampa Florida. When I looked at the veins in this leaf I knew I wanted to take close up, abstract images.

Monk Parakeet

Monk Parakeets are one of the green birds I have photographed, this one I found at Roosevelt Wetlands in Pinellas County Florida and took images of it as it foraged in the grasses that had gone to seed. Monk Parakeets were also called Quaker Parrots, they aren’t native to Florida but they have made themselves right at home.

Grass gone to seed

Green is simple, as simple as a stem that holds the seeds of new grasses.

Mia

*I am going to be away from my computer a lot until Friday, please feel free to share this post with your friends and family.

Mountain Plovers – Comparing two similar looking species

By Mia McPherson, on April 23rd, 2013%

Killdeer

I must admit that when I first saw the Mountain Plovers I reported on Antelope Island State Park I knew exactly what I was looking at because I had dreamed of seeing Mountain Plovers and had studied their appearance in every guidebook and app that I own. Even though I was looking at a tiny bird that was about a football field and a half away in distance and the light on the bird was bad, I knew I was seeing a bird I had longed to see.

But there are a few similar species that occur in Utah and surrounding states that could be confused with Mountain Plovers. Killdeer look similar but there are some key ID features that help with identification. Killdeer have very dark breast bands, a red orbital ring around very dark eyes, a black collar that encircles the neck, a dark cheek patch (auriculars), brownish upper parts, white belly and a brownish crown.

Mountain Plover right side profile

Mountain Plovers lack the double breast bands, the red orbital ring around the eyes, light colored auriculars, sandy brown upper parts, a black line that runs from the bill to the eyes in breeding plumage, black crown with a white forehead and a pale belly. Mountain Plovers also lack the double breast band that is unique to Killdeer.

Both birds do have thin, black bills.

Black-bellied Plover in nonbreeding plumage

It would be easy to see the differences between a Mountain Plover and a Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage but at long distances Black-bellied Plovers in nonbreeding plumage could possibly be mistaken for Mountain Plovers. Black-bellied Plovers are larger but at a distance that would be hard to see.

Black-bellied Plovers have a thicker, longer bill than Mountain Plovers do. They have checkered upper parts, darker legs and their chest can have streaks on it. Their bodies also appear more rounded than Mountain Plovers.

Adult Mountain Plover left side profile

It always helps to have high quality images to use in making ID’s but there are times that is not possible and at that point any photo is better than none. It would also help to make notes on the size, shape, color, behavior and other ID keys such as size of the bill, plumage patterns, leg length and color and more.

Recently on the ABA Rare Bird Alert Facebook page there was a possible Mountain Plover reported in Jasper County, South Carolina that had an interesting discussion on the reported sighting where the ID has been decided that is was an American Golden Plover. The sighting was posted on April 16th but photographed the same day as I photographed the pair I found on Antelope Island, Utah. I found the discussion interesting.

Bird identification can be fun and very challenging, sometime more challenging than not.

Mia

Earth Day 2013

By Mia McPherson, on April 22nd, 2013%

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

I wanted to share these images because today is Earth Day. Every plant on this planet matters today and for future generations. This Jack-in-the-Pulpit matters. It can’t grow in the area where I found it in Florida if rampant development continues at alarming rates. Many plants are endangered from development, pollution and because they can’t compete with invasive species.

Female Scarlet Skimmer

The earth needs its insects, from spiders, bees dragonflies and every other insect. Bees are critical for food production yet poisons are being used that kill them and genetically modified plants are playing a roll in that too. Insects matter. This female Scarlet Skimmer helps to naturally control insect pests like mosquitoes. Insects matter, a lot.

White morph Reddish Egret

Birds are my passion, my fascination and I appreciate every bird on this planet. Birds matter. Birds help to disperse seeds and they are valuable to each and every one of us, even for the people who don’t realize it. But many birds on earth are in danger of becoming extinct if we don’t step up to prevent it from occurring as it has with the Passenger Pigeon, the Dodo and many more.

Coyote on Antelope Island State Park

Mammals matter, all wildlife does. But wildlife needs our help, many species are vulnerable and endangered. How can we close our eyes?

Zion National Park, Utah

We need to protect the land, it matters. Protect it from pollution, from over development from the scars of mining and clear cutting forests. The Earth matters.

Mia

Ruddy Turnstone and a Laughing Gull

By Mia McPherson, on April 18th, 2013%

Ruddy Turnstone with a Calico shell

Five years ago today I was laying in the warm wet sands of Fort De Soto County Park’s north beach as the salty water from the Gulf of Mexico soaked my skin while photographing a Ruddy Turnstone doing what they do best, turning things. The Ruddy Turnstone was turning this Calico Shell over to get at the bits of the creature that was still inside the shell. I was able to get a nice series of about 10 images before some beach walkers walked directly between the turnstone and me. Surely they had to wonder why a woman would be laying in the sand with a camera shoved against her face? I guess not because they continued on their way and the turnstone went the other.

Nonbreeding Laughing Gull with a Calico Shell

As soon as the beach walkers and the turnstone left this Laughing Gull walked over and took the rest of the meat from inside the shell though unlike the Ruddy Turnstone it did not turn it over once.

Mia