It was a slow, hot day at Ding today. We did get to see a large group of Roseate Spoonbills (called a bowl). I believe I counted around 38 in the bowl, and most were tucked in to sleep.

The reflections were almost perfect.

When you are confident enough to strut your stuff around your peers . . .

This young Roseate Spoonbill below was the only one signaling that flight was imminent while we were there. It is so young that its eyes are not pink and legs are not dark pink. Also, it has a white feathered head. As they age, they get a bare, greenish skin on the head.

And away it went . . .

Breakfast of champions!

At the first culvert at Ding, we only saw one Roseate Spoonbill and a juvenile Tri-Colored Heron out on the sandbar.

Caption for this one: DUDE . . . she was taking my pic! You made her lens focus on you instead of me!

Caption: Yeah, well, how about I take a bite out of you for that!

(I’ve never seen this type of interaction between different birds.)

A juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron was making himself very tall in the top of a tree.

And giving me a very pointed look

This crab looks a bit . . . crabby just under the water at the edge of the bridge/culvert.