Saturday, September 6, 2014

Roseate Spoonbills

The marina parking lot is adjacent to a marshy area.  Heading to the car the other day, we spotted the Roseate Spoonbill.

The birds are not as common here in Georgia as they are in Florida, so we were somewhat surprised to find these here.  The birds  feed in shallow water by swinging  its bill side to side while walking through the water.  The spoon shape of the bill aids in sifting through the mud to find something to eat.  They like to eat insects, frogs, and those crusty  crustacean--shrimp, crab and lobster.  The beta carotene in the shrimp turn the feathers pink.  Beta carotene also  makes carrots orange.  



Here comes some competition
Joy









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