Welcome to Week #17 of the Bird Weekly Photo Challenge. Week #17 challenge is Macro or Close Up images of birds! Some of my favorite shots are going to be shared in this post. A few have made appearances before and some are new to my blog world.
Macro photography is close-up photography of small subjects. Mostly bugs and flowers get the spotlight, but today we are doing it on Bird Weekly. Macro is an extreme close-up, but for this post, any close-up will do. I know many of you don’t have a macro lens and that is okay. If you can crop a photo on your phone or use an image software program like Photoshop, that works just fine for me as that is how I do it. I never want a bird to feel nervous because I’m too close to them.
Upcoming challenges can be found on my Bird Weekly Challenge Page.
The feature image is a photo of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher chick that fell out of the nest.
Black-crowned Night-Heron
The Black-crowned Night-Heron nests and roosts in colonies in trees. They are a stocky bird in comparison with their long legged relatives. This is the most widespread heron in the world. They live in fresh, salt and brackish wetlands. They are believed to be monogamous. The male will flaunt his stuff to find a mate by bowing and raising the long plume on his head. Both male and female incubate the eggs and share in raising the chicks. The young leave the nest at the age of 1 month, moving on foot through the vegetation. They learn to fly when they are 6 weeks old and disperse widely.
Great Egret
The Great Egret is a large white wading bird with a long curved neck. Easier to get a whole fish down to the gut. It’s dagger like bill can stab its prey for easier capture. This bird gets to be 37-40 inches (94-104 cm) in length. The wingspan is 51.6-57.1 inches (131-145 cm). They can be found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats and will often nest in colonies where other egrets, herons or spoonbills nest.
Little Blue Heron
The Little Blue Heron is easily spotted in his blue and purple tones. This bird is smaller than most of his relatives at 22.1-29.1 inches (56-74 cm) in length. Found in the wetlands where other waders tend to hunt for fish, the LBH as I take shorthand, are patient and considered a stand and wait predator. They walk very slowly while watching for fish and other small morsels of life in shallow water. One cool fact is they have a row of built-in “teeth” along their middle toe that is used as a grooming comb. Got to look their best at all times!
Anhinga
The Anhinga has earned a couple of nicknames. “Water Turkey because of its turkeylike tail and “snake bird” for its long snakelike neck. Anhingas are diving birds, but when they surface, they slither through the water with just their head and neck visible. Anhingas have to perch themselves in a tree or on a branch where they have to dry their feathers. They were not born with waterproof feathers like most birds. The name Anhinga comes from the Tupi Indians in Brazil meaning “devil bird” or “evil spirit of the woods”.
Limpkin
The Limpkin is found in Florida, parts of Mexico, the Caribbean & in South America. They have started moving into states along the Gulf Coast as well. They are tropical wetland birds that specialize in eating apple snails. Their bill acts like tweezers to get into the right-handed curve of the snail’s shell. Limpkins hunt both day & night and will leave piles of shells near the banks of freshwater wetlands. They supposedly got their name by some early European settlers when they observed this species gait as a limp. The Limpkin is the only member of its taxonomic family, Aramidae. They resemble herons and ibises in their body form, but are considered to be more closely related to the rails and cranes. And…by the way….if you ever get near a family, the screaming calls they let out can be ear piercing. Take a listen on this podcast page.
Gray Catbird
The Gray Catbird belongs to the genus Dumetella which means “small thicket”. This is where you will find these gray birds with their black mohawk. They are hard to photograph as they don’t sit for long. They are relatives to mockingbirds and thrashers and like both of those species will sing for long periods of time when they are not alluding humans. I had to use my stealth mode to get this photo.
Blue-gray Gnatchatcher
Found at base of Pine Tree 
Momma – Feed Me
This is the best story ever!
In 2017, just about a month after Frank & I got back from our honeymoon and still high on our trip out west, we decided to take advantage of the cool weather in May and went birding. Shock, I know! We drove out to the University of North Florida (UNF) and took a small hike on the trail. There is a footbridge that takes you to a small island bordering the lake. There were small songbirds everywhere, flitting from tree to tree. We couldn’t get our binoculars settled on any single bird. Some kind of frenzy was happening, yet we had no idea the reason for the panic these birds were experiencing. Their calls were like nothing we had ever heard. We approached the area with caution to investigate the source of the problem. Frank went in one direction and I in another. After about 5 minutes, I heard a small peep. I proceeded slowly towards the sound that came in long increments. Using a great deal of patience, I moved a bit closer to where I thought I heard it. The wind was blowing 10-15 mph, the trees were rustling at the top and the birds still screaming above us. I had to will myself to listen for this little bird, whatever it was. I approached the base of a tall pine tree and looked down, there it was. A baby blue-gray gnatcatcher. I 1/2 whispered and 1/2 yelled for Frank to come over as I was waving trying to get his attention. He couldn’t hear me due to the wind. After a minute or so, I reached him and had him come take a look. The baby bird must have fallen out of the nest, thanks to the high winds. There was no way to get that bird back up in the tree. So we made a decision to scoop it up and take it home. It wouldn’t survive otherwise. A hawk would certainly have it for a snack.
