Birding and Bird Photography

I'm still super bummed I missed it! I don't even remember why I couldn't get out to see it until I did...probably school or something

 

That part is the sucky part.

 

Very cool! There was one on here a few pages back in Az. too. Has anyone tried using a light and flash to take pictures of owls (or bats) at night? Or other wildlife for that matter...

LOL have several pictures of that indigo but none that I really want to post, way too grainy. Hopefully I will have a few stay around this summer and get another chance or two.

The Yellow Rumped Warblers are gone, been a few days since I have seen them.


I put my camping table on the deck and seeds on the railings, table and feeders. Baiting is fair game now and this month I go through a lot of bird seed. But it is worth it IMO.

Last night sitting on the deck saw a flock of about 20 birds land in the willow. Small birds and they didn't sit still. Took a crap pot full of pictures and ended up with a few decent ones. Which given the distance and size of the Vireo's plus being dusk was a pleasant surprise.
Yellow throated Vireo


Rose Breasted Grosbeak


The Goldfinches are around all year but for the next month they really attack the feeders. Sounds like a bunch of squeaky toys. I have a picture of 8 Grosbeaks altogether but it isn't sharp, hopefully can get a few more. Not a shortage of them around right now!

4 Baltimore Orioles

 

Wow thats a lot of yellow rumps and goldfinches, awesome photos, looks like your backyard is set up for a bird heaven lol.

The nickname for the caracara down here is mexican eagle. It is definately strange for any sightings north of central TX. They get pretty thick down here..you will find one by any local roadkill haha. Theres a town about 20 mins from me called Kingsville, and at the town dump they are EVERYWHERE like freakin cockroaches

 

Wow Mike, I REALLY like that yellow rump photo! So crisp on that female second from the right!
I bet you're excited to be getting all of these spring birds now, you've been waiting allll winter, and Mark really hasn't been helping...

Dang, Mark, I didn't realize they were that abundant in TX! There was one that came to the border in San Diego that my family and I tried to go find when they picked me up from the airport once...didn't find that one either

 

Add me to that long lens list! I'd be happy with a 500mm right now, in the mean time I will just keep getting closer.

Except when they are on the nest. This morning a pair of house wrens moved into my bird box. I didn't want to get any closer than 20 yards. A chipmunk moved into it last year and chewed the opening wider. Didn't think it was wide enough for this stick


Did it though!


Having a bird party on the deck everyday


Dog is blowing his coat so this morning gave him a good brushing. Saw a female Baltimore Oriole fly down and pick up some fine white chest hair. With some luck hopefully will have a pair around all summer now.


I do like the bright colors of the males

 

Nothing like as cool as you guys have, however, I discovered these Carolina Wren chicks today!! I knew they were close, but found them about a foot off the ground under my potting table..

 

So, I've never been in this thread and haven't read thru it.

My husband and I just moved into a new (10year old) house. The house is beautiful, the view in our backyard (farmland) is beautiful and there are sooooo many more birds flying around than we've ever had in the old house. On sunny nights, we'll sit on the patio with binoculars.

What's a really good/easy online encyclopedia for birds? Aside from the robins, sparrows, and finches.... I'm curious to know what's flying around our yard (and shitting on my truck LOL).

 

I would disagree about the nothing as cool part... That is pretty cool to me!

That is pretty much what I do too. Except Mn. DNR instead of course, not sure what Pa. Game Commission has any more. With the filters that allaboutbirds has now I spend a lot more time there.

Still trying to get a better one of the indigo if the sun every comes out here...

 

Second summer I've seen a pair of these over the house. I'm 90% sure they're Mississippi kites, but I guess they could be sharp shinned hawks as well. The tail makes me think kite. Sorry I don't have better photos - they were way up there. This was with a 300mm lens:

 

The last bird appears to be a northern harrier. We call them marsh hawks here.

 

Nice shots everyone! Really cool nesting stories!
I reeeaaally like that Red-breasted Grosbeak, Mike!

Polymerhead: Without doing any research, I'd guess Kite, as well, because of the tail. Looks a lot like the black kite in Australia I'll check my guide in a bit, I don't know the eastern-only birds.

MT Girl: Awesome owl shots! Man, I haven't seen an owl in a whiiile.
Those first two buteo photos are two swainson's hawks (dark bib, white chin).
The last one is indeed a Northern Harrier. The males are that blue-gray color, lending to the latin name "cyaneus," while the females are the brown color. The coolest part about them, to me, is that semi-facial disk (like an owl) so they can actually hunt for small mammals in grasslands and ag fields by sound!
Great birds!