Yesterday at ENP Shark Valley I observed this Night Crown swimming like a duck. The bird was up on a branch as they usually do to fish but a couple of times just made its way to the water and got in. It was looking more like a duck enjoying a swim than anything else and was not fishing or doing any other behavior.
The swim took about three or four minutes was able to observed twice.
Artie has an image like this in "The Art of Bird Photography" and I have witnessed this behavior in other waders as well.
Still trying to understand the reason they only occasionally do this.
Al,
Taken as a documentary photo through stacked TCs and heavily cropped, so please excuse the quality, but they swim here in Colorado too. Got this one last year. He flew from a protruding stump, landed in the water, and just started swimming around. He was surrounded by jumping fish but made no attempt to chase any
Not sure for sure, but years ago at JBWR I had an adult BCNH soaking in a pond (also with green reflections). The bird was shedding oil from its feathers- you could see the big slick. No evidence of that in the two images here but I know what I saw
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Many (and probably most) shorebird species swim; I have seen Willet, Marbled Godwit, Greater Yellowlegs, and both dowitchers swimming, usually while having to cross water that is slightly too deep for them while feeding. Yikes, how could I forget American Avocet!
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,