• Delores Knowles
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Roseate Spoonbill at Rest

©Delores J. Knowles 2008 -- The Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) that I posted yesterday was a young immature bird. This is a full mature adult in breeding season. Notice that the adult has lost the feathers on his head and it is a lovely greenish-blue color. The breeding season signs are the bright red patch on the wing shoulders and the yellowish patch on the chest. You can just see the edge of the yellow patch in this pose. Like most large waders, the Spoonbill prefers to rest standing on one leg with the second leg tucked up close to the body. They turn the head and bury their large spoon-like bills among their feathers. I was making so much noise walking around that this fellow gave me a one-eyed stare with his pretty red eye. The adult stands about two and a half feet high but has a wing span of up to 53 inches. To feed, he sweeps that big bill back and forth in the water scooping up whatever happens to be in the vicinity. Photographed in Sanibel Island, Florida.

31 Comments

Anonymous Guest

pamela jones 02 May 2008

Beautiful image

Bev Chudey 28 Feb 2008

Beautiful color Delores!

JENNIFER VAN DINTER 24 Feb 2008

WOW GREAT COLORS NICE CAPTURE

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Betty Fletcher 14 Feb 2008

Always so beautiful! Nature is amazing ... animals are even more so :) Betty

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Christine brand 29 Jan 2008

Wish I could rest so easily, great shot again.

Kathie Nichols 29 Jan 2008

Wonderful capture Delores, always great to get some background info on the shot! Thanks for sharing!!!

Pamela Davidson 28 Jan 2008

Amazing how that can be comfortable, twisting that neck around.. I'd be walking sideways for days.. LOL

Weshon Hornsby 28 Jan 2008

Delores this is a really beautiful photo I love the colors of this bird. Great job!

Artist Reply: Thanks so much for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

cheryl hardy 28 Jan 2008

I Just love your work..your skilll with photography is exceptional. This is beautiful.

Allison Rainford 28 Jan 2008

Great shot of a beautiful bird !!!

Artist Reply: Thanks so much for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Chris Williams 27 Jan 2008

a brilliant study great classic shot

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

patrick hodson 27 Jan 2008

fab shot,love it well done.

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Julie Mayser 27 Jan 2008

What a gorgeous photo of a beautiful bird.... and thanks so much for all the interesting accompanying text. i am learning a lot! :-)

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Barbara Stock 27 Jan 2008

What a fantastic capture!!!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Michael Manning 27 Jan 2008

Nice capture!!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comments on my wild bird images.

Anne Vis 27 Jan 2008

Wonderful shot!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Mrs.David Jobes(Dee) Jobes 26 Jan 2008

GORGEOUS bird !!!Great Artistic capture!!!Masterful camera work,Delores!!!:)

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Lawrence Untermeyer 26 Jan 2008

Nice job Delores!! I've been trying to catch a nice shot of one of those in the everglades for a while now and no success yet.

Artist Reply: First, thanks for the kind comments. Second, about the darkness and lightness in the Spoonbill at Rest shot. The bird was back under a thick group of trees so there was a natural darkness to the background. I shoot in camera raw and then process in Adobe's Lightroom. In Lightroom I emphasized the shadows and emphasized the lighter areas to get that big difference in the dark and light.

Ann Fawssett-Atkin 26 Jan 2008

Great shot of a lovely bird

Alberto D'Assumpcao 26 Jan 2008

Fantastic capture and colours, Delores!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment on my Roseate Spoonbill image.

gregg dutcher 26 Jan 2008

Gee,....interesting,....great write-up along with an excellent capture!!!

Joke Schotting 26 Jan 2008

Wonderful shot Delores!!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Susan Epps Oliver 26 Jan 2008

I'm glad I don't have to stand on one leg......I'd fall over all the time lol. Not this guy though, he looks so elegant ! Well done, Delores !

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Lili Segal 26 Jan 2008

Stunning capture, Delores! By now you know what KOL HA-KAVOD means, so KOL HA-KAVOD again, my friend!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

David Holcombe 26 Jan 2008

Nice shot. We have some of these in South Louisiana, I believe. We're too far north (except in the zoo, of course). That wonderful pink comes from shrimp. If they don't get it in their diet, they fade. Take care.

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Visionary Imagist 26 Jan 2008

Delores: What a beautiful bird. the colors are so elegant. you have captured the moment perfectly.

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill images.

Jessica Courtley-Rose 26 Jan 2008

AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL CAPTURE!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Jodi Keys 26 Jan 2008

Beautiful Delores! The color is fantastic!

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Liz Robinson 26 Jan 2008

beautiful bird and great shot Delores.

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.

Tabitha Borges 26 Jan 2008

love the close ness very nice

Gabriele Swanson 26 Jan 2008

this is amazing Delores, Beautiful colors

Artist Reply: Thanks for the kind comment about my Roseate Spoonbill image.