What a pain in the ass. I just had to take down all my feeders in anticipation of the storm. Left a few up for now, that I can take down quickly… gotta keep my friends fed Spoiler
Tons of activity this afternoon... rain & winds starting to pick up a bit, but they are all getting their fill. Spoiler
Saw my first kingfisher while biking along the Houston Bayou. Probably rivals a cedar waxwing for my favorite looking bird
This guy was chillin’ for about 15-20 minutes & then took off suddenly, along with about a dozen other birds Spoiler Looked up & saw why Spoiler Cooper’s, I think…
Still just taking pics in my 'hood... walking the dogs & heard a bunch of American Crows going apeshit, from above Spoiler
I saw so much shit today. Went to 2 different spots with a group in Orange County, we ended the day with 87 species. Multiple lifers. Best look at a White-faced Ibis I've ever gotten. Spoiler
Starting to see quite a few migratory birds in Jax. Noticed several female/juvenile American Redstarts on a walk.
Thought it might have been a Ruby-crowned Kinglet from afar, but just a Palm Warbler. Probably need to set up tripod. Capturing these tiny-ass songbirds hand held, at a distance with 600mm lens & in focus is nearly impossible. Spoiler
Spotted a bunch of male and female wood ducks on the river Friday afternoon. Stunning bird. Probably one of my favorites.
Some earlier stuff from this month. I finally found a lifer White-tailed Kite. It's a juvenile that me and some others thought was a Northern Harrier at first. Dude was far as fuck away. Spoiler White-tailed Kite California Quail Common Yellowthroat (male). It was honestly the best day I've ever had seeing this bird; Usually you only get glimpses of it. Not only were there like 6 males in one area, they were just hanging out in the leaf litter like Towhees or Juncos. This Snowy Egret has a giant Dragonfly in its mouth.
I really let myself down this morning. I’ve been carrying my camera with me, when walking the dogs, but left it at home today because I was in a rush. I saw two bald eagles in an aerial battle overhead & was too tangled in the dog leashes to get my phone out to capture. By the time I was situated, they were too far away for the camera phone.
What kind of raptorish bird travels in flocks of 30+ through the mountains of western North Carolina? Never thought a flock of hawks was a thing…
Probably broad-winged hawks. They’re currently heading down to South America for the winter. And a migrating mass is known as a “kettle” https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Broad-winged_Hawk/overview
H5N1 Avian Flu is spreading pretty significantly in Southern California. So far they've found about a dozen confirmed cases, most of them Geese with one Night Heron. Now Mexico is reporting cases in Baja and around TJ. Obviously bad for wild birds, but could be ruinous for commercial entities. Obviously I don't give a fuck about corporate profits, but when these guys decide to kill their entire stock, the way they do it is so inhumane and horrific I hope it doesn't happen.
Saw 45 species this morning. Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, and almost every wading predator sans Snowy Egret. I sometimes forget how small Green Herons are, stealthy bastards. Long-billed Dowitchers and a Townsends Warbler to round out the notable stuff. The L.A River is full of non-native stuff, so a lot of weird birds hanging around as well. Spoiler Egyptian Goose (female I think). These guys are fucking mean and definitely not from around here. Yellow-rumped Warbler Saw 3 White-faced Ibis' hanging out, which is a first for me. These two were moving together, can't tell if it's an adult/juvenile pair. Hooded Merganser The eternal battle between Lilac-crowned Amazons and European Starlings continues.... Spotted Sandpiper
I think I've done about as much as I can with this Nikon P950. It's an excellent introductory camera for bird photography and I highly recommend it, but I wanna up my game. Think I'll use my bonus to buy a higher end DSLR and a 600 mm lens. I'd buy a mirrorless, but I'm not made of money. My goal is to finally get some good in flight and in-motion photos. Hopefully before spring migration hits.
You’ve taken some killer shots with that thing. For birding, DSLR is still superior to mirrorless, apart from the extra weight. Hit me up if you have any questions / want recommendations.
The aerial battle could've been their mating routine. Flying around trying to lock talons then plummet to Earth
Actually makes sense. Timeline works for mating season here & while the eagles were on the smaller side, they had mature plumage
It's a really cool thing to see. I've only seen it a few times. I probably need to start carrying a camera with me at work when I'm out in the field.
Got some good pictures on Saturday. Spoiler Black Phoebe Great Egret Lark Sparrow Scaly-breasted Munia (juvenile male I think) Acorn Woodpecker Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Yeah they stick together but not because they are homies. It’s primarily because they follow wind currents, typically via mountains. I live near a mountain you can hike and watch all different types of raptors flow through. It’s also a way to count them and track population. Also longer review later but my first visitor to my new feeder.
What are y'all hearing about the bird flu? Nephew was duck hunting and saw 5 snow geese dead by road. Had three other geese with something wrong, would let you walk right up to them and not flee