Say Ahhh!

And here's the last one

Thank you, Dave, great shot at always. I love them all! I don't know what may have gone wrong with the post, the system sometimes seems slower than other...have no clues.
But thanks for posting those wonderful pics.

Wow, look how much red there is on the fledgling's belly. Any idea how old it is?

oh boy. how cute are those little ones.

These are not fledglings. They are of the adult male. These are all the same bird, (except for the shots of the female tossing the peanut.) He just looks young when he fluffs up his feathers that way.

The fledge does not have any red on his head (or his belly). Here, I'll show you one. That's Papa feeding him This was taken from about 100 feet so the quality is less than I would prefer.

Dave

no WAY Dave! ha. still cute.

Here's another shot of a fledge, in flight. They are full size when they leave the nest and get their color in a year or so.

This message was edited Feb 28, 2008 10:14 PM

Next shot wings up

Wow, Dave!!! Awesome as always!!!

Outstanding pics Dave!

Pelle

Are you home or still in hospital? I sure hope you are feeling better.

Dave

Dave,

Really neat and fantastic shots!

Marilyn

More great shots, Dave. Gary (Grasmussen) kindly pointed out that I have given him "credit" for some of your photos. My apology.

Dave...I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your threads and learning lots also. Thank you for the time, effort and talent that you have put into all of your posts, I very much appreciate it! This is just delightful!!

Wow - that red bellied looks like he got caught in a tornado! Great pics!

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

No problem here, Linth. As long as Gary isn't offended. There's a lot going on with this forum and I'm still rather new.

I'm having a slight computer problem and my wireless network is down. I'm on my wife's computer at the moment. It's the only one with an Internet connection (the cable modem and router is attached to hers), and don't know how long her generousity will last. Hopefully I'll get it fixed today.

But there's nothing wrong with my camera, so I'll keep one eye on the birds.

Dave

Most outstanding work. Cindy

I have been impressed with the outstanding quality of your photos, from the first one you posted. When you said your were using a Canon EOS 1D Mark II, I looked it up on C-net last night. While it sure would be fun to play with such an expensive toy, it's completely out of my budget, with the body alone costing more than 14 times the ultra zoom camera I'm using. I do enjoy you pictures.
Gary

Hey Gary, for those of us that can dream of such Canon EOS 1D Mark II, we surely can't afford its lens. Let's pool together, and take turn to use the camera and rotate it around, say one month I have them, next is your turn, and the next, and next. lol.
(Sorta like time share), lol

Dave fantastic posting, it's such special treat. Thank you.
Kim

Do you have a blind of some sort? Even using a 300mm lens, you have to be somewhere in the vicinity. I realize that cropping was used too. And although you have a great camera, it takes more than that - it takes a really good photographer, and you are certainly that!

Those are awesome photos and I am soooo jealous. Thanks for sharing.

Fantastic pictures Dave. The greatest camera in the world is nothing unless it is in the hands of someone like you. Absolutely fantastic pictures.

GG

Well, let's add this one to the unusual category. It's from last fall when the Carolina wren was molting. He may be small, but he thinks he's an eagle. Definitely a type A personality.

And what about the poor song sparrow trying to feed her "parasitic" cowbird fledgling.

This message was edited Mar 3, 2008 2:20 PM

Awesome Talent Dave. Your pictures are very amusing..

I know this doesn't belong here, but...

Thank you Gary. The chanage has been made. :-)

Dave

How interesting!!!

Yah, those rat fink cowbirds! I had two here a while back, I hoped they moved on.

Sit on them, smother them, push them out. The nest is usually so small and they are so much bigger, they soon fill the nest of a little bird like the song sparrow. In this case, however, at least one of the song sparrows made it. I have a picture around here somewhere with the cowbird fledgling and a song sparrow fledgling, side by side begging for food from the same parent.

I saw a cardinal feeding one last year and also a chipping sparrow. Now that was a strange thing to see.


Dave

I just don't understand HOW those parents don't know that something is just not RIGHT in that scenario!

It's always intrigued me too. I guess the change is gradual and the nurturing instinct is stronger than their inherent dislike for the cowbirds. Also, it seems like they would notice and discard the larger egg when it was first placed in the nest. But they don't. If they did, the cowbird species would not have survived, I suppose.

I have also wondered how the baby cowbird must feel (if indeed, birds feel). But in the beginnig it is simply survival and fledglings will accept food from any species. I have watched a bluebird fledgling begging from a starling, and from a cardinal. No luck either time. I was ready to snap the picture, had it happened.

And when does the cowbird realize that he has more in common with those bigger birds out there, and decide to take off with them? Must be a happy day for the song sparrow.

This message was edited Mar 3, 2008 6:19 PM

The home I lived in as a teenager usually had two or three Chipping Sparrow nests, every year, in the small evergreen trees used to landscape the yard. On one occasion I observed a Cowbird egg laid in a Chipping Sparrow nest when the construction had just started. The sparrow continued construction untill the egg was nearly covered with nesting material. At that point I removed the parasitic egg.

This is a picture of the very rare Kirtland's Warbler nest with three warbler eggs, and one parasitic egg of a Cowbird. Photographed June 1967, Kalkaska County, MI.
Gary

OK New subject. What is the best way to get from here to there?

Well, it's one giant step for birdkind

But he did it!

LOL, thats cute!

Very cute Dave...thanks for the chuckle!

I just love it!