The other day I mentioned that the campus retention ponds were empty of ducks so far this winter. However, this doesn't mean that the ponds aren't hosting any birds. Several times recently I have seen groups of 20+ Great Egrets, 5+ Snowy Egrets and 20+ Double-crested Cormorants by the side of one or other of the ponds.
Friday morning the birds gathered by the waterfalls between the artificial river and the southern pond.
The Great and Snowy Egrets looked particularly good posed against a watery background.
The Cormorants would swim around for a while and then perch out of the water to dry their plumage.
Meanwhile half-a-dozen Ring-billed Gulls alternated between flying around above the water or, like this first winter bird, floating on it.
After photographing the group of birds at the waterfalls, I paid a very quick visit to the Precinct 3 park directly across Barker Cypress Road from the college entrance. The lake there normally has many Great and Snowy Egrets but today there were only a handful. I imagine that the birds that usually hang out there had decided to hop across the road to the college. I wish that the park's American White Pelicans, American Coots, Forster's Terns and Ruddy Ducks would do likewise!
American White Pelicans
American Coots
Ruddy Ducks
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