Are You Down There

by DB Hayes

Title

Are You Down There

Artist

DB Hayes

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Fine Art Americas (FAA) watermark does NOT appear on sold art as FAA removes the watermark before each sold copy is "museum quality" printed onto canvass, photo-paper, metal, acrylic or any of FAA's many other available medias regardless of which one is chosen by the buyer.

COPYRIGHT DISCLOSURE NOTICE: THIS IS A COPYRIGHTED, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PROTECTED IMAGE.

WE are proud to write the following highly respected art groups have featured on the date indicated by each group's name our "Are You Down There" image;

1 - Animal Photographs: 03/21/2017
2 - KINGDOM Animalia: 03/28/2017
3 - FAA Portraits - Birds: 03/28/2017
4 - Poetic Poultry: 03/28/2017

Deb and I visited the bird rookery at the Alligator Farm located on the infamous A1A highway in Saint Augustine, Florida on March 15th and 16th, 2017. Of course, we photographed many, many amazing birds all of which were either already nesting, building their nests or had built their nest and were displaying themselves for a mate. The bird activity in this rookery is stunningly amazing.

The Roseate Spoonbill shown was captured by Deb from the rear as one can plainly see as it was looking down as if searching for its mate. Or for some other reason. Regardless we thought it a nice image due to the wing display, which lead us to post it. Now for a few facts on this species.

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) (sometimes placed in its own genus Ajaja) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in South America mostly east of the Andes, and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, the Gulf Coast of the United States and on central Florida's Atlantic coast Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge adjoined with NASA Kennedy Space Center.

The roseate spoonbill is 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) long, with a 120 to 133 cm (47 to 52 in) wingspan and a body mass of 1.2 to 1.8 kg (2.6 to 4.0 lb). The tarsus measures 9.7 to 12.4 cm (3.8 to 4.9 in), the culmen measures 14.5 to 18 cm (5.7 to 7.1 in) and the wing measures 32.3 to 37.5 cm (12.7 to 14.8 in) and thus the legs, bill, neck and spatulate bill all appear elongated. Adults have a bare greenish head ("golden buff" when breeding and a white neck, back and breast (with a tuft of pink feathers in the center when breeding), and are otherwise a deep pink. The bill is grey. There is no significant sexual dimorphism.

Like the American flamingo, their pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin. Another carotenoid, astaxanthin, can also be found deposited in flight and body feathers. The colors can range from pale pink to bright magenta, depending on age and location. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. They alternate groups of stiff, shallow wingbeats with glides.

This species feeds in shallow fresh or coastal waters by swinging its bill from side to side as it steadily walks through the water, often in groups. The spoon-shaped bill allows it to sift easily through mud. It feeds on crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, newts and very small fish ignored by larger waders. In the United States, a popular place to observe roseate spoonbills is "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Roseate spoonbills must compete for food with snowy egrets, great egrets, tricolored herons and American white pelicans.

All visits to our FAA-Pixels art sites are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated. Please visit often and, if you will, tell your friends and family about our art sites. They may find something they like and thank you for the tip.

"Art Elevates The Spirit"

Bill and Deb Hayes

Uploaded

March 18th, 2017

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