May 2009 Photo of the month thread - post contest images here

[havalotta]

I've never seen nor heard of such a bird! He's really cool looking. Is it from the heron group?

[MaggyNoLia]

Originally Posted by havalotta

I've never seen nor heard of such a bird! He's really cool looking. Is it from the heron group?

It's actually in the Pelecaniformes family and is similar in looks to a Double-crested Cormorant although they differ fundamentally from cormorants. They are most common in the Southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coast states but have been sighted all the way up into some of the Great Lake states.

They are a bird that does not have the protective oil layer on their feathers and because of this they have to dry out after a dive. It is very common to see them perched in trees drying themselves.

When they are in the water they swim with their body mostly under the water and all you can see is the long neck and head and because of the way it looks the Anhinga has been nicknamed the Snake bird. They dive for their prey, usually from a perched postion and will spear the fish with their pointy bill and then they'll flip it up, catch it and swallow it.

[havalotta]

Good info....... Thanks for sharing.
We have lots of those cormorants here and the're still multiplying rapidly.......

[TheLorax]

Hiding your best Anhinga from me over here were you. I found it.

[MaggyNoLia]

Originally Posted by TheLorax

Hiding your best Anhinga from me over here were you. I found it.

LoL...that picture was the reason for the other thread.

[havalotta]

And I found that one too. Lots of nice photos over there also>............

[trillium]

Wish this could be bigger. the colors are really stunning full size. From my shade border:

[havalotta]

Would that be a foamflower. Tiarella?

[trillium]

Yep. The blue is phlox divaricata. There is a heuchera, and thalictrum in there too for sure. Maybe a geranium mac. leaf.

[havalotta]

florals



Taken on



my westward



journey