Dale & Debbie Part 10 - Wildlife Series: Birds

Hello everyone!

Come fly away from the stresses of everyday life as you look at some of our favorite bird pictures. At some point, most people imagine what it would be like to be a free bird. I don’t mean to spoil the whole freedom thing, but I got to thinking that they still have to worry about food, shelter, finding a mate and tending to their young. That sounds like a lot for a bird! So maybe they are not that free after all, except when flying. We can still wonder what it would be like to soar thru the sky!

The American bald eagle, our nation's symbol: These large birds can live to be 20 years old, and have a wing span of up to 7 and 1/2 feet! These birds were once on our endangered species list, but however are no longer considered as an endangered species. What great news!! Their population is growing by the year thanks to conservation actions taken to protect these mighty birds. I just love looking at them!

Turkey Time! We have not technically kept track of this, but we are pretty sure we’ve seen turkeys in every state!

Great blue herons are one of our favorite birds to watch. They are sneaky and patient hunters. They creep up on their prey quietly, and can stand motionless for long periods. Great blue herons are not picky eaters ~ they eat rodents, snakes, amphibians, and insects, but prefer fish. After catching one, they have to flip the fish until it’s in the right position to go down the long way. You can see their necks bulge as they swallow it, but they sometimes eat fish that are too large and choke to death. Great blue herons also have a unique call; it's described as a prehistoric, deep croaking sound.

Purple Gallinules: These birds are not only pretty, but interesting to watch as they walk along floating vegetation using their large yellow feet and toes to help distribute their weight.

Now here are just a few pictures of some of our favorite images that we have taken of birds on our adventures! We hope you enjoy, and as always, happy camping! - Dale & Debbie