I cradled it in the palm of my hands all the way back home with it’s “peep” getting louder and louder! It has imprinted on me and now I’m Momma! As soon as we got home, I tried to contact Beaks (Bird Emergency Aid & Kare Sanctuary) here in Jacksonville, Florida not far from Little Talbot Island State Park. It was a Saturday and no one was answering the phone. I then found another rehab facility in St. Augustine and I was able to speak to someone there. She told me to mix some soften dog food with a little boiled egg. I created a scrumptious meal for my new found friend and hand fed this baby throughout the day every two hours. On Sunday, we made a trip out to Wild Birds Unlimited and picked up some mealworms. Oh, this little gnatcatcher was being fed a feast good enough for royalty.
I didn’t want to give this little baby up. It is against the law to keep a wild bird without a license. Since I don’t have a license, on Monday, I had to take my baby bird to the animal hospital who takes care of the orphaned birds until Beaks picks them up within a day or two. After dropping off my precious cargo, I cried all the way to work!
Frank was able to get in touch with Beaks several weeks later and this little guy was released to live a normal life.
Until next week…Week #18 – Birds Starting with an “A”
Our Eyes Open 
Comments
62 responses to “Bird Weekly – Photo Challenge – Macro/Close-Ups”
Some more amazing photos – especially the fish in the bill of the Great Egret. What a catch (for both of you)! I love the story about the baby Gnatcatcher.
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I watched that egret for over 30 minutes. It obviously wasn’t scared of humans and acted more like a gull wanting a hand out. Opportunity was mine & is one of my favorite pics ever. The gnatcatcher is just close to my heart. 💜
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Fabulous shots, Lisa and I love the story of the baby gnat catcher 💚
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Thank you Cathy. It was so awesome! 😊
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[…] week Lisa Coleman’s Bird Weekly Challenge is macro or close up […]
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Yay, the bird is wild and free! You’re a good person. ❤️ Beautiful photo. ❤️
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Beautiful photos, Lisa. And that baby gnat catcher in particular. I’m glad that you and Frank were there to rescue him
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Love the egret gulping down that fish. Great shots!
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Thank you so much! It’s one of my all time favorites on our last trip to Tampa before the pandemic. 🙂
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[…] entry for Birds Weekly hosted by Our Eyes Open. This weeks theme […]
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What Fabulous photos! No wonder you cried after taking the baby to its temporary foster home. Good to know that it flew off into the wild. I bet it never forgets the meals you made for it.
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I had one fly right across my shoulders at a state park about 6 months later & I would like to think that was the same bird. Sat it the lone tree and just tweeted up a storm. Didn’t flit around or away which is unusual because there were plenty of bugs. 😊
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Stunning images! My favorite is the egret with the fish. What a wonderful story about saving the gnatcatcher!
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The egret has become one of my all time favorites plus it reminds me of the last time I saw two of my kids and all my grandkids. I was looking forward to this week’s challenge so I could write about the little gnatcatcher. 🙂
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[…] To see more Macro/Close-ups from bird-lovers around the world, visit Lisa’s Weekly Bird Challenge. […]
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[…] BirdWeekly:… Macro-Close-Ups-of-Birds […]
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Wow!
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Thanks!
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[…] Bird Weekly – Photo Challenge – Macro or Close Ups […]
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Love the photos Lisa 🙂 you have different birds but some are quite similar. The sounds of our Curlews at night can be banshee like! Good on you for the rescue.
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banshee like is the perfect term for how the Limpkins sound. We actually rescued a hurt mockingbird the same weekend that had fledged and broke his leg. I only had him for a few hours but were feeding both of them at the same time. I got attached to the gnatcatcher quickly. 🙂
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Too hard not to get attached
Here is the Curlew. Imagine hearing this at night
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Sounds like Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter. LOL! 🙂
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LOL
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Your photos are lovely, Lisa. And when I first saw the baby gnatcatcher picture, I kept scrolling down to learn what had happened. I’m so glad this story had a happy ending. I imagine it’s an experience you will never forget.
