My Birds

Thanks everyone for checking out the thread.

I visited Monticello Park (park know as a hot spot for spring and fall warbler migration) a couple of times this spring in search of the various migrating warblers but I had no luck, nor did I get a chance to visit often. Monticello Park is a small neighborhood park in northern Virginia that sits under a canopy of trees so the lighting is not the best but bird variety is spectacular, particular the warblers. I did not have any luck this year with the warblers, however, the Wood Thrush was available for the taking.

One of the most common woodland birds of the East, the Wood Thrush is best known for its hauntingly beautiful song. A large and heavily spotted thrush, it is a bird of the interior forest, seldom seen outside the deep woods. Its susceptibility to cowbird parasitism has made it a heavily studied species.

This bird was just foraging around the ground and paid no attention to me and another gentleman.

The last shot of the Wood Thrush. If you hear it sing you would never forget the sound. I can identify the sounds immediately.

Nice set of the Wood Thrush! Yes... love the song it sings...Ive read one description that says the song is "hauntingly beautiful".

Great shots of a beautiful bird, Al. I just googled and listened to the wonderful melody it makes.

Great shots of the thrush.

Nice shots of the Wood Thrush, Met. You are absolutely right about the song. The other morning, I was sitting on my deck just listening and intrigued by the shrill of a Wood Thrush, nearby in the woods. A beautiful flute-like sound, so peaceful. But, he never showed himself. I have also been hearing them quite a bit at Patuxent, while driving along wildlife drive.

More beautiful photos. Sure is a gorgeous color. I noticed the bird in the second photo only had one leg. Do you think it was just the way it was photographed?

Great thread and photos Met! I love your GH series! I can see I really MUST go visit Huntley Meadows! I have never been, but I have been wanting to go for sometime! Were those morning or evening shots of the GH?

Thanks for visiting everyone and sorry for the late replies.

Ducbucln, the bird had 2 legs it was just the way it was standing and the angle of the shot.
VA_Wild_Rose Huntley Meadows is a really nice spot for birds and other wildlife too. I've been checking out your photos on Flickr. You've been getting quite a few parents in little ones in action.

Early this summer I was visiting a local spot called Cheltenham Wetlands (about 15 minutes from the house) to see the happenings there. The winter months did not produce much for me except lots of sparrows. So I tried my luck during early to late spring. So happen this little bird, the White-eyed Vireo, was present as well as other birds (will post later). Although this bird is little, it's voice and song is big; it's another bird with a beautiful call and song. It was elusive for awhile but then one day I venture further back into the wetlands (further than I'd ever been) and as I was standing at this one spot where I could here many different bird calls, this little one popped up and gave me a photo opportunity. Although it was pretty dark in there, the shots came out pretty good.

Here's a brief description of the Vireo:

A small and secretive bird of shrubby areas of the eastern and southern United States, the White-eyed Vireo is more noticeable for its explosive song than its looks.

Here's the 2nd shot

Here's the last shot of the Vireo.

Thanks for stopping in.

Al

Very Nice!!!

Great captures Met. That bird sure makes a pretty photo.

Beautiful ones Met!

Thanks Ducbucln and Pelletory

I just got my internet service back after several days of "not knowing what to do".

Excellent photos of the White-eyed Vireo, Met. You are right about this bird. I hear them all the time at Patuxent but rarely get to see them within camera range.

I love that last shot of the vireo and the bokeh behind it! Fabulous!

Thanks Rose and have fun at Huntley Meadows.

Thanks Linthicum. Linthicum I have not been back to Patuxent for about 2 months now. How's the birding. I only wished they opened a bit earlier than 8 am. I've been having much succes luck early mornings since the summer started, which is why I've been spending time at Huntley Meadows; they open really early.

Take care.

Met, Patuxent North Tract has extended their hours on certain dates but later in the day, like 7:30 p.m. I wished they opened earlier too. Anyway, the last couple of times that I have been there were uneventful. So, you haven't really missed anything. About the only bird I heard (but didn't see) was the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It's quiet. I think that after the nesting season, many species head back south. As many Prairie Warblers that were around in the Spring, I haven't seen or heard one in weeks. I'm always looking for movement and the dragonflies drive me crazy. Plenty of them.

Now that vacation season is soon over, I'll probably make a few trips to the eastern shore. I usually don't go there on weekends during the summer months because of the Bay Bridge traffic to and from Ocean City. I'm not a patient person sitting in backups.

Take care ........

Hello all. I am back from my vacation to Myrtle Beach. I needed it too. We had a great time. I was able to get to photograph some birds at Hunting Beach State Park. I will post some of those shots later after I go thru them. The only bad thing about the vacation though is when I got back the transmission in the truck had a sudden death - glad it got us back home before it went south.

Linthicum, funny about the dragon flies. I am not patient either when it comes to sitting in traffic.

Well here's a couple shots, albeit not the best, but of a bird I had never seen until I got a shot of it. I heard a unique song amongst all the other bird songs deep in the woods (Cheltenham Wetlands) and saw some movement. I could not make out the bird but saw yellow and to my surprise, after viewing in the camera, it was the Male Hooded Warbler. I sure wish I could've gotten a much better shot but happy to have gotten a shot of it though, especially shooting thru foliage.

Here are 2 of the best images I was able to capture at .


This message was edited Aug 18, 2010 7:03 PM

Here's the 2nd image of the Hooded Warbler

Wow nice!!!

Yah, what a handsome bird!

Very nice Met! Those shots are still good...its a bird Ive been wanting to see..nice looking bird!

Wonderful collection! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Thanks everyone

Wow, what a beauty! Congrats on the new sighting.

This is really a coincidence because just this morning I was checking my Sibley Bird Guide for another bird and noticed that Hooded Warbler. I'd never heard of this bird until today and now you're posting these beautiful photos.

Thanks Ducbucln

Here's a series of images of the infamous Red-winged Blackbird captured at one of my favorite spots - Huntley Meadows Park. If you want to photograph these birds then this the place to visit; they are all over.

1st couple of shots, it was just sitting on some cattails



This message was edited Aug 25, 2010 3:32 PM

2nd shot of it on the cattail

Here's a couple shots where I caught it taking off of the cattail. I've been trying to get some shots of them as they take off and here are the 2 best I got.

Here's the 2nd image of the leap of faith

Here he is doing is vampire imitation

2nd vampire imitation shot

Here he is down in the water looking for something

Alright here's the last shot of the Blackbird.

More great photos of a beautiful bird. I was looking for ours at a park a couple weeks ago and couldn't find even one-maybe tomorrow I'll have better luck.

Striking bird, Al. Good shots. Why infamous?

Very nice set of the Red-winged Blackbird Met!! Margaret I think "infamous" may refer to the spring when there everywhere you look and always quite noisy...they just become a little overwhelming sometimes.

Beautiful shots of the hooded warbler. Going into bird files? Most of us will never see it in person.