This past week, I visited a nearby rookery. This is a place where wild birds fly in and congregate to breed. It's apparently towards the end of the season, which typically runs it's peak April-May. There were still many birds in active mating mode, as well as young baby birds in the nests.
Being new to Florida, there are many birds and other animals new to me for in-person viewing. This is a Snowy Egret in a partial mating display. I really enjoyed watching them puff up even more. The Great Egrets (coming in a future post) would raise their neck up and down in a pumping motion and squawk in a noisy fashion to attract a mate while also fluffing up.
This is my entry for this weeks "new bird" free theme smap contest #166.
This one even caught another photographer in the foreground.
Here it is a little more fluffed up.
Here's one on the ground.
All photos original work by the author of this post.
Sony A7 RIV 200-600 lens.
Shutter Priority 1/2000
Monopod for stability.