Standing Up For Yourself~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, REVERIES

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This little Yellowleg gave me quite a scolding for coming near him!
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He may be little, but he’s tough and quite loud, and he stood his ground!
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Eventually he settled down with me around.
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I understand he feels territorial.
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There’s lots of birdies at The Salton Sea,
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and a little Yellowleg needs to hold his claim.
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Cheers to you from the wintering birds at The Salton Sea~

190 thoughts on “Standing Up For Yourself~”

  11. Beautiful! There’s nothing quite like seeing a flock of birds lift off into the sky together. And that Yellowleg reminds me of my assertive Nikita! Little but tough and territorial. Hope the Salton Sea can remain a place that supports all this life. I’ve heard a bit about the problems there but here’s hoping! 🙂

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    1. I love birds like Nikita, all sass and outsized personality!
      Yes, there are big problems with the sea and 6 million migratory birds on The Pacific Flyway rely on The Salton Sea. It is incredible when huge flocks out here take of. The sound is like something you’ve never heard, a deep rumble that becomes deafining and is quite thrilling. It’s the sound of a million wings beating~ 🦆

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  16. Las aves zancudas son muy divertidas por sus largas patas. Muy bonito post. Feliz finde, Cindy, y sigue visitando estos lugares tan preciosos para traernos tan bonitas fotos 🙂

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  19. I once new a parrot that lived in a pub by a lock and small car park. His favourite game was hiding in a tree by the car park and calling “You can’t park here” as soon as people got out of their cars. The looks of confused consternation on the faces of people was a delight. 😀

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    1. Laughing! You told me this before, and it is so hilarious that I remember it well, and so great that I am laughing again. That parrot had more fun in one day than most people in a lifetime. I would love to see the people’s faces! 🦆

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    1. I watch them all the time obviously. I think doing so is instructive. Just as you say, they get in arguments, and move on. They seem to live so fully. I learn from them~ 🦆

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        1. It doesn’t seem that nature or wild creatures could learn much from us does it? Except maybe as negative role models, examples of what not to do. Negative role models are important though for just this purpose. Watch us mess everything up and learn from it…..

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  26. I’d never seen that kind of little birdie before, Cindy. Good for him, standing his ground and holding his own! And despite all his grumblings, you still got some beautiful shots — so everybody wins!!

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    1. The parts I photographed are protected, but other sides of the lake are open for development. There is a prison on the east side of the lake and a ghost town on the west side. The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California and is man made. It functions as a catchment for all the agricultural run off from The Imperial Valley, as such it is highly polluted with pesticides and herbicides, due to evaporation it is highly salinated, and due to ongoing drought, it is steadily evaporating. These are the biggest threats. Despite all of these appalling environmental insults, the sea supports over 6 million migrating birds, and a host of animals, and reptiles. Unbelievably all these creatures thrive due to the presence of the sea. The birds that you are seeing are on the south east end of the lake, where there are fresh water marshes, and agriculture planted for their consumption. It is a fascinating place, environmentally, biologically and sociologically. People live on the west side in master planned communities, with streets and lots that were never developed. There is an abandoned hotel and restaurant. The shores of the sea on the west are covered with fish bones because the fish that live in the sea only live for a very short while.
      It amazes me that such life and beauty arises from such desolation~

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      1. It must a interesting scientific ‘experiment’ for those who study the effects of man on the environment. Given what you’ve told me, I feel badly for the negative health effects these creatures are subjected to. God help us. 🙁

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        1. Yes. It is surprising they do so well. My son’s a biologist and he explained that the shorter normative lifespan an animal has the less they may accumulate toxins in their systems. The longer, the opposite. I don’t know but I would suspect that the fact that they spend a few months near the sea and then many months far north and south in more pristine habitats may be protective, but I don’t know. We need a ornithologist to weigh in here.

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          1. Cindy, now that’s a thought worth investigating! I’m not an ornithologist but parrots are known to self-medicate at the famous South American clay lick in particular. Ingesting that clay (with all its minerals) helps dilute the toxins that’re naturally a part of the plant seeds they eat (since they go after the youngest rather than ripest fruits) – according to what I recall from that text we read, Parrots of the Wild. The potential for other birds and animals (like the ones who spend time at the Salton Sea area) to find other ways to self-medicate is, of course, a mystery to me but it’s definitely a question for ornithologists to pursue!

