Thanksgiving Birding

Ann and I are thankful that, at our age, we can still get out and enjoy the outdoors and wildlife.  That said, we have no encumberments, no close relatives, so we are free to do as we please regardless of what the calendar says.  Besides, I wanted to play some more with my new Canon EOS 7D Mark II.  So, a few days this week, including Thanksgiving morning, we got out and did what we love to do best.  Here are a few highlights from those outings earlier this week.  Enjoy.

Osprey on Monday

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Great Egret

Great Egret

Mr. and Mrs. Hooded Merganser

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Osprey on Thanksgiving Day. He loves this spot to do his hunting.

We saw many bird species, averaging about 30-35 each day.  However, most photos were not display materiel.  Just grab shots for ID, etc.

We added one more to our 2014 Big Year list.  A Forster’s Tern a Lake Nasworthy.  We are now at 198 in our goal to get to 200 by December 31.  However, we are heading to the Davis Mountains area in two weeks so hopefully can get those two that we need out there.

Holiday photos – gotta get out more.

I am still ailing just a little bit, getting used to some new meds, but don’t fret, I should be 100% in a few days.  I really feeling like getting out more, and I did so for a few hours during the recent Fourth of July holiday.  Here are a few results, mostly from our local San Angelo State Park.

Greater Roadrunner resting in a tree.

Greater Roadrunner enjoying the chase.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker – female taking a pose for me.

House Finch ruffling it’s feathers.

Click on any image to see some enlargements and enjoy.  A couple of these will probably end up in my gallery at http:www.bobzellerphotography.smugmug.com.  Have a look when you can.

Recent photos and another first……

Click on the post title to see it in it’s entirety and all of the photos.  Also click on the images to see enlargements.

I have been shooting more than I have been thinking about something to write about.  So I will just write about the pictures I have taken the past week.

First I need to mention, that it is said that there never has been a nesting pair of American Coots in this area.  Well, that has changed.  At a pond at San Angelo State Park there are a pair of adults and at least five young ones.  Here is a photo that I captured of one of the babies.

American Coot – a very young one.

On another day at the bird blind in the park I captured this amazingly beautiful European Starling.  I don’t often compliment starlings on their looks, but you have to admit there is a certain beauty about him.

European Starling

Then I got lucky with a cute pose of the Northern Cardinal.

Northern Cardinal

This Golden-fronted Woodpecker always is a feast of color to look at.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

After leaving the blind, we drove through the park a bit and caught this Greater Roadrunner with a grasshopper.  I have a hard time resisting photographing these popular birds.

Great Roadrunner

Upon leaving the park, Ann spotted this Common Nighthawk on a branch.  Our first sighting of one this year.  That brings our 2014 Big Year total to 167.

Common Nighthawk

All photos were taken with my Canon EOS 70D and Tamron 150-600mm lens.  Hope you enjoy.

 

Going back to the Big Bend……

I am going to be brief with this post.  Again, Ann and I are leaving tomorrow morning to spend a week down in the Big Bend National Park area.  Migration is beginning and we hope to come home with some nice new photos from the area.

Here are a couple of images from the past few days.  Hope you enjoy.  Just click on any of them to see some enlargements.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher – first one of the season

Wilson’s Snipe

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Ash-throated Woodpecker

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

We will be staying at the Casitas of the Far Flung Outdoor Center in Terlingua.  If you are in the area, stop by cabin #12 and visit.  Otherwise, we will be back next weekend with new photos and maybe some stories to tell.

Birding a record-breaking day.

The weather here has been great lately, as I have mentioned before.  Ann and I got out yesterday for a few hours, and birds, along with spring, were in the air.  Our birding exploits netted us 45 species, which broke our daily record of 44  set last year.  It was hard to believe for a January day.  But when the temps get to the mid 70s, even the birds are happy.

Photographically, it was somewhat of a bust.  Oh, I got photos, but I am, as a photographer, always looking for presentable, saleable images, i.e., photos that are good enough for my Fine Art Gallery, but none of those were to be had.  However, strictly for birding bragging images, here are a few that I captured.  Click on any of them to see an enlargement.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Above, this Ladder-backed Woodpecker was enjoying himself.

Brown Creeper

As was this Brown Creeper.  It seems they love to work the underside of the branches.

Greater Yellowlegs

This Greater Yellowlegs was feeding along the river’s edge.  Really hustling, and paying no mind to anything around him.

We also saw an American Goldfinch.  I was unable to get an image of it, as it was too quick for me.  However, I will show you one that I shot at an earlier date.  Below that is a photo of a Lesser Goldfinch, that I came across in my files during my search for the previous mentioned American.  I thought you’d be interested in the comparison.

American Goldfinch – female

Lesser Goldfinch – male

For you birders that are interested in the birds that are found around this west Texas city, here is a complete list of what we saw.

