Florida's Weirdest Bird - The Anhinga.

[Canon_Bob]

I was sending another batch of shots up to stock last night, and I realized that I hadn't shot any Anhinga in months. Knowing that I've improved quite a bit since then, I decided to go after them this morning. These are without question one of the strangest birds around. They swim underwater for long periods of time. They have no oil on their feathers, so they must "dry out" after diving so they can fly again. They kinda look like a cross between a heron and a cormorant. Very odd creatures.





Here's a "behavior" shot. Don't know what he got....but he ate it!

[julsoph]

Gosh, those are gorgeous shots.

Emily

[mn shutterbug]

Awesome shots of a unique bird. I especially love the last one with his mouth wide open. How lucky you are to live in an area like that. Photo opportunities must be all around you. Thanks for sharing the cool shots.

[Knight]

Odd bird indeed , but still very well captured . Almost looks like he has fur lol

[LVDBYGOD]

HI AWESOME SHOTS!!! i was in florida one time and saw the strangest bird, even stranger than the one you posted. it looked like it was prehistoric... it was gigantic and grey... huge!!! do you know what it could have been...

no pic to show!!! booo hooo!!!

[Canon_Bob]

HI AWESOME SHOTS!!! i was in florida one time and saw the strangest bird, even stranger than the one you posted. it looked like it was prehistoric... it was gigantic and grey... huge!!! do you know what it could have been...

no pic to show!!! booo hooo!!!

Probably a Sandhill Crane



They are VERY large (over 4 feet tall) with a large wingspan.

[WesternGuy]

Bob, you have just expanded my knowledge of birds. Until this post, I did not realize that such a bird existed. Thank you.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[mn shutterbug]

HI AWESOME SHOTS!!! i was in florida one time and saw the strangest bird, even stranger than the one you posted. it looked like it was prehistoric... it was gigantic and grey... huge!!! do you know what it could have been...

no pic to show!!! booo hooo!!!

My guess would be a pterodactyl.

[Loupey]

Excellent captures, Bob. The last one is my favorite. And as Knight mentioned, it does indeed look like fur. The pose, wings, and tail feathers make it look just like the most famous fossil of Archeopterex.

I'm curious about that morsel. Doesn't even look organic.

Thanks for sharing these.

[Canon_Bob]

Hey Loupey,

That morsel has me intrigued as well. It's definitely hard (he tossed it in the air a few times before swallowing, and I could hear that it was hard). My guess is that it's some kind of freshwater crustacian.

Anyway, thanks for the comments all.

[Yarrow]

Beautiful shots! It certainly is an odd looking bird. And I agree it does look to have fur.

[Canon_Bob]

LOL - I think this bird is Darwin's worst nightmare. It's like a loon that swims underwater, appears to have fur, and flies.

[bsquared]

That second shot is a killer. It's like he was posing just for that shot.

Bob

[scott-devon]

Great shots, the last one has super detail. I think the second one is my favourite though, great pose and a neat reflection.

[Canon_Bob]

Thanks for all the compliments folks. I think number 2 is my favorite as well. The reflection really makes the shot IMO. I was fortunate to get a nice POV almost directly over him on an arched foot-bridge with perfect lighting. Under normal circumstances that rock he's on would be 3 feet under water, but the draught here has water levels really low. We're finally starting to get the rain we need.

[paulnj]

Hey, don't pick on the Anhinga, they are awesome looking birds
That last one is a very unigue shot of one for sure! That is a very salable image IMHO(though the first will be liked by more buyers).