Comments on: Dallas: City of Egrets, City of Herons

By: Mr. Mantooth

Mr. Mantooth — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:52:16 +0000

Lovely to read about your Snowy Egret in hot Dallas now in cold NY with a chill up my spin. The Snowy Man hoofing it looks like Samuel Beckett.

By: Out Walking the Dog

Out Walking the Dog — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 18:58:47 +0000

I wondered the same thing, at first. But our buster has the distinctly white underbelly of the Tricolor (or Louisiana) Heron. Some research describes the Tricolored Heron as a very active fisher, running after its prey rather than simply standing in wait. This bird was very active and amusing to watch. I’ll post a video soon.

By: PatTrick

PatTrick — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 12:12:26 +0000

Hey, isn’t “buster” a Little Blue Heron?

By: Out Walking the Dog

Out Walking the Dog — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 22:26:28 +0000

Thank you, Wild Bill. Not sure I’ve ever seen a little blue – will have to keep my eyes open.

By: Kelly Rypkema

Kelly Rypkema — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:20:38 +0000

Turns out there are tons of papers out there about birds and how they deal with ectoparasites. Sunbathing is one theory. The link below leads to a review of papers that gives a nice summary of where the research stands (at least in 2004).

http://darwin.biology.utah.edu/PubsHTML/PDF-Files/BC6.pdf

Scientists don’t seem to know what about the sunbathing works – heat, uv radiation, or other. In keeping with the incredible complexity of nature, I would guess it’s both, and more that we haven’t considered. Uv certainly would do a number on bugs of the bacterial kind.

Perhaps it’s time for an episode on ectoparasites! I love parasites!

By: Wild_Bill

Wild_Bill — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:34:17 +0000

This was fun and once again you’ve shown me a completely different side of urban areas. We are not lucky enough to have snowy egrets here, too far north and inland, but we do have great blue herons and green herons, and very occasionally little blue herons.

Thanks. This was great!

By: Out Walking the Dog

Out Walking the Dog — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:08:13 +0000

Oh, deparasitizing is a fascinating possibility, Kelly. Hmmm. Would love to know more. Anyone?

By: Out Walking the Dog

Out Walking the Dog — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:07:10 +0000

Yes, in Dallas, too, I would see birds fishing in a completely bleak and desert-like concrete culvert. Always seemed strange. As for the Tricolored Heron and White Ibises, I would expect to see them down near the Gulf but hadn’t realized how far inland they come.

By: Out Walking the Dog

Out Walking the Dog — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:03:59 +0000

Thank you, Barbara, for enlightening me on the turtle! I know people on Cape Cod who have seen truly dinosauric snappers on the dirt roads back in the national forest areas. I always used to get a little frisson when I’d swim out to the middle of one of the Cape’s deep kettle ponds, knowing there were snappers in there who might take a fancy to my toe.

By: Out Walking the Dog

Out Walking the Dog — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:59:58 +0000

Yes, but those feral hogs are quite a problem now in some surprising parts of the US as they apparently disrupt the habitat and negatively affect many native species, including ground-nesting birds. I believe they are mostly releases from hunting stock, but maybe one of my Texas friends knows more about them. Pretty amazing, though!

By: Nature on the Edge

Nature on the Edge — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 18:20:52 +0000

Lovely selection of waders … including the four footed variety! Feral hogs … pastures always greener on the other side?

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:21:16 +0000

That turtle is a huge snapping turtle – one of Ontario’s species at risk – I’ve seen a female that was about a foot and a half across, followed by a giant that was about two and a half or three feet across – like a dinosaur! Great photos and the video with the sounds of the swamp – all amazing. Thanks for the great visit to Dallas – I had no idea there were so many birds who depend on water – had no idea there is water in Dallas. Great post!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 03:50:56 +0000

Doesn’t surprise me at all. I go to Houston occasionally to visit family and have seen Tricolored Herons and White Ibises in a concrete-lined canal (or “bayou” as they call them there) in a very built-up suburban area.

By: Kelly Rypkema

Kelly Rypkema — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:05:42 +0000

I have heard that sunbathing might serve a debugging, or deparasitizing, function too. But I could be totally wrong there for birds. I know that’s a possible function for turtle sunbathing at least. Love the pictures of the Snowy Egret!