1. Northern Mockingbird
2. Double-crested Cormorant
3. Eastern Bluebird
4. Western Meadowlark
5. European Starling
6. Oranged-crowned Warbler
7. Killdeer
8. Belted Kingfisher
9. Pied-billed Grebe
10. American Coot
11. Northern Shoveler
12. Bufflehead
13. Vermilion Flycatcher
14. House Finch
15. Great Blue Heron
16. Golden-fronted Woodpecker
17. Yellow-rumped Warbler
18. Black-crested Titmouse
19. Black-bellied Whistling Duck
20. Mute Swan
21. Great Egret
22. Mallard
23. Red-tailed Hawk
24. American Goldfinch
25. Great Horned Owl
26. Northern Cardinal
27. American Robin
28. White-crowned Sparrow
29. Brown Creeper
30. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
31. Gadwall
32. Green-winged Teal
33. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
34. Eastern Phoebe
35. Greater Yellowlegs
36. Wilson’s Snipe
37. Northern Flicker
38. Bewick’s Wren
39. Wild Turkey
40. Ring-billed Gull
41. Black Vulture
42. Spotted Sandpiper
43. White-winged Dove
44. Great-tailed Grackle
45. House Sparrow

Golden-fronted Woodpecker and more

Since we had better weather for a couple of days we have been to our local parks a couple of times.  Today, Saturday, of course, the weather has changed, getting cooler then downright cold for the next six days or so.  Anyway, I managed to get a few photos of some of the smaller birds, plus a pretty nice shot of a Great Blue Heron.  I will show them here starting with three images of a Golden-fronted Woodpecker, which I think is one the most photogenic of that species.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

This Savannah Sparrow flew from a tree into the edge of the water.  It is one of my better shots of one of these.  It usually is difficult to get such close-ups of them.

Savannah Sparrow

The same goes for the American Goldfinches such as the one pictured below.  I was lucky with this image.  The bird was in dense brush, inside a fence line.  I think I took 30 shots, before I got one that showed nearly the whole bird in focus.

American Goldfinch

There was still a lot of water standing in the roadways and this Western Meadowlark decided that it wasn’t too cold for a bath.

Western Meadowlark – taking a bath

I have always had difficulty getting decent photos of swans.  Usually the ones around here are on open water, making getting good compositions hard to come by.  Also there is the problem of getting the exposure good because of the whiteness of the feathers.  I believe this image of the two Mute Swans is a bit more interesting with the rocks in the background.

Mute Swans

What can I say about the Great Blue Herons.  I always enjoy trying to get interesting images of them.  We ate at the ‘Golden Arches’ for breakfast early Thursday morning.  It was cold, drizzly, and a bit dark.  When we left the restaurant, Ann noticed the heron in the little arroyo adjacent to the parking lot.  Of course, I just happened to have my camera in the car, so I got it out and managed to get several images in the very low light.  I like the photo especially the way the wet weather saturated the colors.

Great Blue Heron

Click on any of these images to see enlargements.

By the way, I still have copies of my highly acclaimed book, “Birds, Beasts and Buttes”, available.  To order autographed copies, contact me at bobzeller1@aol.com.

2013 – And so we begin………..

Well, Ann and I decided not to dwell on last year anymore, but get back in the saddle and head off into the new year.  Birding -wise, we got off to a great start yesterday.  The temp only reached the mid 40s, but with not much wind it wasn’t all that unpleasant to be out.

We spent a little less than three hours and we saw a total of 37 species.  With a goal of reaching the 200-plus figure for the year, that is always a nice psychological beginning.  I also got a couple of nice images, including one of my best Belted Kingfisher photos to date.  I like it even though the tip of the bill is close to being nipped off.

Belted Kingfisher

I followed that up with this image of a Greater Yellowlegs.  I am always amazed with the Canon 7D and the Canon 500mm F4 lens and 1.4 TC set-up.  This bird was across the river about 150 yards away or more, and showed up as just a tiny spot in the viewfinder.  I had figured there was no way that I was going to get a good usuable photo.  The camera, with it’s 18MP, gave me a great file to work with.  I was able to crop it and still have this sharp image.

Greater Yellowlegs

Click on either image to see an enlargement.

If you are interested in the total species we saw, here is a complete list.  By the way, we only saw 194 species during 2012.  I had thought that surely we could have made the 200 mark.  Maybe this year……  We have a bit more experience now, and hopefully we plan to visit some east Texas areas that are teeming with new birds.

