Bill Bickle Photography, William Bickle Photography
Birds
Bald Eagle, The Bald Eagle is a large bird, with a body length of 28–40 in, a wingspan of 71–92 in, and a mass of 5.5–15 lb; females are about 25 percent larger than males
Bald Eagle, This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle.
Bald Eagle - The adult Bald Eagle has a brown body with a white head and tail, and bright yellow irises, taloned feet, and a hooked beak; juveniles are completely brown except for the yellow feet. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration.
Belted Kingfisher, The Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) is a large, conspicuous and noisy water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada.
Great Blue Heron, The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family.
Great Blue Heron 068, Adult herons, due to their size, have few natural predators, but can be taken by bald eagles, great horned owls and, less frequently, red-tailed hawks
August 2007 Intelligencer Newspaper ... Annual Photo Competition...." Freeze Frame"...Grand Prize Winner !
Great Blue Herons build a bulky stick nest, and the female lays three to six pale blue eggs. One brood is raised each year
Great Blue Herons locate their food by sight and usually swallow it whole. Herons have been known to choke on prey that is too large.It is generally a solitary feeder. Individuals usually forage while standing in water, but will also feed in fields or drop from the air, or a perch, into water.
As large wading birds, Great Blue Herons are able to feed in deeper waters, and thus are able to harvest from niche areas not open to most other heron species.
Green Heron
This species is named for its cat-like call but, like many members of the Mimidae family, it also mimics the songs of other birds, as well as tree frogs and even mechanical sounds
Ring Billed Gull
Mute Swans
Snowy Egret
Ruby Throated Hummingbird hovering in mid-flight
red wing Blackbird male
redwing Blackbird male
These birds forage on the ground in leaf litter. They mainly eat insects and berries and sometimes lizards,eggs,and frogs; in the winter quarters. Because it has a syrinx like most birds, it is able to make two sounds at the same time. The alarm call resembles the quiet calls of a male mallard.
Osprey
December 2007 .... Bill was honoured with Honourable Mention with National Geographic Magazine, International Photo Competition. His winning Image of a Great Blue Heron in conflict with a Mallard Duck. The HM was very meaningful to Bill and feels Very Honoured to be recognized with such an amazing Competion. With over 148,000 entries Bill feels like a First Place winner.Female Mallard duck defending her young from a Great Blue Heron. July 2008 & 2013... Natures Best Magazine... Finalist. December 2008 Canadian Geographic Magazine & Canadian Museum of Nature awarded CANADIAN WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY of the year. This was followed up with a year long Travelling Exhibit at major Museums across Canada. BEST-In-Show.... Annual Print Photo Competition 2012... Second Place..INTERNATIONAL Competition 2013... "Chasing the Light" National Wildlife Federation..."Final Page" June 2013 FEATURED.. June 2013... 3rd placing in Canada, CAPA ...4 nations cup! It feeds in shallow water or at the water's edge during both the night and the day, but especially around dawn and dusk. It uses its long legs to wade through shallow water, and spears fish or frogs with its long, sharp bill.
Noisy and always Hungry, Great Flying skills
Algonquin Park resident, Friendly,Inquisitive, Entertaining ! Canada Jay
Brown Pelican in Flight CUBA, frequent visitor over water, often seen in small groups of 3 or 4 Cruising
Cuba, Brown Pelican, Great flying skills, and ever alert for a meal
Eastern Kingbird being Vocal & territorial They wait on an open perch and fly out to catch insects in flight, sometimes hovering to pick food off vegetation.
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. is one of the few woodpecker species that migrates, and is the only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker. Among them are: Yellowhammer,gaffer woodpecker,harry-wicket, heigh-ho. Many of these names are attempts at imitating some of its calls.
Not a Flamingo! Habitat: Freshwater and saltwater wetlands It's easy to confuse an adult roseate spoonbill with a flamingo, until you look at their bills. Though both wading birds are bright pink, it's not hard to know which species is called "spoonbill."
Fun Facts It's ironic that roseate spoonbills were hunted for their plumage: their feather color fades rapidly, so the fans and hats made from their plumes had only a limited lifespan. A spoonbill's nostrils are located at top of the bill, making it possible for the bird to breathe while the bill is under water. The roseate spoonbill gets much of its pink color from the food it eats. The crustaceans that it eats feed on algae which contain pigments that impart a pink/red color
Birds of a Feather? Spoonbills are very social birds. They spend most of their time in the company of other spoonbills, as well as other water birds. Not only do they feed in groups, but they nest in colonies with ibises, storks, cormorants, herons and egrets.
Touchy-Feely A spoonbill feeds more by touch than by sight - - a handy adaptation for an animal that often feeds in water that's muddy or clogged with dense vegetation. The horny bill is equipped with sensitive touch receptors that detect vibrations given off by prey. When something touches the inside of the spoon, the bill closes on it quickly. This keen sense of touch and fast reflexes allow the bird to feed in cloudy water, and at night.
Only one species occurs in the Old World, where it is commonly known simply as the "Wren"; it is called Winter Wren in North America. They are mainly small and inconspicuous, except for their loud and often complex songs.
The largest North American heron, it is blue-gray overall, the neck is rusty-gray, with black and white streaking down the front; the head is paler, with a nearly white face, and a pair of black plumes running from just above the eye to the back of the head. The bill is dull yellowish, becoming orange briefly at the start of the breeding season.
The juvenile is paler in color than the adult male and has dark spots on its breast, and whitish wing coverts. First-year birds are not easily distinguishable from adults, but they tend to be duller, and a small percentage retains a few juvenile wing coverts or other feathers.
Wading in Pond Searching for Frogs
Nocturnal is his preference
All season a regular visitor but Muted colours during the Snow Season
This Image of a Green Heron was awarded in the Annual, Canadian Wildlife Photography of 2010. Sponsored by Canadian Geographic Magazine & Museum of Nature Ottawa. This is the second time Bill has been honoured in their Competitions.
Very colourful & Quick. Brilliant Emerald colour of the male when seen in the sunlight.
Good timing to catch the Pelican catching a small fish
Tail dancing is very common practice !! :)
Bald Eagles are Amazing to see In-Flight
Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is Home to the Bald Eagle
A Cuban regular