Birds of Red, White, and Blue: Happy Independence Day!

The opportunity to travel freely from state to state in the vehicle of my choice with my family and friends and all my optical gear, field guides, smart phone, and so much more is afforded me because of the sacrifices of countless people. Some daily sacrifices seem small and essentially go unnoticed while others are more obvious and grand. Each of those sacrifices, regardless of scale, is sacred because individuals are giving of themselves for the benefit of others. Every wise choice made by freedom-loving people and their willingness to accept personal responsibility for their freedom help perpetuate the rule of law and make it possible for freedom to continue from generation to generation.

I'm posting this simple bird-styled tribute to our colors of freedom the day before we celebrate Independence Day in the United States of America to express my gratitude for all the people who love, safeguard, and perpetuate freedom with personal responsibility. I'll begin with one of my favorite images of our national bird and continue with some of my favorite images of birds that display the red, white, and blue colors of our nation's flag.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Bald Eagle at Lindon Marina in Lindon, UT

RED

Summer Tanager Near Zion National Park in Springdale, UT

Summer Tanager Near Zion National Park in Springdale, UT

I'm not sure what it is with Cardinals, but someone should have told the two below to wipe their bills before posing for my camera.

Northern Cardinal at Granite Reef Recreation Site Maricopa County, AZ

Northern Cardinal at Blue Point Picnic Area Maricopa County, AZ

Vermilion Flycatcher in St George, UT

WHITE

Great Egret at Pioneer Crossing in Lehi, UT

Great Egret at Veteran's Oasis Park Maricopa County, AZ

Snowy Egret Near Springville, UT

Snowy Egrets and One Cattle Egret Over Provo Airport Dike in Provo, UT

Cattle Egret on Cattle (of course) Near Lakeshore, UT

American White Pelican South Jordan, UT

American White Pelican Over Provo Airport Dike in Provo, UT

BLUE

Lazuli Bunting in Pleasant Grove, UT

Blue Grosbeak at Lindon Beach in Lindon, UT

Blue Grosbeak Near Palymyra, UT

Mountain Bluebird at Powder Mountain Ski Resort in Weber County, UT

Steller's Jay at Brighton Ski Resort in Salt Lake County, UT

Western Scrub-jay in Pleasant Grove, UT

Indigo Bunting at McConnell Springs in Lexington, KY

Great Blue Heron Long Beach, CA

Great Blue Heron at American Fork Boat Harbor in American Fork, UT

And we'll finish up with an image of a Greater Roadrunner I recently captured during my most recent road trip to southern Utah. Very few people realize that a bluish skin which take on a reddish color during breeding season exists just below the crown feathers of these unique birds. This guy is sporting a really cool bandanna with all three colors found on the flag of our country.

Greater Roadrunner Sporting His Really Cool Red, White, and Blue Bandanna on Lytle Ranch Road
in Washington County, UT

All my best to each of you and may God bless the USA!

One of These Things is Different From The Others: How to Spot a Cattle Egret

Last spring I was birding with another photographer friend on the Provo Airport Dike in Provo, Utah. We saw a nice flock of Snowy Egrets flying toward us so we stopped and exited the vehicle to attempt some flight shots. The egrets circled us a time or two. It wasn't until after I looked at the photos that I realized, "one of those things was different from the others". Can you see the Cattle Egret in the flock below?

Ten Snowy Egrets and One Cattle Egret Flying Over Provo Airport Dike--Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Ten Snowy Egrets and One Cattle Egret Flying Over Provo Airport Dike--Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Here is a highly cropped image to show the Cattle Egret more clearly.

Cattle Egret Mixed in Flock of Snowy Egrets Over Provo Airport Dike--Provo, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I know this post is supposed to be about Cattle Egrets, but I love the following image of a Snowy Egret. I saw it coming my way as I was driving my car during a lunch break. I pulled over just in time to retrieve my camera, get out of the car, and capture a couple of images as it flew directly over my head. It is such a beautiful bird in flight.

Snowy Egret in Springville, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

I'm still trying to get a really nice Cattle Egret image, but the one below allows a nice comparison to the Snowy Egret that follows.

Cattle Egret Hunting in a Field in Palmyra, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Snowy Egret Hunting at Natural Bridges State Beach--Santa Cruz, CA (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Yesterday morning I had another lesson in "one of these things is different from the others". And it did involve another Cattle Egret. I stopped at a small pond in Lakeshore, Utah to see what might be in or around the pond. When I first saw the species starring in this post I could see only its head because it was on the other side of a small slope leading down into the water. It eventually flew to a more open perch that made me chuckle. I just had to capture and share the images below for two reasons. One, they engaged me in a kindergarten-level version of the "which one is different" game and, two, they provide a great clue for where to find a Cattle Egret--with cattle, of course!

Cattle Egret on, Yes, a Cow in Lakeshore, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Cattle Egret on, Yes, a Cow in Lakeshore, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)