Roseate Spoonbill

GBP Notes 11/10/20

Good Morning GreatBirdPics members!

Yesterday was our first full day in Daytona, Florida and it rained.  And rained.  And rained.  It was so bad out that three Pigeons took refuge on our little balcony to escape the rain.  We saw Brown Pelicans gliding over the ocean and an Osprey went zipping by in the wind but it was impossible to get out and do any real birding.

A couple of years ago we spent a month of winter in Florida and one of the birds I really enjoyed watching was the Roseate Spoonbill.  These pink-feathered birds use their long flat bill to stir up the sediment in the shallow waters they inhabit, eating small fish, snails, mollusks and other crustaceans.  Some of the food the Spoonbill eats live on algae, which gives the Roseate Spoonbill’s feathers their pink color.  Here are some pics from that visit of this beautiful bird:

A Blur of Pink  We found a little deck at the Amberjack Environmental Park in Placida, FL which brought us quite close to many birds feeding in the shallow water.  I love BIF pics and got this one of the Roseate Spoonbill.

Mucking It Up  Here is a pic of a Spoonbill showing it using its broad bill to stir up the water.

You Might Want to be Careful There  This Spoonbill seemed oblivious to the alligator nearby.

Spoonbill Yoga  Like many species of waterfowl, the Roseate Spoonbill rests with one leg tucked up.

Crossing Paths  This is one of my favorite pics.  A Snowy Egret and Roseate Spoonbill walked by each other in the shallow waters.  Their reflections intersect, too.

I actually see patches of blue sky out there so I am hopeful we can get out and see some birds today.  Will report in soon.  Happy Birding!

Mike