Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Utensil Birds #2

Wednesday, April 4, 2007
4 comments
Back by popular demand, it's the second installment of Utensil Birds.

Today's Utensil Bird is PAIL-billed woodpecker....

Pail/pale-billed woodpecker photographed at Tikal, Peten, Guatemala in February 2007.

What?

My producer is speaking to me over my headset and telling me that it's P-A-L-E -billed woodpecker. Not P-A-I-L. How awkward...

OK. How about roseate SPOONbill?

Dig the crazy spoon-shaped bill on this flying spoonbill.

Here are two images I took in Florida in January at Merritt Island NWR. When you're a new bird watcher, flipping through the field guide, the roseate spoonbill is one of those species that makes you gasp and wonder. Is there REALLY a bird like that?

Well they're even better in real life. One of my most-wanted-to-photograph-well birds is the roseate spoonbill. Not much of a chance here in SE Ohio. Though with global warming it might just be a matter of waiting.... Sorry, bad joke.

The spoon-shaped bill is wide and flat. Perfect for straining yummy aquatic life out of swamp water but probably not very good for eating soup.

I'd love to get a photo of a roseate spoonbill perched next to a fork-tailed flycatcher, but what are the chances of that?

Worry not! I'll serve up another Utensil Bird soon.

4 comments:

On April 4, 2007 at 11:29 AM Mary said...

Your bird shots are stunning - I particularly admire the last one. I'm hee-hawing here and I'm gonna look at it again!!! LOL!

On April 4, 2007 at 11:49 AM Piddler said...

That is really cool that after only one utensil bird posting you have "popular demand." Wow - those bird groupies must be wild!

On April 4, 2007 at 2:24 PM Rondeau Ric said...

Thank you, it's 2.20 pm and I needed a smile.
Is that last photo a Spoon BILLed Birdewatcher?

RR

On April 5, 2007 at 11:55 AM Anonymous said...

Leaving snowy SD for Sanibel on Saturday...really looking forward to seeing some of those SPOONbills!
Caroline in the Black Hills


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