Mooning Turkey and Breeding Egret

Leave it to me to be able to come up some unusual photographs.  First, while roaming around Spring Creek Park, we spotted this Great Egret, (Ardea alba),doing a little fishing across the river.  I maneuvered the car into position so I could get the shot from the driver’s side window, with my Canon 7D and 500mm lens with a 1.4 tele-converter attached.

I got several shots as he strolled along, stabbing the occasional small fish.  It was after I got home and examined the images, that I noticed it had bright green lores.  For you non-birders that is the area between the bill and the eyes.  At first, I thought maybe it had gotten some algae stuck to it’s face while feeding.  Heck, that happens to me at dinner.  🙂

Great Egret - breeding

So, first out come the bird guides, trying to find out about this mysterious malady.  Didn’t find much info there, so I done a bit of googling on the internet and found that green lores can be found on breeding egrets.  Aha, I said to myself, I have found out something new.

Wild Turkey - breeding

After getting the shots of the egrets, we came upon a trio of Wild Turkeys,(Meleagris gallopavo). The three were all toms and they were showing off to a hen that was out of sight on the other side of a fence.  They all were putting on a show and I was able to get several images.  I knew that they were aware of me because before I drove away, one of them decided to moon me.

Wild Turkey -mooning

Personally, I thought that was kind of rude, but these insults I can take.  It comes with the job.  Click on any image to see an enlargement.

I hope you enjoyed the images as much I enjoy being out and capturing them.  Be sure to click on this link:  Bird Quiz    to vote in the latest quiz.  Results will be published Friday.