Birding and Bird Photography

After I got home from work I grabbed my binoculars and wandered around my yard and then down to the beach , this is my siting list for about 20 minutes

Osprey
Ravens
Orange Crowned Warbler
American Robins
Oregon Juncos
Annas Hummingbird
Mallards
Cormorant
Common Mergansers
Chesnut backed Chickadees
Turkey Vulture
Red Tailed Hawk
Sooty Fox Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
White Crowned Sparrow

 

Not bad for a 20 min walk....didnt even have to get into the truck

 

It was the first Osprey of the year for me , pretty cool , he was up in a dead Madrone eating a fish above the bay

 

Bluebirds are busy nesting away.

 

Anxiously awaiting the hummers....each and every year on May 1!

 

What camera body are you going to be using with it?

 

No skill on my part, from my trail cam:

 

I have a Nikon D90

 

Got the new lens this past fri evening and took it out this weekend to test it out. I like it a lot and it met my expectations. Some new birds came down and heres a few shots.

 

Awww man, that is one epic post! Awesome birds! And you got your painted bunting in there, too! They really do look like someone just painted them, huh?

 

Fantastic Mark!! It still blows me away just how many species you have access to. 3 of those should be showing up here in a few weeks, send them up now please

Summer or Winter it looks like you have an abundant supply of targets there, I'm very jealous. Don't think I realized before just how many you have, until now I thought Florida was the hotspot. Looking like it is even better across the Gulf. With that new lens if you get up high enough you should be able to get a shot of Tampa LOL. Well done!

 

Has anyone used this service?

http://www.borrowlenses.com/

thoughts? experiences? Seems like a good option for short-term need or to test something out before you buy

 

Thanks fellas, the lens did work out great and yes i didnt realize i was sitting on a birding goldmine till i got into it a few yrs ago. I will definately try and send some yalls way up north.
Yup got the painted bunted but hes a bit immature in color, but hey beggars cant be choosers right.
I cant wait to see some of you guys photos once thw bords get there

 

I was in the mountains the other day, sitting on a rock a couple of thousand feet up, looking down into a pretty vast open area. Got to see a mid air bird "dog fight" between a Peregrine Falcon and a buzzard. It was neat to see from the angle and perspective I had looking from above. The Falcon would quickly gain altitude of probably 20 feet or so and dive back down to the buzzard to attack. I believe the buzzard must've been trespassing in the Falcons area. Not only seeing it but hearing it was cool, it was a quite day with a lot of up drafts against the mountains and the birds were really soaring.

 

Also that same day, after seeing that ^, I was walking thru the woods, and heard something in front of me roughly 60 yards.. It was a Turkey haha, the look on it's face when it finally realized I was there and the way it took off quickly walking was funny.

 

I've seen this before. I always thought it was the prey trying to drive the predator away.

Sort of like this:


These two were at it constantly.

 

There is a raven nest across the road from my house and they are constantly running off the eagles , vultures and osprey

 

Yeah I've been on a climb on a crag that turned out to be a Peregrine family's territory so they were soaring way above us and my friend said that one of them stooped right near him, which sounds insane!

That's an amazing shot, Ian!

 

Thanks!

This was taken at one of our local parks. I'm wondering if there's more to their little dance of sorts as one clearly has an advantage but doesn't seem to use it

 

Ian awesome picture! I've seen Eagles attack ospreys and other birds to get a fish, never have seen it the other way around that is a great shot.

Most waterfowl and the loons have already passed through here. Now time for the land based birds and they are a week or 2 early. Usually feel lucky to even get a glimpse of them and it only lasts a few weeks for most species.

Last night my first of the year ruby crowned kinglet. I think, the other bird with it did have the red stripe on top of the head. None of these smaller birds like to sit still for long so I take what I can get.


This morning first Warbler, a yellow rumped.