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Post by mossie on Nov 24, 2015 15:30:37 GMT
You've done it again.
Those migrating pelicans must be a great spectacle. Thanks for showing them to us.
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Post by htmb on Nov 24, 2015 17:13:59 GMT
Thanks, Mossie. Yes, an amazing thing to see! Once the day warmed up a little bit I drove over to the other side of the island. I especially wanted to stop off at the cemetery to find the grave of a long time Gainesville friend who had died earlier in the month. I was unable to attend his funeral and burial, but felt it fitting that I visit his grave to pay my respects.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 24, 2015 17:27:28 GMT
Wonderful! I would really like to know the answer to:
Why do migrating birds/flocks on the move, fly in that arrow head shape? Usually large bird species seem to do this. How do they know which bird is going to take the lead? I am so puzzled by this!
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Post by htmb on Nov 24, 2015 17:30:27 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 24, 2015 18:14:24 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 24, 2015 20:10:41 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 24, 2015 23:05:23 GMT
Wonderful! I would really like to know the answer to: Why do migrating birds/flocks on the move, fly in that arrow head shape? Usually large bird species seem to do this. How do they know which bird is going to take the lead? I am so puzzled by this! Tod, there seems to have been a lot of recent studies as to why large birds frequently fly in formation. Here's one link with some information. Scientific AmericanAccording to the article, leaders of formations change periodically, but scientists still aren't sure why or what determines leadership. Here is another link. This one is to the Audubon Society's white pelican page. It features a beautiful photo of an American white pelican in flight.
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Post by htmb on Nov 25, 2015 4:23:10 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Nov 25, 2015 6:35:29 GMT
Oh my goodness htmb - beautiful beautiful photos - Those pelicans really know how to strike a pose! Looking closely at the 'beak' I notice the very tip looks like a claw. This must be a special tool for the pelican.
Your third to last shot of the shoreline has me curious about the black rock?on the waters edge. Is that volcanic? It looks like porous bubbly oozings from a volcano but you don't have any like on the Comoros islands.
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Post by htmb on Nov 25, 2015 12:04:21 GMT
Tod, the pelican's hook is called a mandibular nail. It's used to catch and kill prey, to preen and to intimidate. It's also used by males to hold the female pelicans by the back of the head when mating.
I keep forgetting to ask about that black rock. To me, it appears to be a part of a long lost structure, since there are also wooden pilings out in the water in front. I seriously doubt it is native to the area, but will try to remember to check the next time I'm back.
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Post by htmb on Nov 25, 2015 12:39:29 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 25, 2015 13:08:33 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 25, 2015 13:34:38 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 25, 2015 15:36:47 GMT
A veritable coffee table book of a thread, Htmb! The bird pictures alone would have made this stellar viewing, but the rest of it is equally beautiful and made for a perfect visit to Cedar Key. Love those last two money shots as the perfect ending, but all of the flight shots are thrilling. I think the only problem with this wonderful presentation is how much you have made us yearn for a sunny island paradise at this tail end of the year.
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Post by htmb on Nov 25, 2015 18:36:48 GMT
Thanks, Bixa! This is certainly the time of year when Florida, and much of the rest of the southern U.S. become much more pleasant places to be weather-wise.
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2016 0:43:13 GMT
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2016 1:00:37 GMT
Walking along the shore, I began to notice a few tiny crabs. And, then a few more... At one point, they covered the whole shore. They scurried away from my feet, making clicking sounds with their claws. Many of them sought refuge under a palm frond.
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2016 1:13:15 GMT
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2016 3:03:34 GMT
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2016 3:19:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2016 6:13:07 GMT
This is truly a magnificent thread, which I just caught up with since I had fallen behind. The variety and number of birds is really amazing, and the fact that they clearly pose for you makes it obvious that they anxiously await each of your visits and preen themselves beforehand.
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2016 13:30:38 GMT
Exactly! That's what I've been saying all along!
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Post by mossie on Jan 1, 2016 14:34:12 GMT
A surfeit of crabs, but those pelicans jostling for position is a complete story on its own. you could sell those to a bird or wildlife magazine. Wonderful
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 1, 2016 20:01:27 GMT
I am pop-eyed with enjoyment and admiration, Htmb. You already know what a fan I am of your photography, but I think you managed to blow your own self out of the water with that pelican sequence. It's not just glorious photographically, but a fascinating study of behavior and anatomy. Well, it's all super and interesting, but I also want to mention the great 3-D dead pine branch picture -- nice! Thank you for this wonderful new year's gift.
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Post by htmb on Jan 2, 2016 3:15:22 GMT
Thank you very much! It was a fun day, and I was also able to take a lot of candid family photos (not shown) that I plan to use when making gifts for next Christmas.
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Post by lola on Jan 2, 2016 3:50:30 GMT
Wow, htmb. What evocative photos, in the graveyard and everywhere, and what an eye for telling detail. Not to mention the dramatic struggle for piling dominance. Thank you!
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Post by htmb on Jan 4, 2016 11:25:50 GMT
Thanks so much, Lola!
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Post by htmb on Jan 8, 2016 21:37:43 GMT
Thank you, Kerouac, for sending me this LINK to another forum listing "Ten Under the Radar Florida Beach Towns to Check Out this Winter." Number six on the list is Cedar Key. What I really like about the post is the wonderful photo of the main part of the town. It shows how Cedar Key is a mass of numerous little islands.
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Post by breeze on Jan 8, 2016 21:53:32 GMT
Neat photo, though not as good as yours, htmb.
We're going to try again this winter to get to Hernando FL. I asked our friend there if she'd been to Cedar Key and she was enthusiastic about the stores and galleries. I think I'd like to see what's at the water's edge.
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Post by htmb on Jan 8, 2016 21:56:25 GMT
Just don't expect white beaches at the water's edge. Let me know if you ever want to try to meet up, breeze. That would be fun if I happened to be there at the same time.
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