Tag: bird photography

Little Guy

On By Mike and Christy16 Comments

Little Guy

Just as dusk sets in a cute little wren made a visit to the fence in the backyard hopping from picket to picket for just a couple of minutes before taking off into the approaching evening proving the adage that something small and unexpected can make your day.

Almost But Not Quite

On By Mike and Christy5 Comments

Almost But Not Quite

Almost but not quite. Red Winged Blackbirds are back in town but the shoulder badges on the males are not quite a vibrant red and the sky is still a bit grey and wintery this day. Almost, but not quite, spring is indeed in the air. I can hear this blackbird singing.

Green Heron

On By Mike and Christy13 Comments

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We sat and watched this Green Heron as they slowly moved along the river bank and while we could see them they maintained constant cover in a tangle of dead branches and roots. After about 20 minutes they flew out into the open and landed on this tangle of roots in the river.

Amazing birds in that they can use tools to catch fish.

“The Green Heron is one of the world’s few tool-using bird species. It often creates fishing lures with bread crusts, insects, and feathers, dropping them on the surface of the water to entice small fish.”

That would be something amazing to see and something to keep an eye out for next time you spend some time observing one.

 

In a dense forest

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

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It is always amazing to us when we find raptors perched up high in the tree tops of a dense forest. This day a Common Black Hawk sits perched looking to the forest floor right above your heads looking for a potential meal. This bird only sat long enough for us to snap a quick photo before nimbly soaring off through the branches and dense foliage. An amazing sight indeed.

Red Breasted Merganser

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

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Looking fine as can be in his breeding plumage a male Red-Breasted Merganser swims quietly along in the cattails confidant he will attract a mate.

“Courting males salute a female with head held high and then curtsy to the female by tipping up and putting their rear in the air with bill held high. In response to the male’s gesture, the female often jabs him with her bill. Courting males also shake their head side to side to get the attention of a female. Once the female accepts the male she stretches her neck out while holding her bill down and then lowers her neck again in a bobbing motion. They form a monogamous bond for the breeding season, but the male takes off at the beginning of incubation, leaving the female to tend the young alone. Males head to secluded waters to molt their feathers before migrating south while females tend to molt near the breeding site.”  1

References:
1. The Cornell Laboratory of Orinthology, All about birds Website, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-breasted_Merganser/lifehistory

A close second

On By Mike and Christy8 Comments

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Earlier this week we featured the Mountain Chickadee who by our accounting is the most prevalent species hanging around our neighborhood this winter. A close second,  and perhaps on some days the most prevalent species, is the Red-Breasted Nuthatch. Sitting quietly in an old spruce this particular Nuthatch presented us a nice photo opportunity on a warm March afternoon. It won’t be long before they scatter to higher grounds and prepare for breeding season but until then we savor the opportunity to listen to their honk-honk-honk from the trees nearby.

Mountain Monday

On By Mike and Christy10 Comments

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This winter the most numerous bird species hanging around our area is the Mountain Chickadee. They appear to make up the core of mixed flocks roaming the neighborhood and slightly outnumber the Red-Breasted Nuthatches and Black-Capped Chickadees. These guys have a wonderful feisty-spunky-gritty- character that makes them a real treat to have around on a winters day. As spring arrives they will move back up into the hills but for now we are thoroughly enjoying having the around.