Photos under the Sun

Southwest Florida Pet and Wildlife Photography

Monthly Archives: February 2010

Eldorado the Cattle Egret Makes His Debut!

Friday, February 26, 2010 Posted in Music, Wildlife

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I’m very pleased–albeit a tad harried–to introduce myself. I’ll be your narrator today. I’m filling in for Maya the Great Egret who was filling in for Ms P who is…suffice it to say, I’ll do the job.

[caption id="attachment_1490" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Eldorado the Cattle Egret"]

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You see, Ms Maya had a meltdown during rehearsals for the upcoming post on Jealously down by the Rookery or some such idiotic title to that effect. Oh, sorry–I’m Eldorado the Cattle Egret and I’m a very distant cousin of Zinnia the Cattle Egret. Anyway, here’s a look at the upcoming post (which will appear after the conclusion of Delila the Roseate Spoonbill’s dilemma with Basilio):

[caption id="attachment_1491" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Mac and Apple the Great Blue Herons"]

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You really must excuse Ms P for the lame names she has come up with, lately! (Honestly, Mac and apple–must have a private word with her anon.) At any rate, the two have a sad tale to tell and I’m rather relieved to report that Maya the Great Egret will, indeed, be doing that narration in a few weeks. So, I’ll bid you all adieu (I’m off to the Everglades for a long vacation to work out my own dilemma). I’ll leave you with this music that underlies the sentiments I feel right now.

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First Love Is Never Easy, Part I ©

Friday, February 12, 2010 Posted in Music, Wildlife

I’m sure that everyone can remember their first love or crush and how deliciously painful it was. Well, our avian friends go through first love anguish too, as we’ll see.

Delice and Delila are Roseate Spoonbill sisters who both take on life and love with much wisdom whipped up with a dollop of whimsy. Here they are taking a “walk” in the barrier island neighborhood where they grew up:

They are very much admired and loved by all and have had several beaux throughout the years. Here is a close up of them:

They often reminisce on the time that Basilio the Roseate Spoonbill was the king of the rookery and strutted (or so everyone thought) around breaking hearts left, right and center.

Delice knew that her sister Delila had a fierce crush on him and went around proclaiming to her girlfriends that she would die of love for him. But how could they encourage her when they, themselves, were smitten!! Testaverde (Italian for “green head” – owing no doubt to his rather verdant dome) or TV the Roseate Spoonbill (as most called him) would shake his head at these “foolish gushings” as he called them:

One day after such a pronouncement, Delice realized that Testaverde was carrying a torch for Delila:

When Basilio would appear on the scene, gasps of admiration could be heard all over the pond:

[caption id="attachment_1476" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Elloa, girls, I mean Ladies, i mean women...You arre alle so vurry, vurry beeeeaaaauuutifulle!""]

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On those occasions, Delila would be overcome with so much emotion that she would paddle furiously in the shallow waters and kick up masses of bubbles:

[caption id="attachment_1477" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""My heart, my heart!!! Delice, is he watchin'? No!!! DOANT LOOK!!! But is he watchin'?"]

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But some of those present didn’t share the same amorous feelings about Basilio that Delila and her girlfriends had. In fact, some were downright clear in their opinions about him and if you listened hard enough you’d hear rumblings of the word “showoff” thrown around.

[caption id="attachment_1478" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble. Mumble, mumble, mumble, grumble, grumble."]

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Sometimes, even Basilio himself could feel the negative vibe his presence produced among some and would take off for farther waters at the first sign:

Then, Delila would mutter into her feathers that Basoo (a nickname she gave him) probably left because of TV the Roseate Spoonbill and his cronies:

[caption id="attachment_1480" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""He's SUCH a jackjackass, such a jackass, that TestaVerde, he is!!!!!""]

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Testaverde, his heart in smithereens, would approach Delila who had started kicking up bubbles in her dismal and frustrated state:

[caption id="attachment_1481" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Who YOU calling a jackass, now you’ve hurt MY feelings”"]

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Then, Delila would apologize profusely to poor Testaverde. The crack in his heart would only grow bigger with her every word.

