Photos of birds in Shreveport, LA today.

[intheflow]

Hi, DU Birders! This Denver-ite had to kill a day in Shreveport, LA today, so I spent it in a lovely park. While there, I saw many birds and wanted to share my photos with you good folks in here. :hi:

Also, if you can name that bird, I'd be appreciative--my birding knowledge sucks. :blush:

This lovely bird was eating frogs or fish...


...when I scared it into the swamp forest. (Sorry, Birdie. :()


These birds were scared off, not by me, but by what sounded like a gun shot. I know the larger birds on the bottom are a kind of pelican, but I don't know what the smaller birds are that are flying above them. I know they're not seagulls, I don't think they're sandpipers, but they were hanging around with the pelicans on the shoreline before they all took off.

My favorite part of this photo is that you can see another whole different flock of birds flying far in the horizon. It's hard to make out, but off center to the right, about 3/5ths up the image, right under the branch sticking out, you can just faintly see the V formation of flying Canada geese. :)

[XemaSab]

1. The first two pictures are of a Great Egret

and what makes you think the birds in the bottom photo aren't gulls?

[intheflow]

2. Two things made me think they weren't gulls.

The first is that they had dainty heads and smallish beaks--not something I associate with gulls. The second thing was that they made no sound when they were started--again, not something I normally associate with gull behavior. :)

But then, I'm a transplanted New Englander, never been in Louisiana before, so what do I know of southern gulls? I think I've been convinced that they're ring-billed gulls.

What do you think? I mean, if anyone would know if those birds are gulls, it would be a DUer named XemaSab! :rofl:

As always, nice to see you outside the Fantasy Lit Group! :hi:

[XemaSab]

3. It's nice to see you too!

:D

And yeah, gulls are confusing. :(

[semillama]

4. try picking through 20,000 ring bills

and then learning the next day you missed the Black-Headed Gull!

Also not seeing the Little Gull in the flock of Bonaparte's gulls that everyone else got to see.

grr..

I did see the Glaucous Gull on that trip though, and the Lesser Black-Backed Gulls.