The Beauty of the Birds

Yes, we are excited about seeing and photographing a new bird and adding it to our Life List – currently at 404. Our recent trip to Florida’s east coast was, among other things, in pursuit of the Purple Sandpiper, and we were delighted to find one at New Smyrna Beach.

But it’s even more exciting to simply watch the birds doing their bird-things, and where possible, to capture that in photographs.

On Merritt Island’s Black Point Drive we saw Reddish Egrets doing their ballet. For them, it’s just a way to get food – throwing their wings into an arch to create shade in which they can see the fish they are after. We are not sure why they trot so gracefully to a new spot, or why they prefer the calm early morning light to do their magic.

Snowy Egrets with their distinctive plumes sometimes skim over the surface of the water to catch fish with their feet. They appear to be running on top of the water.

In contrast, these American Avocets, with their swooping bills, are striking because of their delicate movements in the stillness.

The still water enhances the beauty of the birds.

And sometimes when we are looking at birds we see beauty even when no birds are present.