Hezekiah Goodson Jr. Nature Photography
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FAUNA BEHAVIOR
"WE'RE WAITING"
Herring And Ring-Billed Gulls
Hammocks Beach State Park, North Carolina
These Herring and Ring-Billed Gulls appear to be waiting for something [breakfast I'm sure] as the surf ebbed and flowed on this bright spring morning. From the look of the many sea shells, it seemed like they had already had their first course, and was awaiting another. They waited patiently for at least 20 minutes , before moving up the beach.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Opportunist
Ring-Billed Gull
Hammocks Beach State Park, North Carolina
I was attempting to fish on this beautiful beach when I observed a Ring-Billed Gull who was more successful than I. There were other fisherman in the area, so I assumed he scavenged what looked like a fish head [in his bill] from those fisherman. Ring-Billed gulls are known to steal food from other birds and will forage in flight or pick up objects while swimming, walking or wading. They are also omnivorous in that their diet could include insects, fish, grain, eggs, earth worms and rodents.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
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Bird In Blue
Blue Bird
Raleigh NC
Very territorial, Blue Birds prefer open grassland and cavity nest, similar to many species of wood pecker. It's not unusual to see Blue Birds houses for sale at most nurseries because of their popularity. Blue Birds are a natural pesticide for the garden, because they eat grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Fall And The Love Of The Mandarin
Mandarin Ducks
Robert's Lake, Montreat NC
The striking and unmistakable beauty of the male mandarin duck on Robert's Lake in Montreat NC, and the reflection of the autumn colors from the trees on the lake was a site to behold. In traditional Chinese lore, mandarin ducks symbolize togetherness, fidelity, and love. When observed in their natural habitat, the male and female mandarin ducks are always close together, and very rarely will you see one that is all alone.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Great Blue Heron
Mattamuskeet National Wild Life Refuge
New Holland NC
I wasn't sure if the bird wading in the shallows of Lake Mattamuskeet was an Egret or Heron. I later discovered that it was in fact a Great Blue Heron silently and solitarily searching for food.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Tundra Swans Of Lake Mattamuskeet
Mattamuskeet National Wild Life Refuge
New Holland NC
The snow colored Tundra Swans was a wondrous site to see on a late winter day, as they floated and fed on grasses in Lake Mattamuskeet. During their migration south, they stop over to feed in the grasslands, and marshlands of this shallow lake. They also feed on discarded grains after harvest, in fields adjacent to the lake. Flying in V formations, the Tundra Swan can fly at altitudes of 27,000 feet.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
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Shadow Tail
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Albemarle Sound, NC
The Eastern Gray Squirrel is some times called "Shadow Tail" because it sometimes sits in the shadow of its own tail. However, the squirrel in this image, is sitting in the shadow of the Albemarle Sound. The Albemarle Sound is a large estuary in Eastern North Carolina. It is separated from the ocean by the infamous Outer Banks of [North Carolina] a long barrier peninsula.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Old World Monkey
Blue Monkey
Lake Manyara National Park
Tanzania, Africa
Blue Monkeys of East Africa and Asia are sometimes referred to as "Old World Monkeys" because they go back many years. They inhabit a range of environments from tropical rain forest, savannas, shrub land, and mountainous terrain. They have also been discovered in European fossil records. This one was warning others of our presence.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Black Death
Cape Buffalo/African Buffalo
Lake Manyara National Park
Tanzania, Africa
Don't mistake these buffalo for the tamer and more domesticated Asian Water Buffalo. You'll never put a plow to this mammal. Sometimes referred to as "Black Death", the Cape/African Buffalo is widely regarded as a very dangerous animal, and it is said that it gores and kills over 200 people every year
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Tender At The Top
Masai Giraffe
Arusha National Park
Tanzania, Africa
I always thought that a Giraffe was a "Giraffe" until I experienced and was introduced to the Masai Giraffe [also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe]. The Masai Giraffe is the larges subspecies in the giraffe family, and the tallest land mammal. As a result [of their height] they are able to feed on leaves that other animals can't reach. This Masai Giraffe was feasting on its favorite food, the tender leaves at the top of an Acacia tree.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Long Distance Migrant
White Stork
Lake Manyara National Park
Tanzania, Africa
Measured at approximately 4 feet from beak tip to end of tail and a 7 foot wingspan. The White Stork has the tools for long distant flight, and is sometimes known as the "Long Distance Migrant". Migrating between Europe, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Africa, and as far south as South Africa, the White Stork has given rise to many legends. The best-known is the story of babies being brought by storks.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Cow Horn
Southern Ground Hornbill
Lake Manyara National Park
Tanzania, Africa
Because of the shape of their heavy bills, the Hornbills are often referred to as the "Cow Horn". Terrestrial birds of the open savanna, Hornbills generally travel in pairs. A number of species in the hornbill family are threatened with extinction.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Razors
African Warthogs
Lake Manyara National Park
Tanzania, Africa
The common name warthog come from the large warts found on the head of the African Warthog, which serves as a defense when males fight as well as fat reserves. A warthog is also identifiable by the two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The tusks are used for digging, combat with other hogs, and defense against predators. The lower pair which is far shorter than the upper pair become "razor sharp" by rubbing against the upper pair everytime the mouth is opened or closed, and can inflict severe wounds.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Bird Of Intelligence
Western Scrub Jay
Saguaro National Park
Tucson, Arizona
Not to be confused with the American Blue Jay (although of the same family), the Western Scrub Jay inhabits areas of low scrub brush, and sometimes on the edges of mixed evergreen forests. Western Scrub Jays are members of the Crow family, and are among the most intelligent of animals. Researchers indicate that their brain-to-body mass ratio rival that of chimpanzees, and is dwarfed only by that of humans. Studies have shown that they can remember locations of over 200 food caches, as well as food items in each cache.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Wings Of The White Wing Dove
White Wing Dove
Saguaro National Park
Tucson, Arizona
The White Wing Dove play an important role in the life cycle of the Saguaro Cactus of the Sonoran Desert. They migrate into the desert during the hottest time of the year to breed, to feed on nectar, and later the fruits and seeds of the Saguaro. They in turn, pollinate the flower that produces the fruit, eat the fruit and its many seeds, and later spread the seeds through out the Sonoran Desert, which led in part to the creation of the Saguaro National Park.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
Push Up Lizard
Desert Spiny Lizard
Grand Canyon National Park
Ever seen a reptile do push ups? Well the Desert Spiny Lizards at the Cottonwood Campground in Grand Canyon National Park, put on a push up show that would impress any trainer at your local gym. The push up display is the way the Spiny Lizards greet and attract their mates, along with other interactions.
Hezekiah Goodson Jr.
