Ann and I took advantage of the nicer temperatures this past weekend. It was nice to get out to do a little birding. One thing we enjoyed was the antics of this Red-breasted Nuthatch. It was in a some brush, and not very close. It presented some lighting problems but I managed to get some shots. Here is one of them. Performing without a net or safety ropes. 🙂
Red-breasted Nuthatch
We went back on Monday, tried to find it again. I played his call on my iPad, but we only attracted some wrens and an Eastern Phoebe. Go figure.
The juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron was back near his favorite area. I don’t know why we don’t see it more often as when we do, he is nearly always in the same place.
juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron
On the way home, we saw this Great Blue Heron in a nearby pond. At first he was just strolling looking for a likely meal, but eventually he tired of that and decided to take flight. My Canon EOS 7D Mark II with a Tamron 150-600mm lens grabbed it at about 1/4000 sec. at f6/3, ISO 400. Love that combination.
Great Blue Heron taking flight.
More in a few days. Enjoy.
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 
That heron shot – WOWZA!! So great!! Loved the others, too. That night heron appears to be banded, yes? I love the red-breasted nuthatches. It’s weird here, sometimes we see them every day for months, and then they disappear and we don’t see them again for the longest time. Same at our place in northern Michigan. I can never figure out where they go! (Maybe they fly away to Texas. 🙂 )
Thanks so much, Amy. Glad you liked the photos. The night heron wasn’t banded. I believe it was a bit of bark that was peeled up and his foot was under it. If you look straight down from the end of his beak, you will see another bit of bark peeled up nearly identical to the one by his foot. The light makes it look like it is attached to his foot. As for the nuthatches, they are scarce here, too. This was the first time I had ever seen one.
Oh yes, I see now that I look at it again. It sure did look like a black band on first perusal! 🙂 But now I see the other piece of bark farther up.
I really thought at first there was something there, too. It looks strange.
Wonderful and the last one is a great shot for sure.
Thank you very much, Boeta. And thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂
Just returned from Mesquite Nevada..lots of little flitting birds in the chaparel brush and other desert florabunda..warm…and nice weather.came home to snow..love the red breasted nuthatches..we enjoy them so much at the feeders..Your photos are so wonderful and depict the love you have for photography…
Thank you so much, Syl, for those kind words. Enjoy your desert surroundings. 🙂
Great captures, Bob, and I’m glad to hear you’re out enjoying fine weather. The Great Blue looks almost imaginary in take-off. But then they look imaginary anyway, I guess. 🙂
Thanks, Lisa. I appreciate it. Our weather is nice for a couple days, but turning colder tomorrow. Glad you liked the photo. 🙂
Great shots all, Bob. Really like the blue heron taking off. Sharp presentation of it in flight. Thanks so much for including your lens and camera information and settings. It is helpful to know what your are capturing these wonderful shots with.
Thanks, Alison. I will try to include that info more often. 🙂