Local birds from our deck

This time of the year, FINALLY, we have nice weather where we can sit out on our deck in the morning reading and watching manatees cavorting in the shallows, Bottlenose Dolphin chasing mullet, as many as 12 Osprey fishing over the bay and lots of avian activity going on all the time.

An Anhinga, aka "Snake Bird" for its tendency to swim with its body submerged and only its sinuous neck and head above water.

With that sharp pointed bill they spear the fish beneath the surface.

Then try to flip the fish around 

so they can swallow it headfirst so the spines on the Pinfish are folded back against the fish

He just about had the fish positioned correctly

When a marauding Laughing Gull decided to try to take the fish away from him

The gull came up empty and when the Anhinga resurfaced it did not have the fish in its mouth so we assumed he had swallowed it.

Adult Brown Pelican

Liftoff 

Note the band on its left leg

The state bird of Louisiana 

Brown Thrasher

Georgia's state bird; a most beautiful singer

Osprey landing on a tough spot on which to balance,

especially in a 25 mph wind!

He made it!

Male Northern Cardinal

The bird with more states to its credit than any other bird.  It is the state bird of seven, count um, seven states!

Only a few North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest.  This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest.  A mated pair also shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male.

Female Northern Cardinal

The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males.  When a male sees its reflection in glass surfaces (or windows or car windshields or mirrors), it frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder.