The beautiful American White Pelican is one of our largest birds in North American. They have a NINE and a half foot wingspan and can weigh 15 or more pounds! This breeding adult is soaring in flight. The adult breeding colors include the yellow chest feathers and the yellow plate on it’s upper bill which it loses after breeding. Despite their strong flight abilities, they are very awkward on land. I was surprised to learn that they migrate, only spending winters in Florida. In the summer this beauty travels to the interior of Western Canada and the North Western US, where they breed and form colonies on fresh water lakes. It was a treat getting to view this breeding adult as the group prepared to travel north from Florida
sandra calderbank
Website - Blog - Galleries - Portfolio
https://www.scalderphotography.com
http://blog.scalderphotography.com
Contact
While in Florida a friend took me to see the "green parakeets" in Melbourne. These birds are native to South America and I have no idea how they established themselves in South Florida, but they are very interesting, beautiful and social creatures. They are also VERY loud!
This Long-Billed Thrasher conveniently took a very long bath in front of my lens while I was in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. This is a new species for me, I thought it was a Brown Thrasher. These beautiful birds only live in southern Texas and Eastern Mexico. I feel very fortunate to have had this wonderful show!
An Adult Tree Swallow came frequently to feed insects to this nestling. This time the bug got away!
This Female Northern Cardinal is busy bathing and splashing in a puddle. She is vigorously cleaning her feathers and splashing water. This image was taken in April during mating season so maybe she is primping for a date?
I watched this beautiful little wren gather nesting material and proceed to build a nest inside a metal grain feeder for deer! It seemed incongruous for this little hard worker to build a nest in such a place but I guess a home is a home.
This gregarious, colorful, tropical bird looks like a cartoon character! I found this one in South Texas, drinking from a puddle with the water dripping off it’s beak. It occasionally stopped and looked at it’s reflection in the water puddle.
This Swallow-Tailed Kite soars in silently and seems to appear out of thin air and disappears just as silently. I have learned it is because this striking bird of prey, rarely flaps it's wings. It changes directions as it swoops in the air overhead by rotating it's tail feathers!