Photo sharing and discussion

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

Curlybird — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:17:27 GMT

Willet, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, and a bunch of LAZY Black Skimmers!

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

Curlybird — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:03:49 GMT

Lesser Scaup and Redhead.

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

lyceel — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:33:36 GMT

Hooded Mergansers and a Mottled Duck

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

jbm32206 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:52:25 GMT

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

jbm32206 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:46:38 GMT

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

susanwinfl — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:49:11 GMT

lyceel:

I visited Pelican Island NWR for the first time today. Pelican Island was the first National Wildlife Refuge, created by Theodore Roosevelt's Executive Order way back in 1903. For some reason, though, I was the only human visitor at the time, which was kind of nice, actually.

Anyway, I'll give you two guesses why they call it Pelican Island. Look at the photo for clues

Lyceel, I have visited Pelican Island a few times this summer, and we were always the only ones there. It is a neat place, and I am sure (*sigh) the tourists will find it in season. (Not that I don't want people to go, just wish everyone had wildlife viewing in mind...)

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

lyceel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:44:57 GMT

Seattle:
We should thank Teddy for protecting nature way back then. You wonder how many people wached birds then or how popular it was to protect a piece of land the way they did. I highly doubt that we could visit a NWR here and feel alone - it would be kinda nice!

The history of PINWR was pretty interesting to read. There were a lot of feather hunters in the early 20th century, and Pelican Island was already a well-known bird rookery, not just for pelicans, but also most of the Florida waterbirds (including the Great Egret, which was nearly hunted to extinction for its beautiful plumage). Around that time, a man known as Paul Kroegel took to defending the birds on Pelican Island. There were no laws protecting them at this time, so he did what he could with his sailboat and 10-gauge shotgun. His efforts got him named game warden for the American Ornithologists Union. He began lobbying for birds, supported by the Union and the Audubon Society. Ultimately, the efforts of Kroegel and his supporters found its way to President Roosevelt, who signed the Executive Order creating Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge on March 14, 1903. Kroegel was named Refuge Warden at a salary of $1 a month.

Here's a photo of Kroegel with one of his new charges (from the Pelican Island Friends web site):

Speaking of Teddy Roosevelt, I found one his quotes quite fitting:

"Wild beasts and birds are by right not the property merely of the people who are alive today,
but the property of unknown generations, whose belongings we have no right to squander."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

This one was pretty good too,

"One winter morning the President electrified his nervous Cabinet by
bursting into a meeting with, 'Gentlemen, do you know what has happened this morning?'
They waited with bated breath as he announced,
'Just now I saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler and this is only February.' "
-- Corine Roosevelt Robinson (on her brother Theodore Roosevelt)

Seattle:
Now the name - did someone find an pelican there once!

Oh, I guess I gave it away, didn't I? Sorry about that! I would have accepted "Brown Pelicans nest there" or "White Pelicans nest there"

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

Curlybird — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:43:14 GMT

lyceel:
Curlybird:

Here's an interesting combo:

Black-Necked Stilts; American Avocets; Willets; Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teals, Long-Billed Dowitchers; Western Sandpipers; Least Sandpipers; Mallards & Hybrids; Cinnamon Teal, and one Pectoral Sandpiper!!

"... and a Killdeer on a dead tree!"

Great photo!

Thanks - LOL! That's hilarious! I forgot about the Killdeer!

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

Seattle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:03:43 GMT

We should thank Teddy for protecting nature way back then. You wonder how many people wached birds then or how popular it was to protect a piece of land the way they did. I highly doubt that we could visit a NWR here and feel alone - it would be kinda nice!

Now the name - did someone find an pelican there once!

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

lyceel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:43:09 GMT

I visited Pelican Island NWR for the first time today. Pelican Island was the first National Wildlife Refuge, created by Theodore Roosevelt's Executive Order way back in 1903. For some reason, though, I was the only human visitor at the time, which was kind of nice, actually.

Anyway, I'll give you two guesses why they call it Pelican Island. Look at the photo for clues

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

lyceel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:38:05 GMT

Curlybird:
Here's an interesting combo:

Black-Necked Stilts; American Avocets; Willets; Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teals, Long-Billed Dowitchers; Western Sandpipers; Least Sandpipers; Mallards & Hybrids; Cinnamon Teal, and one Pectoral Sandpiper!!

"... and a Killdeer on a dead tree!"

Great photo!

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

natureboy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:35:07 GMT

i think the one on the right is a spotted sandpiper in basic plumage.

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

Seattle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:20:14 GMT

After spending the afternoon looking for a black-tailed gull, that didn't show up, I found a black turnstone wandering around on the log boom. What I didn't know was that it had a friend. The sun was shinning in my eyes and I could't see anything. So I snapped a few pictures and kept my fingeres crossed. Only to find the turnstone was't alone. I must add that I have no idea what the little guy on the right is - probably a western sandpiper? I was just trying not to take a picture of the dead harbor seal that was a couple of feet away (probably got hit by a boat).

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

Matt — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:45:20 GMT

A Black-crowned Night-Heron and a Neotropic Cormorant.

Re: Post your interesting combo photos....

jbm32206 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:42:17 GMT