THINK PINK: A RUNCIBLE OF SPOONBILLS

September 20, 2016 by Rolling Harbour

THINK PINK: A RUNCIBLE OF SPOONBILLS

Healthy happy hungry birds ‘in the pink’. Always a pleasure to see. And when there is a group of them, how often one reaches for the correct collective noun: a murder of crows, an exultation of larks, a murmuration of starlings, a parliament of owls and so forth. Many are historical terms, dating back to medieval times in Europe, and often linked to hunting and falconry. As a rule of thumb, the more recent the term, the more likely to have been invented – especially if there is a comedy undertone.

The trouble with spoonies is that there is no historic or traditional name for a group of them. In such circumstances, using the term ‘flock’ is generally the safest bet. A quick glance online suggests that modern suggestions are mainly jocularly cutlery-based: a canteen, a measurement, a service, and… a ‘runcible’ (a neat nod to Lewis Carroll). That’s the one I prefer.**

One thing is beyond dispute: Phil Lanoue takes some of the best bird action shots around, and I’m proud to be permitted to showcase them from time to time. Spoonbills are rare enough these days in the northern Bahamas, so it is good to know that they are thriving not so very far away to the west. Abaco still has occasional spoonbills dropping in – you can see the latest one, found at Gilpin Pond, HERE.

What are you guys looking at?

Got to get every feather just right…

**The slightly ill-tempered-sounding baldmonkeyseenabird suggests ‘a repugnance of spoonbills’ but I think he / she may have been having a difficult day…

All photos by Phil Lanoue. Check out his awesome website https://phillanoue.com

I must fly now… see ya!

INTRODUCING ROSEATE SPOONBILLS TO ABACO?

May 17, 2016 by Rolling Harbour

INTRODUCING ROSEATE SPOONBILLS TO ABACO?

Roseate Spoonbills, this is Abaco. Abaco, meet Roseate Spoonbills. You guys should get on just fine together. What’s that, Abaco? You used to know the Roseate Spoonbills pretty well? Still see the occasional one? Like the one at GILPIN POND last autumn? Well then, Roseate Spoonbills, let’s re-introduce you as soon as possible. Just like the beautiful flamingos now absent from Abaco, you deserve to have a home there too…

Roseate Spoonbills 3 (Phil Lanoue) jpg Roseate Spoonbills 4 (Phil Lanoue) jpg Roseate Spoonbills 1 (Phil Lanoue) jpg Roseate Spoonbills 2 (Phil Lanoue) jpg

SPOONBILLS AT GILPIN POINT

BAHAMAS SPOONBILLS

FLAMINGOS

All wonderful photos by PHIL LANOUE. Check out his website for astonishing image sequences of birds… and alligators (NOT just snaps…)

‘IN THE PINK’: ROSEATE SPOONBILLS IN THE BAHAMAS

February 8, 2014 by Rolling Harbour

‘IN THE PINK’: ROSEATE SPOONBILLS IN THE BAHAMAS

ROSEATE SPOONBILLS (Platalea ajaja) are rare visitors to the Northern Bahamas. For Abaco they are classified with the undignified term ‘vagrant’, meaning essentially (a) that you will be very lucky indeed to encounter one, so therefore (b) it is highly unlikely to be worth making a special trip based on the likelihood of seeing one. Try Florida instead.

We saw one once when bonefishing far out on the Marls. It was unmistakeable, but well beyond the effective range of the puny ‘don’t-really-mind-if-it-takes-a-dive’ camera I had with me. The spoonbills in this post were photographed elsewhere in the Bahamas or in two cases, Florida. The wonderful one below of a spoonbill ‘flipping’ a fish was taken there by Ohio bird expert and photographer Tom Sheley.

SPOONBILL ‘FISH-FLIPPING’

SPOONBILLS LOOK VERY DRAMATIC IN FLIGHT

Unlike herons, spoonbills keep their necks outstretched in flight. They are most likely to be found in marshes, salt-water lagoons and on mudflats. They are gregarious and mix in happily with herons and egrets, though there is some competition for food. Spoonbills nest in shrubs or trees, often mangroves.

Spoonbills tend to get pinker as they get older. As with American Flamingos, the pink colouring derives from their diet, which contains carotenoid pigments. The colouring ranges from pale pink to loud pinks and reds, depending on age and location.

Spoonbills feed in shallow fresh or coastal waters by swinging their bill from side to side while steadily walking through the water, often in groups. The spoon-shaped bill allows it to sift easily through mud for the edible contents – crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, newts and small fish ignored by larger waders. This excellent 1 minute Audubon video shows exactly how they feed, with some white ibises for company.