(Edit July 5, 2024: This Bucket was in the BYS queue as “Friday filler. Use as needed” so I am publishing it today. Queued last December, it’s got some great content of some of my favorite kinds of birds! OD)
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
WE INVITE YOU TO NOTE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AROUND YOU IN YOUR OWN PART OF THE WORLD, AND TO SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
What is Friday Sequence?
Friday Sequence is intended to be an end-of-the-work-week feature which is a photographic challenge displaying more insight than can be captured in a single image.
12/20/23
John Redmond Reservoir is located in Coffee Country Kansas along the eastern edge of the Flint Hills Nature Preserve. Coffee County is connected on the northeast corner of Greenwood County, which is my home county in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Last year I saw nine Bald Eagles at the Reservoir. So far this year I have seen but three. Those three are the same three I adopted last year as my main targets for photos.
Once again I was at John Redmond Reservoir looking for Eagles. At length I saw Boss Mama perched in a tree along the lake’s edge. She had no intent to move. It seemed very much like the Eagles were taking a day off. So, I decided to focus on the Gulls just as she was.
Boss Mama the Bald Eagle is watching me and an amazingly large raft of Gulls amassed out on the lake.
Due to the long range lens on my DX camera this photo only shows the southern most tip of a raft of Gulls extending more than a quarter mile to the right of this image frame. Thousands of Gulls were collected together. I can only imagine how many fish it takes to support such a population of hungry birds. Since the Eagles seemed content to do nothing but watch, and I had no access to get closer to them, I decided to drop down below the dam to see what was happening downstream on the river.
My arrival at the spillway pool nudged a pair of Pelicans into flight.
Despite their somewhat ponderous waddling while on land Pelicans are anything but ungainly when in flight and are among the most populous of water birds at the Reservoir. Many ducks should be arriving soon after ice forms on still waters.
There were Pelicans scattered around in the pool and in small bunches downstream. I spotted a pair of Great Blue Herons, one by a midstream island, the other on the far bank of the river.
Great Blue Heron wading along the far bank of the Neosho River.
The Neosho River is a pretty good sized river so that is an indicator that the photos I am showing here were taken at significant range. While watching the Herons I noticed a group of Gulls come winging in. They were drawn to a specific place mid river right in front of the Heron. They dropped to circle and circle that small area of water. One by one they began diving into the river very similar to the way Eagles and Osprey do. It occurred to me their actions would be sequence worthy.
FRIDAY SEQUENCE
I watched the Gulls display of fishing skills. I hope these photos show behavioral procedure of Gulls while they capitalize on an enticing opportunity to feast.
A Gull has descended because it thinks it saw a potential victim. Gulls hover in place like this hoping the fish will come closer to the surface. I have watched Rough Legged Hawks and Kestrels do exactly the same but never for fish. Hover mode
And down goes...the gull. Should we name it Frazier?
Woops! I doubt going this deep was the original plan.
But whatever works! Lessee here...got to get this slippery thing turned just right to make the ultimate deposit.
A Gull’s version of trash talking! Never let it be said Gulls are shy of in your face action. In this case the Gull is fishing, the Heron wishing.
Success is bliss. Especially in front of the competition! This is the end zone taunting celebration.
Some get it but some just have to try harder. Nice fish
END OF SEQUENCE.
But not quite the end of my trip.
Zorro, advanced sibling of White Wings, flew over very high just to remind me I was here looking for Eagles! The primary reason for this trip was to see if White Wings had returned to the Res. He had been flying over my place the past three days in a row. I did not see White Wings here with his partners on this day so I was anxious to get back home in case he was there to make another call.
There we go. A fitting end with an inviting future. However, the future of this Bucket is yours!