Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Good morning to all.  In my endeavors to keep coming up with photos and subjects to write about, I came across these photos.  I don’t believe I had ever posted them before, so here they are.  I jokingly commented to someone yesterday that I take requests.  So in that vein, if any of you would like to see images of any particular bird, or actually anything at all, just let me know.  I will dig through my digital files and see what I have.  If I don’t have it, it may instill in me some inspiration to go out and get it. 🙂

These photos of a Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) were taken several months ago.  This bird is found mostly throughout the western part of the United States during warmer months.  It winters in Mexico.  The size is 9 1/2 inches, slightly larger than a Red-winged Blackbird.

Yellow-headed Blackbird

The above photo was taken at an earlier time with my Canon 40D at San Angelo State Park.  Lens was a Canon 100-400mm lens at 1/5000 sec. @ f5.6, ISO 400.  Aperture priority.

The two following photos were taken at the water treatment ponds in Eldorado, Texas.  By then I had purchased my Canon 7D.  I used it along with a Canon 500mm L lens with a 1.4 tele-converter attached.  Exposure for these two was 1/1000 sec. @ f11 with ISO 800.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Yellow-headed Blackbird

The first time I ever saw a Yellow-headed Blackbird was about ten years ago, long before I got caught up in birding.  It landed on the fence in my back yard.  It was several years later that I saw another.  Texas is in their migratory path, so I guess that accounts for the time between.  They are not always around in great numbers.

I hope you enjoyed these photos.  Click on either of them to see enlargements.