1. Black-bellied Whistling Duck
2. Gadwall
3. American Wigeon
4. Mallard
5. Northern Shoveler
6. Ring-necked Duck
7. Bufflehead
8. Mute Swan
9. Pied-billed Grebe
10. Double-crested Cormorant
11. Great Blue Heron
12. Great Egret
13. Northern Harrier
14. Red-tailed Hawk
15. American Kestrel
16. Merlin
17. American Coot
18. Killdeer
19. Greater Yellowlegs
20. Ring-billed Gull
21. White-winged Dove
22. Belted Kingfisher
23. Golden-fronted Woodpecker
24. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
25. Eastern Phoebe
26. Black-crested Titmouse
27. Bewick’s Wren
28. Eastern Bluebird
29. Northern Mockingbird
30. European Starling
31. Yellow-rumped Warbler
32. Northern Cardinal
33. Red-winged Blackbird
34. Western Meadowlark
35. Great-tailed Grackle
36. House Finch
37. House Sparrow

Saturday morning images Nov 16.

Here are a few photos from a short three-hour birding trip to Middle Concho and Spring Creek Parks.  The first two images are of a Cooper’s Hawk.  The same bird, but taken in two different trees.  It was on the move but we followed it.  The sky was bright but cloudy, and the subject was back-lit in both images.  The Cooper’s is often confused with the Sharp-shinned Hawk.  The Cooper’s is the larger of the two, but since I hadn’t had them close together, I opted for the Cooper’s because of the flatish head.  The horizontal breast markings show that it is an adult.

Cooper’s Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

We came upon several Yellow-rumped Warblers.  I was able to get this close shot when one lit on a small tree just a few feet from the car.  It wasn’t there but for a few seconds.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

This Great Blue Heron was taking it easy atop an old concrete pier.

Great Blue Heron

We saw a good many birds, including our first Cedar Waxwing of the season.  Here is a complete list of our 29 sightings.

1. Northern Mockingbird    4
2. Great-tailed Grackle    35
3. House Finch    2
4. Northern Cardinal    3
5. American Kestrel    2
6. Eastern Bluebird    8
7. Red-winged Blackbird    7
8. American Coot    16
9. Great Blue Heron    4
10. Northern Harrier    1
11. Double-crested Cormorant    9
12. Pied-billed Grebe    1
13. Mute Swan    2
14. Vermilion Flycatcher    1
15. Cooper’s Hawk    1
16. White-winged Dove   20
17. Golden-fronted Woodpecker    5
18. Blue Jay    2
19. Black-crested Titmouse    4
20. Ladder-backed Woodpecker    1
21. Yellow-rumped Warbler    3
22. House Sparrow    10
23. Belted Kingfisher    3
24. Ring-billed Gull    11
25. Gadwall    3
26. Cedar Waxwing    3
27. Eastern Phoebe    2
28. American Robin    1
29. Mallard    6

Enjoy the photos and click on any of them to see enlargements.

Photogenic Golden-fronted Woodpeckers

We made a quick run through San Angelo State Park this morning.  We were so surprised to see so many Golden-fronted Woodpeckers there.  Like they were having a convention.

They get their name from the small golden patch above the bill and below the eyes.  The male and female each also have a golden patch on the nape, but the male has a distinctive red patch atop the head.  To me, they are the most photogenic of all of the woodpecker species.  Here are three of my images.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker – male

Golden-fronted Woodpecker – female

Golden-fronted Woodpecker – male

I hope you enjoyed these photos.  Click on any of them to see an enlargement.  Tomorrow, Monday morning Ann and I are headed for Miles, Texas.  It is a little farming town about 20 miles from here.  Our good friend Sue Oliver called this afternoon to tell us of a huge flooded area, left over from our heavy rains a few weeks ago.  It is teeming with shorebirds, etc.  I will give you a report later.

Here is a list of the birds that we saw this morning at San Angelo State Park.

1.    Black-crested Titmouse
2.    House Sparrow
3.    Golden-fronted Woodpecker
4.    Mourning Dove
5.    White-winged Dove
6.    Northern Mockingbird
7.    Pyrrholoxia
8.    House Finch
9.    Northern Cardinal
10.    Spotted Towhee
11.    White-crowned Sparrow
12.    Canyon Towhee
13.    Red-winged Blackbird
14.    Northern Harrier
15.    Northern Shoveler
16.    American Coot
17.    Greater Roadrunner
18.    Western Meadowlark
19.    Turkey Vulture
20.    Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
21.    Killdeer
22.    Lark Bunting

Quiz #5 – Results

Here are the results of the fifth Bird ID quiz.  This one was a bit tougher for some people, however most of you got it right.  Here is the original picture of the bird in question.

Red-naped Sapsucker

Red-naped Sapsucker:  (The correct guess).   25 votes

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Golden-fronted Woodpecker   1 vote

Red-headed Woodpecker   2 votes

Acorn Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker   1 vote

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Ladder-backed Woodpecker   5 votes

So that does it for this week’s quiz.  I thank everyone for participating.  On Monday I will publish Quiz #6.