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  38. Awesome photos Cindy but I loved the first one (with it’s reflection of the legs and the stick) and the one of the flying birds the best. I have tried so many times to capture them as they fly off but…

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        1. If you go, please let me know so I can suggest where to go to have the best experience and see the most wildlife , and if you want to stay a night or two in Borrego there are nice places to stay and eat.

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    1. Ah, that is so thoughtful of you and so appreciated even though I am award free. I only mention it on my about page so you could not have known. Thank you for your kindness Carolyn. It touched my heart~ <3 <3

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  50. Cindy, as I look outside and see our unusual snow cover and have heard so much about the birds here not being prepared I worry about them. Then I see your pictures and rejoice in their grace and beauty. While we are not supposed to, I put out a suet block with seeds in it like my mother used to do when some of the birds got caught in winter. It is in a fairly safe place from rodents and has been dinner for more than a few little feathered ones!

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    1. Good for you! You keep that suet and seeds going all winter and you will save birds. Hummingbird populations in the west were dying out, the population has rebounded because of the extensive and continuous maintenance of so many backyard feeders. If you keep it up all winter you help stressed birds survive. I don’t buy the argument about the benefits of non-interference , we humans have so damaged ecosystems and species that anything we can do to offset this harm is good. So, I say thank you, and bring on the suet and seeds. The birds know you are doing it and they thank you too~ <3 <3

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      1. I feel like I have to carry on my mother’s fight. And I plan to keep it up all winter for sure. The rules in this complex seem to only apply to those who don’t break them if you know what I mean. I put hummingbird feeders up in the warmer months and suet in the winter.

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  59. It sounds like he really did hold his ground when you came close! Careful out there – photography can be dangerous by the looks of it 😉 Sending love! Great photos as always, Cindy <3

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  61. These are rare over here (NW Europe), although we have similar birds with red legs (redshank) and green legs (greenshank)! That’s a super first photo in the series: the reflection looks like a giant beak. Wonderful!

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    1. I am now including birdwatching in all my trips to Europe and I have been amazed at the variety of species there are. It’s fascinating and I love meeting up with bird lovers all over the world!

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  64. You really captured the individual personality of the leggy one and his perfect reflection – all of your series of the migratory birds by the Salton Sea is just perfect.

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  65. Very cool! Near our place, there is a bird sanctuary where we can see egrets, dowitchers, and other birds during autumn months. They came all the way from Russia, China, and other northern countries, escaping the cold winter months.

    Beautiful shots as usual. 🙂

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  69. Your photographs are quite beautiful. A pleasure to look at.
    I see that these were taken at the Salton Sea — not sure if this is your “holler”. My sister lived out there for decades on the North Shore.

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    1. Very kind & most appreciated, thank you and pleased to meet you. I live about two hours drive west of The Salton Sea but get out there several times a year to see the birdies. Your sister must have some amazing stories to tell about living out there which I would love to hear~

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      1. Yes, she had some interesting stories. She founded the Salton Sea Museum, and collected a huge quantity of photographs from the area. Sadly, no more stories to be heard – she passed away last October.

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        1. I am so very sorry.
          Is this your sister? She sounds like an incredible person. Someone I would have loved to have met and I would love to visit the museum and see all the photos she archived. The Salton Sea has the most unbelieveable history. It is like science fiction so her museum is an excellent idea and I have never heard of it! I am going to see if it is still open and visit if it is. Amazing coincidence to learn of this! Thank you! And sincere condolences on the loss of a remarkable sister!
          http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2014/08/02/salton-sea-history-museum-struggles/13504057/

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          1. Yes, Jennie was my sister. She was in love with the desert and the Salton Sea, and worked so hard for the Museum. I don’t know if they’ve re-opened the Museum. I hope so, and I hope you get to see all that archival material.

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  71. Oh wow, are those snow geese in the latter photo’s? We lived near a lake that was on their migration path from the north. There would be thousands staying for a month or so. Sadly, that lake completely disappeared. No rain, just drought for too many years. Sadly for us and them, I don’t think it’ll ever recover. I think your little yellowleg is quite charming. There’s so much life going on when you live by the water. I really miss it at times.

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    1. Those are snow geese, thousands of them wintering here. They are such beautiful birds and you know the incredible sound when thousands of them take off at once. Incredible! The lake evaporation near you is just so sad, for the birds that relied on it, and the humans who were uplifted by them. No words, just sorry~

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