Bird Reporting…..
I saw about a week ago the first American Goldfinch to land on the feeder. It was difficult to get a good shot but in the effort to prove he did exist here is a shot none-the-less.
White Crowned Sparrow (Pacific version)
My husband thought I was nuts! Up overhead was an adult Bald Eagle but I ignored his “hey! hey!” and I kept taking shots of the tiny Mountain Bluebird. It did not help that the Eagle was actually hunting Marmots. It also didn’t help that my darned camera’s auto-focus was focusing on everything but the bluebird. But here are the shots never the less. (I never think “manual focus” at the times I need it most!)
In light of my comments on waterfowl as of late here are a couple of shots…
Wood Duck
Barrows Goldeneye
Okay other fun stuff - this guy has been eluding me for awhile now… I always seem to get a lot of shots of this guy completely out of focus but I see him everywhere…
Here he is from behind…
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s)
And speaking of eluding…. I’ve just about got a couple of great shots of Great Blue Herons - on some level it seems to be the gold ring for me right now. One flew down to Nancy Creek and I missed him by minutes - I wander out to Lake Pierre and this is what I saw….
Hopefully, by the end of the summer, I can get a much better shot of one of our biggest water birds.
p.s. if I mistakenly called any of these guys I hope I’m corrected!
Note: almost all of the birds I mentioned previously are still around though the junco population has diminished quite a bit.
p.p.s. here is the one of the marmots the eagle was hunting. The Bald Eagle had blood on his beak so I think he was successful.
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There isn’t much to say about me; I live in a rural area in Washington state very close to the Canadian boarder. (USA side) I’m a mom of three kids; three large dogs; two new kittens; a cockatiel and probably a cupboard full of mice. Well.. because my kittens are lazy, fat and spoiled. I’m married and live in what I consider paradise (but doesn’t everyone claim that?)
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Wow! No marmots in my area, and the Barrows is a rare sight … more of a migratory “passerby.” I’m really not sure about the yellow rumped warbler, in fact, I’m not good at warblers much. Now, about that goldfinch … do yours not stick around in winter? I have some that stay all year but they are in their dull olive green uniforms.
Great photos! I love these birding tours that you take us on!
Great birds! The Barrow’s Goldeneye would be a lifer for me, although we have plenty of Common Goldeneyes. I somehow always manage to not see Wood Ducks too, despite my efforts. All I’ve had so far was a very unsatisfying, distant view, and that was actually up closer to your neck of the woods, on the Columbia River. Love the American Goldfinch - such cheery little birds!
Hi Janet, as far as I can recall I’ve never seen a goldfinch in the winter - perhaps I’ve misidentified because of the color changes? I’ll have to keep a sharper eye out.
Warblers (tho they have such a pretty sound) are not my strength as a matter of fact the more birders I meet the more I realize how much brushing up I need. (Sparrows… big weakness for me… I can hardly tell them apart unless they are very distinct like the white crowned…) Thank you for visiting once again!
Hi Adam, the Barrows was a lifer for me (I should have posted it) I knew when I moved up here that the waterfowl was really interesting (which is why I felt so guilty not posting them.) It seems a photographer could probably make a living just successfully taking photos of waterbirds alone - simply because they are difficult shots. In my case I can’t even attempt it on a sunny day! Wood Duck’s actually create a special kind of problem in terms of photographing them… The photos actually come out looking much sharper than they really look. End comment? I need to spend a lot more time taking shots of these guys, research these guys and I need to experiment with my camera a lot more. (Once I get back on the water in the boat that will help I think.)
You are getting great bird shots! I like them all, but especially the little warbler!What a pretty little bird and what terrific photos! I’ve also been trying to get a good shot at the Herons and like you hope to get something good by the end of summer. For a huge bird, they’re tough to get!
Great post! The goldfinch looks great, all molted and everything. The woodie and goldeneye are gorgeous! I love the looks of your yellow-rumped - so different from ours.
Fabulous photograph this time. Well, you never bore me with your posts. The gold finch is one of my favorite birds but your sparrow and bluebird and warbler are exciting to see also. The little songbirds are so magical.
We have service berries of some kind. My grandmother called it a sarvice berry .
Montucky - most likely if you hear a really pretty song way up at the top of a pine tree this guy is likely to be to blame! I was stunned (sincerely stunned) that he came down. I agree there probably isn’t a more shy bird then a Heron - I need to work on my sneaking up skills. This guy saw me from a half a mile away and I’m pretty sure he was spooked by me! They must have great vision!
“The little songbirds are so magical.” I agree completely Nouveau fauves! I’ve come to adore them and now that I’m getting better at naming, watching, and just enjoying their company the more I’m liking them. I’m constantly surprised at what is on the other side of my lens. p.s. that’s a cute name your grandma picked up. My son eats them all june - and just loves them.
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