Birding and Bird Photography

Nice shots!
I know what you mean with those small birds bouncing around everywhere. As soon as you get your camera up to your face, they hop to another branch, verrry frustrating. I have never gotten a gold rump that close and clear before, very nice.

 

This was a few more from last weed prior to getting my new lens, just didnt have a chance to post em.
Anyone know what kind of sparrow that is? My sparrow ID sucks. I was thinking Lark, but not sure.

 

Ohhh man those are some good photos Mark and Mike!
Yeah those kinglets and bushtits and warblers are so frustrating! They either leave too quickly or they have a nice stick right in front of them...
That purple martin shot is Amazing, Mark! And I'm super jealous of your scissor-tailed flycatchers. They're one of my favorite birds, probably in the top three, and I've only ever seen one once.

Edit: Oh and for an ID on that sparrow, I looked in my guide and it looks like a juvenile Brewer's Sparrow, based on the breast streaks, the little streaky line going up on either side of the chin, facial marks, and the light lower mandible and dark upper mandible. But my guide shows them only occurring west of about Piedras Negras or Nuevo Laredo, and only wintering or migrating North at that. Definitely an accidental if it really is a brewer's sparrow, which I'm 85% confident it is, but I could definitely be wrong. You could check the ebird.com records for the place you took that photo to see if anyone else has seen a brewer's sparrow, too.
Good stuff!

 

I checked the ebird range maps for the Brewers and no sighting anywhere close, everything was way west texas. Its hard to tell, but the colors in the head look a little to light, thats why i was thinkin maybe Lark

 

Hmmm yeah probably not brewer's then. I don't think it's Lark because the facial markings don't match up. Yours has just the dark line trailing the middle of the eye while the Lark has that and a bold line that runs under the eye and borders that chestnut auricular patch (below and behind the eye) as well.
Now that I look at that page, though, next to the Lark sparrow is the Vesper sparrow, which also looks similar. My guide doesn't have a juvie pic, but there's supposed to be a white strip that wraps around the auricular on the vesper, which I don't see in your guy.
Did you hear it call or sing? Any other pictures?

 

No it was a drive by shooting with the window down lol..he only sat there for like 5 seconds. Ill have to check out the vesper.

 

Looked at the Vesper, the markings on the chest definately match up. Its tough to tell in my picture wether the head coloration is a match. But it definately could be a Vesper.

 

More great pictures Mark, thanks for posting them! I have a hard time with sparrow identification. Well OK and a lot of hawks, and....

Nice drive by shooting. I've read a number of people that have suggested it as an effective way to get bird shots and many use bean bags under the lens and turn off the vehicle to prevent vibration.

 

Hey thanks, i appreciate it. Ya i read that a few days ago too about the bean bags. i notice that they wont fly away until you come to a stop, so i try to keep it around 5 mph when im shooting lol
Sparrow ID is definatley a weakness of mine, same with hawks and species that look alike like the N. Water thrush and Louisiana water thrush, and the brown and curved bill thrashers, its impossibe to tell em apart.

 

First egrets of the year yesterday.


And cross posted from photography thread, caught one eating a frog


First Belted Kingfisher also

 

Nice pics, looks like a pretty marshy area
Kingfishers are one of my favorite birds

 

Bats are kind of cool. Think we ought to include them here (I know, I know)? A bit tough to capture in flight...and the lighting is most always bad...but they can be found roosting...good excuse to get some new equipment at least

 

I had a big bat hit our window at dusk the other night , that was kinda weird

 

Had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeder for the last few days. Also a couple of Eastern Towhees.

 

Nice pics you guys

 

Nice pair of Hooters! One is hard enough to find and capture but 2 is just plain showing off. Well if you got it, flaunt it... Well done!

Thanks for the kind words Ben. I think maybe I've moved from preschool to kindergarten

I saw a bat for the first time the other night. Only one and it is still fairly cold here but I had the same thought. And how their flight is somewhat familiar to swallows.

Really looking forward to seeing the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks making it here.

 

Had a slow flyover by a bald eagle on the river today, by had my phone in dry storage. Took it out to snap this far away shot of a group of turkey vultures hanging out on the river.