Fishing Birds - Calgary, AB

2022 - June 18 - July 16

I've been holding these photos back anticipating that there'd eventually be more to add..enough to eventually create a separate gallery for each bird species. I'm not confident that will happen now..at least not any time soon. So, I'm combining the two bird species (Osprey and Black-crowned Night-Heron) into this one gallery now so that the photos don't just sit on the computer unused for too long a period of time. It just seemed there was too many photos captured of each of these bird species, within a short period of time, to include them into the Marshall Springs galleries back when they were shot, as they would have heavily dominated the variety that can usually be found within those galleries. Lol Anyways, here are the photos. Interesting fishing birds! Enjoy!
Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 18th

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 18th

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 18th

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 18th

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 18th

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 18th

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 19th

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 21st

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Osprey (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - June 21st

These two bird species (Osprey and Black-crowned Night-Heron) are quite different from each other, but have a couple of things in common that I see right away. They both like to eat fish, and they both get pestered while they're fishing at the Marshall Springs ponds, by about an equal amount of intensity, by the Red-winged Blackbirds that dominate and control the air space above where they like to fish. The only bird species, I've observed with consistent regularity, that gets attacked with more intensity by the Red-wings, when it comes around, is the Cooper's Hawk. It's all out hands on deck for the Red-wings when those birds are on the scene..the swarming effect performed by the male Red-wings to get rid of the Cooper's Hawk from the area is quite something to see for sure. I usually see anywhere from one to four Red-wings assigned the duty of getting rid of the Osprey or the Black-crowned Night-Heron when they happen to come around, and even then, once a Heron has landed it is sometimes left alone for a short period of time to do what it needs to do before eventually being escorted off the premises by the Red-wings. I've never observed the Osprey actually land and hang around the area, so that's not really the case with them. Osprey circle the area high above the ponds, pick out a targeted fish, swoop down, dive right in to the water to grab the fish, oddly often circle the area one more time with their catch on board, then swiftly leave the area, more often than not, by escort. Black-crowned Night-Herons seem to prefer to perch near the water's edge and wait for the fish to come to them. Once a desired sized targeted fish comes within striking range of where they're positioned, then they make their move. It's a very swift, head first, plunge into the water when they strike.
The Black-crowned Night-Heron has selected a good location for observing what's going on below the surface of the water (below).
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

The Black-crowned Night-Heron sees a target coming near and gets ready (below).
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

The Black-crowned Night-Heron sees a target move within striking distance, and is poised to strike (below).
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

The Black-crowned Night-Heron was going to strike at this splashing fish (below), but held up, changing its mind at the last second (below).
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Again, the Black-crowned Night-Heron sees a target move within striking distance, and is poised to strike (below).
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

The Black-crowned Night-Heron came up short on a failed attempt at a strike..it heads back to the perching area empty handed, so to speak (below).
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

While I'm observing in a situation such as this I try to keep my movements to a minimum for sure, and when I need to move I keep it slow and steady. I'm usually positioned right at the waters edge, in a crouched stance, so as to get as low down as possible for the most pleasing angle of view. I can only maintain that position for so long, maybe two or three minutes..after a while it just becomes too uncomfortable. So I need to stand upright, straighten out and stretch..get the blood circulating better again, and give my arms/hands a little relief from the weight of the camera and lens. I do this for about maybe fifteen to twenty seconds or so, then get back down into the ideal position again. Unfortunately, while I was on one of these short breaks the the Black-crowned Night-Heron made its successful striking move. It came up up with a pretty decent sized fish for its efforts, but I was only able to get the back end of it flying away with the catch (below)..that's just how it goes sometimes. Too bad too..opportunities like this (potentially capturing the strike and catch in a series of photos) have been quite rare for me. This series of photos (until a fish was caught) went on for just over an hour.
Black-crowned Night-Heron (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron (in flight) with a fish, Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

A good while later I observed this Black-crowned Night-Heron (not sure if it was the same one or not) with a male Red-winged Blackbird hot on its tail (below), literally.
Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbird (both in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbirds (all in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron and male Red-winged Blackbirds (all in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 8th

LOOK OUT BELOW!! (below)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 16th

Black-crowned Night-Heron (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB

Black-crowned Night-Heron (in flight), Marshall Springs ponds, Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary, AB - July 16th

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