Trials and Tribulations
All photos © 2019 Paul A. Sikorski
The Cormorant had been drying its wings on the mudflat when the Great Egret came along and spent a little too much time fishing in the pool of water just behind the Cormorant.
The seagull on the right is fighting to keep the crab. The seagull on the left is fighting to take the crab from the other seagull.
A Herring Gull (Larus hyperboreus) chases an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) that just caught a River Herring.
The seagull on the left finally tired of the chase and harassment from the seagull poacher on the right and finally took action. The crab is on the ground next to the leg of the seagull on the left. Both seagulls survived. After the drubbing ended, the seagull on the right flew away for good and the seagull on the left got to eat its crab dinner in peace.
This Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flew into the salt marsh scattering all of the birds except the Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) either to the far remote corners of the salt marsh or completely out. The Ospreys are not afraid of bald eagles. In this photo, it appears the Bald Eagle is chasing the Osprey but it is the opposite. The Osprey is above the Bald Eagle and is shadowing it to keep it away from the Osprey nests.
These Sanderlings (Calidris alba) were feeding on the beach when suddenly one of the Sanderlings turned on the other Sanderling. It was over in seconds and both continued on down the beach.
A Great Egret (Ardea alba) comes in for a water landing almost colliding with another Great Egret wading in the water.
I never saw an Egret stick its tongue out. As I was photographing this Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) wading along the shore, the Egret suddenly opened its beak wide, stuck its tongue out and shook its head. In a split second, it was over. The Egret continued on and appeared just fine.
I named this seagull Broken Beak. The front of both the upper and lower beak on this seagull is missing. The dark area on the front of the gull's beak is the inside of the beak.
Red-shouldered Hawk in Snowstorm
Buteo lineatus
I spent about a half an hour watching two Great Egrets (Ardea herodias) fishing. Neither egret was having much luck. I thought the Egret's expression in this photo told the story.
A seagull that was sitting higher up on the rock jumps over a seagull into the water below much to the dismay of the lower seagull.
Despite its injury, this juvenile Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) persisted on.
As soon as this osprey (Pandion haliaetus) caught the fish, the Herring Gull (Larus hyperboreus) did everything it could to steal the fish from the osprey. They dipped, dived, twisted and turned and disappeared into the woods and the osprey still had the fish.
Four Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima) scatter as a Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) drops onto the rock.
A House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) enduring a blizzard.
Five Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima) scatter as a Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) drops onto the rock.