Best wishes,
Tanja
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beautiful collections of birds, Lisa. i love your baby gnatcatcher pictures and story. i would be crying, too…
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Thanks Wilma! It really was one of the coolest things that has ever happened in my bird adventures. 💜
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[…] Bird-Weekly […]
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[…] Bird Weekly challenge: Macro/ close-ups. Featured image: […]
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[…] Bird-Weekly […]
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Oh that’s great that the little baby bird survived.
Here is my entry….
https://100countrytrek.com/2020/10/03/bird-weekly-photo-challenge-macro-close-ups/
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Yes, it was awesome to find out several weeks later. 🙂
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All your close-ups of birds are gorgeous, Lisa! But your gnatcatcher story is the best! So happy to hear the Bird rescue could continue to nurture it to a full life. It reminds me of an old Andy Griffith episode where young Opie accidentally killed a mama bird with eggs in her nest. He had to raise the three chicks. When it was time to let them go, as they flew into the trees, he cried and said “the cage is so empty!” Andy simply looked up and said, “But ain’t the trees nice and full!” Your taking that baby kept those trees nice and full!
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that op photo is the best, as is the one of the pelican with the fish in its mouth…
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Wait, which photo? The fish is a Great Egret. I didn’t post any pelicans on this one. Sorry for I’m confused. 🙂
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it looks like the “t” got left out – I meant the “top” photo of the bird that fell out of the tree. And as for the other one, I guess I don’t know an egret from a pelican!
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[…] of birds, Lisa’s bird weekly challenge is macro or close-up birds. This close-up of one of my loyal backyard hummingbirds is seen perched […]
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[…] This is my post for the Bird Weekly Photo Challenge Wk #17:Macro/Close Up. […]
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Oh that top photo is amazing and SO cute! A living beany baby 😊💙
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That little bird was so cute! I didn’t’ want to give it up. Beany baby…never thought to that! Love it! 🙂
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😁 I love beany babies!
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My kids collected them when they were little. We eventually donated them so a church could make money at their fundraiser. 😊
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Yeah, I used to buy them anytime I went anywhere. I have a huge container of small stuffed animals from all over. I got rid of some, but darn, they are so cute!
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I know they are hard to part with. I still have a Build-A-Bear that belonged to my daughter when she was younger. She just turned 28. He just hangs out in the spare bedroom. 🙂
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[…] Lisa Coleman’s weekly bird challenge, Birds Close Up, I was on the hunt when I went out walking on Sunday. I also searched my older photos and found a […]
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Such a bittersweet story about the baby gnatcatcher; at least they get to fly another day 😃 Here’s mine: https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2020/10/06/getting-close-bird-weekly-photo-challenge/
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How fabulous these all are. The Herons are beautiful.!! And that baby….
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Thanks so much! That baby was just so adorable and needy! Momma kicked into gear even though I haven’t had a kid in my house in 10 years! 🙂
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[…] Bird Weekly https://oureyesopen.blog/2020/10/02/bird-weekly-photo-challenge-macro-close-ups/ […]
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Here are mine this week! https://dailymusing57.com/2020/10/06/bird-weeklymacro-close-ups/
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[…] Thank you Lisa. for this Bird Weekly challenge. Her original post is Bird Weekly Challenge #17: Macro/Close Ups. […]
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Thanks for the challenge. Here’s my entry. https://wanderingdawgs.com/2020/10/06/bird-weekly-challenge-17-macros-or-close-ups/
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[…] Posted for BIRD WEEKLY – PHOTO CHALLENGE – MACRO/CLOSE-UPS […]
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Fabulous shots as always! Love the babies… Here’s mine – https://myheart2heart.blog/2020/10/06/a-close-look/
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Thanks Rita. 😊
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[…] topic for this weeks bird weekly photo challenge is macro shot. I don’t have many macro shots and I know I have used this one before but this one is […]
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[…] Here is the full story and more photos. […]
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Lovely photos and a marvelous story to finish. Well done ”Momma”!
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Thanks! It broke my heart to give up that baby bird. 😊
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[…] when I dropped that baby bird off at the animal hospital. I featured this little bird on another blog last October, telling the […]
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[…] The whole story about this bird rescue can be viewed here. […]
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