Birding and Bird Photography

Had a few hours this afternoon so went to a State Park ~15 miles from the river to walk the dog. Saw my first Peregrine Falcon, heard it first making one hell of a racket and sounded almost prehistoric. It was chasing a Bald Eagle away. After a few minutes I watched it dive like a F-18 Hornet and fly back to a vertical face on a bluff and disappear. When time permits it is worth going back and setting up the tripod for a few hours.

 

He's back



With a lady this time

 

Those are some great pictures. Tempted to give my upland hunter friends in the SW a hard time, just wait for them to come to the window and no dog needed LOL. But I know they generally burn as much boot leather as I do in a day. Couple of years ago camping on the North Shore while grouse hunting had a ruff grouse roost in a tree right over the tent. Every couple of hours he would start drumming and drive the dog crazy.

 

Been watching a pair of Bluebirds, and a pair of swallows nesting in Gilbertson boxes out back near my 2 acre pond...yesterday , a Belted Kingfisher showed up,(the first I've ever seen in the wild), and was sitting on the Swallow box not budging even after repeated "attacks" from the Swallows, when in a split sec rolled off the top of the box straight into the water like a missile and came out with a Comet goldfish flopping in his beak, then flew right back on top the box and swallowed it whole...Pretty cool to watch..its been hanging around the last 2 days..gonna' try and get some pics to post..!!
I stocked the pond last year with 2,000 feeder fish, and didn't think any of them survived....guess I was wrong...

 

According to the Mn. DNR there are 53 known peregrine falcon nesting sites in the State, most of them are in man made structures. There are a rare few in the historical nesting sites of the river bluffs in the SE part of the State. I found another one it was not here last summer:


It even gave me the courtesy of a fly over


I spotted the nest last weekend when it came out to chase a Bald Eagle away.


Lots of ducks and other birds moving through headed North but didn't have much luck getting good pictures. They were all extremely spooky and in thick cover. But I was able to get close to a pair of swans

 

Wow! Nice catch on the Falcon!

 

This morning I managed to ID a species I've never seen here before , the Townsend's Solitaire , there was 3 of them in the pasture at my job site . Got the binos out of the truck and used the Merlin Bird app to figure it out . Unfortunately they were too far away for a decent picture as all I had was my phone but they look like this :

 

Don't be such a nudzh

 

Greater, or Lesser....?

 

Down here we call thw scaup bluebills

 

This was the "welcoming committee" when I set up camp at Cleburne State Park on the 9th. This was shot through the cab of the Tacoma (rear drivers side to front passenger side mirror). This guy later got himself stuck in the truck for a time, took me opening every door and window to coax him out.



Still working on getting down to the hummingbird set from Pedernales Falls State Park.

 

My first post in this thread. I like photography. Ever since my mom bought me a Brownie years (many) ago. I'm just an amateur, though. Never took any classes. Should have. Guess it's never too late. Love birds of prey. But other types, as well. Here's my first contribution.

 

Welcome Don...Nice shot of that Raptor...does it have lunch in his talon grasp....hard to tell...!?

 

Nice first post!