Bird Watching: Daily Pics - Volume 136

Did you mean this one?

OMG, thats unbelievable! Nice pics guys.

Heres a few from today taken at a long distance.

Tufted Titmouse

Downy Woodpecker (male)

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 11:09 AM

Brown-headed Cowbirds

Two of a Blue Jay getting peanut halves.

Okay the last one won't go in at all; I'm not sure whats wrong.

Yah burn, THAT one.

Lots of activity at your house pelle! I'm looking forward to the return of the downies. If those piggie HOSPs will just leave the peanut silo alone.

.trying again

Pelle, they are all beautiful images.

Burn, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to have snow that thick and how you adapt your life around it. I've never seen snow. I've heard a lot about it and that snow falling during the night has a surreal quality to it. An English friend I work with is almost moved to tears when she describes waking on a winters morning to the silence of overnight snowfall and its indescribable beauty. I can also understand how people become excited about waxwings, Cedar and other. Your Bohemian Waxwing is gorgeous. There's a tropical marine fish called a Moorish Idol which has the same subtle beauty of the Waxwing you posted. If you're not familiar with it, Google it and I'm sure you'll see what I mean. BTW, I'm not really laid up, just a bit restricted. A day or two should see me right.

Does anyone know if humming birds ever come to SW Florida? I have been here for about 7 months now and have not seen any. I used to love feeding them and would watch them for hours when we lived in MS.

Hi astroups,There are some Hummingbirds that stay year round in Fla. but I think the best chances to see them would be winter,spring and fall.

You could check with your local audubon chapter to see what the records are on hummingbirds in your area of Fla.

Here is the list of Audubon chapters in your state.

http://www.audubonofflorida.org/who_chapterList.html

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 12:14 PM

I always have such trouble getting these Turkey Vultures as sharp as I'd like. These next 2 pics have different lighting situations but we're both taken in aperture priority during the same time. Camera was on a tripod. If theres any advice someone can give I'm all ears. :-)

Great now the pic isn't posting. Good it finally went through.

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 12:34 PM

Thank you for the link.......

Your more than welcome!

A mouilting male Cardinal (poor thing).

Nice photos, Pelle. I really like the Downy Woodpecker.

As to taking photos of the Turkey Vulture. What was the shutter speed using the Aperture priority ? It looks like the shutter speed may have been too slow. I'm no expert but generally speaking (not always), I have my camera on Manual setting with a shutter speed of 1/1000 or more, for a moving target. Aperture will be on F8. Otherwise, try using the shutter speed priority at, at least, 1/1000 of a second. For example, I doubt that Aperture priority would work at the Indianapolis 500. Even on a tripod, there may be enough movement to prevent a sharp photo if the shutter speed is too low. Also, when you have the opportunity take 3-4 photos in rapid fire. One of them may just be sharp. Turkey Vultures are not the most photogenic birds, while in flight.

Hope this helps ..........

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 1:56 PM

Thanks so much Linth! I'll work on that.

Red-bellied Woodpecker w/ his tounge stickinng out.

Again having problems posting pics. It's telling me it's submited but it is not. 1 more try.

Nothing to add...just wanted to say I love all the pics...great! Pelle the woodpecker does look a lot like the one I posted from SA, not precisely, but very similar..very nice.

Raptors always great! and the doves interesting in comparing with ours...again great pics.

Black-capped Chickadee, changing the size to small lets see if that helps.

Goldies on the upside down feeder. Thanks Little.

Wow Pelle, those are some fantastic pictures.

This one is a horrible shot, taken in the rain of my neighbor's cypress? cedar? I think it's uprooted because it's not normally that close to my backyard. If you look closely you'll see about half a dozen doves in the branches, poor things.

My little hummingbird came and perched right by my window. I made some new nectar as fast as I could. I hope she stays.

I should really go move more stuff out of the living room before more of the ceiling falls in.

Good to hear you are safe and sound Elphaba. Looks like that was a bad one down there.

Thats for sure! That tree looks like it will need to be taken down as soon as possible.

It looks worse from the front. There are tree limbs everywhere and birds flying out of them even though they are on the ground. When I took this picture of the neighbor's tree, a hummingbird was also flying around and perching in it. The birds are really going to miss it.

That's my garage on the right.

EEK. I'm so sorry to see that E. ((hugs)).

Well, at least you are safe.

OMG!!!

Soooo hope everyone I know that way is okay...

Glad to hear your safe too Elphaba, must of been awfully scary to go through something like that.
Margaret, we do get a lot of snow in winter, but last year it was a record breaking amount. Last time we had snow like that, was in 73. Some in Quebec had it worst. There is beauty in it, as in all things. The sun shining on fresh fallen snow makes it sparkles, or when it lands thick on evergreens, it's some beautiful. But there are also very unpleasant thing about it, also. Blizzard, slippery roads, dangerous freezing temp in -40C on some days, makes you wish it was over fast.
I see what you mean about the Moorish Idol fish, it's a beauty.
This is the start of the gathering of the geese for Fall migration, on Lake Edward, this is just a small portion of what, that was there. And they had to be wayyyyyyy across the lake.

another shot of migrating geese.

seen some more Cedar waxwings today going up to the lake. Took this pic which was again far, didn't know what I was taking pictures of at the time.


Edited to say: Now I'm not so sure, they are waxwings, when I just zoomed it, one has streak on the belly. anyone know what it is?

This message was edited Sep 13, 2008 7:44 PM

I'm not sure but they do have that bright yellow tail tip so maybe their juveniles.

Yeah, I think your right, Pelle, they do have streaks on the chest. Thanks
http://www.pbase.com/muskrat/image/50822957
http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/CEDW.html

The last few weeks, I've been photographing a family of Little Blue Herons, 2 adults and 5 juveniles. This morning, there were 12 juveniles feasting at the pond but they kept some distance from my location. Here's one image with an adult and three "white" juveniles. This photo was taken at 700mm.

Another, with a few Canada Geese ......

A juvenile Little Blue Heron, in flight ......

An adult Little Blue Heron, close-up ....

Herons & Egrets provide excellent opportunities to practice, practice, practice ..... on moving targets ..... using different camera settings, etc.

Wonderful shots Linth!

Thanks, Pelle .....

I stayed around for about 3 1/2 hours hoping that two Green Herons I saw would work their way toward my location. My patience paid off. In fact, one landed so close, I couldn't use my 700mm lens. I walked back to the car and got another lens hoping it would still be there when I got back. It was still there. Their coloration is beautiful.

He is gorgeous! Is that a band on his leg?