Winged Wednesday 6/26/2025

[Eric Gofreed]

Please post anything with wings you like, Bats, planes, flying geckos, or Dumbo the Flying Elephant. I have selected 6 heron/egret photos from Lake Pleasant, a man-made lake in the Sonoran desert

Green Heron

Great Blue Heron

I captured the entire sequence of the Black-crowned heron landing on the back of a large striped bass, sliding off, then taking a bath while the big bass kept splashing. Some day I'll stitch it together.

Night Heron
There once was a night heron named Seigel,
Who tried to fish like an eagle.
He grabbed fish with his feet,
But they were too weak,
No talons—so the fish simply giggled!

Great egret takeoff

Snowy egret

Cattle Egret, A very rare visitor to Lake Pleasant, a man-made lake in the Sonoran Desert. The first one I've seen there. They are usually seen in fields and meadows eating insects, grasshoppers, frogs, mice, and rarely fish.

 

[AlanLichty]

A very pleasant collection to view (couldn't resist) I really like the shot of the Great Egret taking off from the tree although they are all quite excellent.

 

[Trent Watts]

I love this series Eric. You have some great action shots.
I am posting insects from the last week for today's Winged-Wednesday.

I only had my iPhone 15 Pro with me on this weekend trip so this non-biting midge is not as clear as it would be with my regular macro gear.
I thought the camouflage on the tree bark was interesting.

If only spiders had wings then I could post this Wolf Spider.
This is also with my iPhone so not the detail I would wish for.

This is a Root Maggot fly of some type.

A 12 Spotted Asparagus Beetle.

 

[AlanLichty]

I live in an area with a fairly robust crow population but trying to get an image of one of them is surprisingly difficult. They have tons of cover in the trees and when they aren't in the trees they are typically perched on rooftops, chimneys, and street lights. Every time I lift up my camera they disappear. This one was on my neighbor's roof while I was out shooting flowers so I grabbed a shot. As usual the crow looked away just as I took the shot.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

A very pleasant collection to view (couldn't resist) I really like the shot of the Great Egret taking off from the tree although they are all quite excellent.

Thank you, Alan.

I love this series Eric. You have some great action shots.
I am posting insects from the last week for today's Winged-Wednesday.

I only had my iPhone 15 Pro with me on this weekend trip so this non-biting midge is not as clear as it would be with my regular macro gear.
I thought the camouflage on the tree bark was interesting.
View attachment 73597
If only spiders had wings then I could post this Wolf Spider.
This is also with my iPhone so not the detail I would wish for.
View attachment 73600View attachment 73601

This is a Root Maggot fly of some type.
View attachment 73598

A 12 Spotted Asparagus Beetle.
View attachment 73599

LOL. A poem for Trent.
If spiders had wings, they'd fly away far,
But back to their webs, they'd return by car.

Thanks for posting every week, Trent. Your work is eye candy to me

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I live in an area with a fairly robust crow population but trying to get an image of one of them is surprisingly difficult. They have tons of cover in the trees and when they aren't in the trees they are typically perched on rooftops, chimneys, and street lights. Every time I lift up my camera they disappear. This one was on my neighbor's roof while I was out shooting flowers so I grabbed a shot. As usual the crow looked away just as I took the shot.

View attachment 73602

I live in an area with a fairly robust crow population but trying to get an image of one of them is surprisingly difficult. They have tons of cover in the trees and when they aren't in the trees they are typically perched on rooftops, chimneys, and street lights. Every time I lift up my camera they disappear. This one was on my neighbor's roof while I was out shooting flowers so I grabbed a shot. As usual the crow looked away just as I took the shot.

View attachment 73602

To snap a photo of a crow so neat,
Toss a treat—it's a trick you can't beat

 

[murali]

A sunbathing cormorant

 

[Douglas Sherman]

I love limericks and I also like to create them. Here is one I just made up about crows.

To photograph crows is such fun,

Unless they think that you have a gun,

Then they fly away fast,

while you stand there aghast,

'cause your image total is none.

Here are my birds for this week:

Wood Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Bufflehead

Green-winged Teal

Mandarin Duck

 

[Eric Gofreed]

A sunbathing cormorant
View attachment 73606

Outstanding close-up portrait, Murali! The vivid turquoise eye and striking orange gular patch create a stunning contrast against the serene blue water. Simply mesmerizing!

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I love limericks and I also like to create them. Here is one I just made up about crows.

To photograph crows is such fun,

Unless they think that you have a gun,

Then they fly away fast,

while you stand there aghast,

'cause your image total is none.

Here are my birds for this week:

Wood Duck
View attachment 73607


Blue-winged Teal
View attachment 73609


Bufflehead
View attachment 73613


Green-winged Teal
View attachment 73614


Mandarin Duck
View attachment 73616

Great photos, Doug. I liked your limerick.
Let me know if you heard this one before

There were five duck photos, all quite prim:
A Wood Duck posed high on a limb,
Doug clicked by the water,
Each duck like a squatter,
Blue-winged, Mandarin, Green-winged, and Bufflehead swim.

 

[Trent Watts]

Thank you, Alan.

LOL. A poem for Trent.
If spiders had wings, they'd fly away far,
But back to their webs, they'd return by car.

Thanks for posting every week, Trent. Your work is eye candy to me

Thanks so much Eric. Is a book of poems in the works??

 

[Eric Gofreed]

Thanks so much Eric. Is a book of poems in the works??

LOL... if I did a book of poems and bird photos I would expect sales in the single digits

In a world where beauty's the theme,
Birds photos, and poems are my supreme
Sales might be sparse, but still I persist,
For creating art, I cannot resist.

 

[Ken Rennie]

A puffin from the cliffs of North East Scotland.

 

[murali]

Outstanding close-up portrait, Murali! The vivid turquoise eye and striking orange gular patch create a stunning contrast against the serene blue water. Simply mesmerizing!

eric

 

[Eric Gofreed]

A puffin from the cliffs of North East Scotland.
View attachment 73618

He is adorable!! Superb photo, Ken

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

I have a brown pelican stretching in Pismo Beach, CA

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I have a brown pelican stretching in Pismo Beach, CA
View attachment 73620

Brilliant photo!!!

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I love limericks and I also like to create them. Here is one I just made up about crows.

To photograph crows is such fun,

Unless they think that you have a gun,

Then they fly away fast,

while you stand there aghast,

'cause your image total is none.

Here are my birds for this week:

Wood Duck
View attachment 73607


Blue-winged Teal
View attachment 73609


Bufflehead
View attachment 73613


Green-winged Teal
View attachment 73614


Mandarin Duck
View attachment 73616

You're the champ, Doug, I'm often called the chump,
Better than a chimp or tramp, miles better than taking-a-dump.