Bird Island Part II

Tons of different species of wading birds roost on this island, including anhingas. They sometimes perch with their wings spread out to dry their feathers. My understanding is that they don't have oils on their feathers as other swimming birds do; and this allows them to dive to catch fish more easily. But when they surface, they're wet, so they have to dry off. I finally figured out the difference between a cormorant and an anhinga -- cormorants' beaks are curved at the tip and anhinga's are long and pointy like an egret's. So obvious once you know what to look for -- a nice gentleman pointed it out to me one Sunday morning. He's lived in southernLouisiana all his life. I have a lot to learn.

Watching birds cruise in by the dozens, as the sun goes down, is a treat. And it's right there for everyone to enjoy -- not twenty feet from the jogging/bike path. The more I watch, the more I notice. I love to watch the egrets come in for a landing, easing their feet out in front.

Last night, there were a bunch of white ibis roosting as well. Here is one next to a small egret. I had never realized until I took this photo that there's a Chinese tallow tree on the island - probably more than one. They're non-native and invasive. Most of the island is live oak, I think.