Scratchin an Itch

There is a nature preserve near us called Robinson Preserve. Pretty big...487 acres. It has a variety of birds, although I'm always surprised there aren't more.

I usually see a couple of yellow-crowned night herons. To say they are laid-back would be an understatement. I'm 8-10 feet away here...waiting for the bird to do something...to do anything. Finally...after 15-20 minutes..."HE'S MOVING HIS WING...HE'S MOVING HIS WING!!" So...in a half hour...he moved his wing, AND...he opened his mouth once. I gave him a name. Dennis Deadbeat. But...I still love 'em.

Then I came upon an unusual anhinga. She let me approach to within 5 feet. I wondered why. She didn't even give me the "grunt" warning that they are known for. I found out why when a male anhinga attacked her.

She couldn't fly...something wrong with her wings. All she could do was hop away. Of course, that didn't stop the male from attacking her again and again. Survival of the fittest...not always pretty.

Check out my other shots of the day on my FLICKR PAGE. One warning though...I GOT CRABS! I GOT CRABS! (Lizards, too.)