Jn. 23, 2022 - Birds With Food

I like to capture bird behavior with my photos, so here are some of those photos from our trip to Sanibel Island, Florida, showing birds with food.

This Great Egret, photographed at the Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island, appears to have a shrimp.

EgretGreatwithfoodDingDarlingNWRSanibelIsland20211209

As we were standing outside the cottage we rented, this Fish Crow flew into a tree with something in its mouth. I have no idea what it is, but it looks like a large nut. If you know what it is, send me an email at earlorf@uslink.net and let me know.

CrowFishwithfoodShalimarCottagesSanibelIsland20211202

I was taking photos at the Ding Darling wildlife drive when this Little Blue Heron grabbed a shrimp not more than 10 feet away from me.

HeronLittleBluewithfoodshrimpDingDarlingNWRSanibelIsland20211213

The Little Blue Heron made some attempts at swallowing the shrimp but soon flew off with it.

HeronLittleBluewithfoodshrimpDingDarlingNWRSanibelIsland20211213

After I visited Corkscrew Swamp, I made the short drive to Lake Trafford Park in Immokalee, Florida. Among the many birds I saw there was this Little Blue Heron with its catch. Does anyone know if this is a snake or a very large worm?

UPDATE: One of my friends thinks this might be an eel.

HeronLittlleBluewithfoodLakeTraffordParkImmokalee20211208

While hiking one of the trails at Ding Darling, I saw this Belted Kingfisher with something in its mouth. It looks like an ocean animal I might have seen in a nature documentary. Any help identifying it would be appreciated.

UPDATE: From one of my friends: “The kingfisher appears to have a goby. Not sure which one....Crested Goby?”

KingfisherBeltedfemalewithfoodDingDarlingNWRSanibelIsland20211207

I saw several Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at Ding Darling NWR. This one had a crab for its lunch.

NightHeronYellowcrownedwithfoodDingDarlingNWRSanibelIsland20211202

Here’s another Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Ding Darling, but it has a different kind of crab.

NightHeronYellowcrownedwithfoodDingDarlingNWRSanibelIsland20211211

Ruddy Turnstones scurry along the beach looking for small items of food. This one captured a Coquina Clam.

TurnstoneRuddywithfoodBowman'sBeachSanibelIsland20211210