DAY DREAMING WITH THE LOVIN SPOONBILLS

Good day everyone. First, I want to thank everyone who responded to yesterday's post. Collaborating with Rimly was a great experience, seeing one of my images paired with the words of such a talented poetess. It is something I would like to continue featuring on a weekly or monthly basis. I have added Rimly's blog 'Journey' to my blog list on this blog. I had some inquires on the flashlight we used to light the image used with Rimly's poem. It is for sale from Amazon at our carousel to the left of these words.

As the readers of this blog know Phyllis and I visited the St. Augustine's Alligator Farm earlier this month. We really enjoy photographing the birds in their natural settings. One of the birds that we had the opportunity to photograph was the Roseate Spoonbill. I spent quite a few minutes photographing these colorful and interesting looking birds with their unusual bills. The Roseate Spoonbill is 80 cm (31 in) tall, with a 120–130 cm (47–51 in) 

wingspan. It has long legs, a long neck, and a long, spatulate bill. Adults have a bare greenish head ("golden buff" when breeding) and a white neck, back, and breast (with a tuft of pink feathers in the center when breeding), and are otherwise a deep pink. The bill is grey.

Like the flamingo, their pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin. Another carotenoid, astaxanthin, can also be found deposited in flight and body feathers.^[4] The colors can be darker, such as magenta, ruby and carmine, depending on age and location.

 By the way I asked the farm about the leg band and was told the  

 Florida Audubon put it on the spoonbill. 

As I have explained in an earlier post, it takes a lot of patience to photograph in nature. As I was standing around waiting for the Spoonys and the light to cooperate, I started to day dream.  When I did start day dreaming, the songs of one of my favorite groups popped into my head; The LOVIN SPOONFULS, hmm I wonder why their songs started playing in my head.

What a day for a daydream

What a day for a day dreaming boy

And I'm lost in a day dream

Dreamin bout my bundle of joy

These birds are so very colorful it is seems like something out of  Disney.You might be wondering why the name spoonbill. Hopefully this image explains it.

 As you can see, it is appropriate, it looks like a long spoon. They use this bill to scoop up food from the shallow coastal waters they walk in. Many times they fish in groups swinging their heads back and forth scooping out crustaceans, bugs, beetles and even small fish. These colorful birds look almost magical with their red feathers glistening in the sunlight. I could watch them all day, and did!!! I wonder could you??

I'll tell you about the magic and it'll free your soul.

But it's like telling a stranger about Rock and Roll

The Spoonbills were there to meet, court and mate. You could see the males flying from one tree to another, trying to convince a female that he was the right one for her. You ladies know what I am talking about right? Just another night at a club, listening to some guy's sweet talk.

You're one of those girls who seems to come in the spring

One look in her eyes and you forget everything

A younger girls keeps rolling across my mind

I remember your eyes, soft dark and brown

A younger girls keeps rolling across my mind

As I finish today's blog, I again want to thank all you readers for your very kind words and support. You didn't have to be so nice but it sure is great that you are.

You didn't have to be so nice

I would have liked you anyways

If you had just looked once or twice 

and gone upon your quiet way

Today I said the time was right for me to follow you

I knew I'd find you in a day or two

And its true