[caption id="attachment_1483" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Aw, c'mon, TV, ya know I dinnit mean it. I'ma so in love wif Basoo I ferget ya hev feelins' too.""]

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A little tear would slip down his beak and to cover up his feelings, he would call out to the others to join him in a little swim party.

[caption id="attachment_1484" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! Whoohaww!! Yipee yaw! Yay! ""]

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Everyone, especially Delila, enjoyed a Rosy Swim Party and would splash to their heart’s content. They would carry on like this for a good half hour before going to catch a tasty hors d’oeuvres and a drink to quench their mighty thirst. All would agree that life was, indeed, good despite all the trials and tribulations of first love:

But something strange and wonderful was about to happen. And you’ll hear all about it in a few weeks!! Before that, Maya the Great Egret will narrate a story about the Great Blue Herons at the rookery and she is losing her feathers with the excitement of talking to you all again.

Meanwhile, I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ and beyond and leave you with Dan Hill’s gorgeous song: “Sometimes When We Touch”. Enjoy ;D

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Filling in for Ms P

Monday, February 1, 2010 Posted in Music, Wildlife

Hello, y’all. I’m Julio the Cormorant and today I’m fillin’ in fer Ms P.

Ms P is losin’ her mind–her words not mine or Maya the Great Egret’s!!!! See, Maya the Great Egret is my bestest friend and we hang out on the barrier islands fishin’ and havin’ fun every minute of the day with her bestest friend, Juno the Osprey. We hadn’t seen ole Ms P fer some time so we did an investigationne and here’s the scoop. It seems that Basilio the Roseate Spoonbill over on Ding Dee overheard her say: “OMG, I fergotte ta do the blog on tha rosies”. OK, so she doant talk like that but ah jest caint git that weird accent a’ hers. Anyways, heere’s a pic of Basilio, the new crush on the Ding Dee circuit:

[caption id="attachment_1459" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Basilio the Roseate Spoonbill"]

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He’s the guy Delila and Delice the Roseate Spoonbills gotte their first ivver crush on…Say what, Ms P????

[caption id="attachment_1460" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Sheesh, Ms P--she look laik a volcano comin' outta her ears!!""]

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Oh, yeah right–ya didde telle me aright! OK. Here’s the scoop fer realle: Ms P has been losin’ her min…say wha??? Ms P is bahaindde on the blog cos she bin bissee with settin’ up her bidness. Thank yuuu, Ms P. No prob!!

She says life goes on and on and on at tha rookerie (sp?) and now the Great Egrets (cousins of Maya the Great Egret) are busy gettin’ ready for Valentine’s Day and gathering bookays a flourers:

Speakin’ a’ Valentine’s Day, Baudelaire the Great Blue Heron is back from Paris and is going ’round talkin’ ’bout a new book by Ms P’s sister, Brigitte. Maya got her beak stuck in thet book every day fer a month now! Sheesh! Wish I cudde read human words. Anyheydadoodle, Ima askke Baudelaire fer some tips on how to romance. He quite the dude ’round tha rookerie (sp?):

Oooowwww! That Ms P’s got such a hollerin’ voice!!!! Nearly broke my sonic nerve there!!! It seems that Ms P is takin’ over the story ta “clear things up.” Herre she is an’ I’m off ta do what I do best–fishin’ an’ havin’ fun. Ms P shudde take a lesson.. OOOOOOWWWWW:

Thank you, Julio the Cormorant. I’m very grateful to you for “helping” me out with my apologies to all for the delay in blogging. Soon, I’ll divulge where I’ll be in SW Florida with my products. For now, I’m including a sound byte from Julio about Paris is the Pits–a wonderful romantic comedy by Brigitte Downey: “Maya the Great Egret say she gotte her book at Amazon an’ Baudelaire typed in a link fer it HERE “ And I, Ms P, will say “Aurevoir et à bientôt” to all with this wonderful song from Adamo who reminds us that “Spring is just under the snow”. Enjoy and talk to y’all soon!