Recent Odds and Ends…..

July 30, 2016 by Bob Zeller

The weather is continuing to be warm, read very warm, and the birds continue to be stressed and they keep to themselves hidden somewhere in the trees and landscape. However, that doesn’t stop Ann and I from getting out a couple of hours each morning. Although not getting many images, I have lucked out and got a few nice ones. Here is a collection, mostly from the past several months that I believe that I may not have ever posted here. Some may be even older. My Facebook readers will probably recognize many of them. If you can, PLEASE view this on a computer. That way if you click on any image, you can see some very beautiful enlargements.

This Painted Bunting we found at an old mudhole that was on the verge of drying up. If I were to go there this morning, I am sure it would be dry. Anyway, I think this is one of my favorite photos of this bird, and I think it is a great start to this blog post.

Painted Bunting

This Greater Roadrunner that I photographed yesterday at San Angelo State Park ranks as one of my best of that species. I love the way the light enhanced the various colors of the feathers.

Greater Roadrunner

Since I have been spending more time in the house, I have been at the computer going through images from the past few months, that I hadn’t edited or sorted. This Pyrrhuloxia was photographed in the early morning light of July 21 of this year.

Pyrrhuloxia

We came across this Greater Roadrunner one day at San Angelo State Park. He was so close to me that I opted to get a portrait of him. I found it quite interesting.

Greater Roadrunner

I never pass up a chance to photograph these tiny Vermilion Flycatchers

Vermilion Flycatcher

In the birding community, the females don’t usually get their due. The female Grosbeak, in my opinion is a beautiful bird as you might agree.

Blue Grosbeak – female

One of the cutest birds that I know of, is the Black-crested Titmouse. But they also are very feisty and you don’t like to be messed with.

Black-crested Titmouse

At the Hummer House down near Christoval, Texas I as enjoying photographing the many, many hummgbirds there. I thought this image moved the cute meter up a notch.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Of all of my Great Horned Owl photos, I rank this image as one of my personal favorites. I try to photograph this species at every opportunity.

Great Horned Owl

This photo would fool you. As a juvenile Curve-billed Thrasher, it has neither the curved bill nor the orange eye of the adult.

Curve-billed Thrasher – juvenile

Another bird that is difficult photograph is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. To happen to catch one with the red crown showing is a bonus.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Another one with the same degree of difficulty is the cute little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

When I was much younger and not at all interested in birds of any kind, I used to think that all the little ones were sparrows. The medium size up was all pigeons. The really big birds. think large and XX large, were all eagles. Then the ones on water were all ducks. But now that I am getting more educated in the avian species, boy, am I ever getting surprised. I have found that there are over fifty different species of sparrows alone. Wow! Holey-moly, Batgirl!! Who’da thought! Well, this Grasshopper Sparrow is one of the more unusual ones.

Grasshsopper Sparrow

I think that will be all for this post. I hope you have enjoyed reading and seeing the photographs.

’til next time,

Happy Birding!!!

Nighthawk and a Roadrunner

August 1, 2015 by Bob Zeller

102° today, the eleventh day of 100° or hotter. The average here in San Angelo is 18 days per year of 100° days. The record was in 2011 when we had 100, yes, that’s right, 100 days of 100° or more. I hope we don’t break that record.

Anyway, we can’t stay in forever. We do venture out sometimes earlier in the day, which was the case today. We decided to take a drive through San Angelo State Park. We saw the usual summer residents of sparrows, mockingbirds, etc. Also, several quail scurrying through the deep grassy areas. Of course, I was on the eye out for photo ops.

Driving out to the Isabel Harte section of the park, we spotted this Common Nighthawk. On top of that, as I was taking this photo, Ann spotted another one on another tree branch about 20 yards away. Of course, it flew before I had a chance at it. I am always amazed at the camouflage of these birds. It is so easy to miss them.

Common Nighthawk

There wasn’t too much action after that. The temp started climbing and most of the small birds that we saw, were looking stressed. But as we decided to leave we spotted this Great Roadrunner in a tree. It had just given chase, unsuccessfuly, to a Cactus Wren. While it was resting and catching it’s wind from that, I was able to get this photo.

Greater Roadrunner

So that is it for this post. I’ll probably try to make to the local city parks sometime during the upcoming week. We’ll see what has been happening there.

Of course, it behooves me to also give you this update:

My new “World of Bob Zeller – Outdoor Photographer” DVDs are here. Outstanding collection with great sound track. 100 of my best images; birds, landscapes, and others. Better than my book. Produced by DSTappan Productions of Knoxville, Tennessee. Price is 25.00 that includes Texas tax and shipping. Local residents only 20.00 if I can deliver it to you. I do business the old-fashioned way, just a handshake. You mail me a check to: Bob Zeller, 4401 White Ash Ln., San Angelo, TX 76904-4528, and I will get one shipped to you. Also, my phone is 325-944-1839 or e-mail me at bobzeller@pobox.com. I have many references if you need.

It has gotten great reviews from the people that have purchased them. If you purchase one and don’t like it, (highly unlikely, I think), I will return your money.

Thank you and happy birding!!

Bird of the Week – Greater Roadrunner

December 9, 2010 by Bob Zeller

Today I have picked the Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) as my Bird of the Week. I was able to get some photographs recently and I will show them here. This bird is in the cuckoo family, and better known as the bird that is always trying to outwit the wolf in the cartoons, with his familiar “Beep, beep!”

Greater Roadrunner

The Stokes Field Guide to Birds of North America describes the Greater Roadrunner as a large, very long-tailed bird with relatively long neck and thick legs. The skin behind the eye is bluish, and sometimes other colors show up in certain lighting.

Greater Roadrunner

Other traits is that the roadrunner doesn’t require water. He gets moisture through his diet. He can fly short distances, mostly gliding with his wings and tail spread. His voice is not the comical beep, beep, but actually a deep mellow cooing wooh wooh whoa whoa. He loves the arid areas of the south and southwest parts of the country.

Greater Roadrunner

I hope you have enjoyed this narrative and pictures. If you have, please leave a comment. Click on any images to see enlargements. Now I am outa here. Beep! Beep! 🙂

Super Bowl weekend photos

February 7, 2010 by Bob Zeller

Merlin on utility pole.

Dismal weather doesn’t hold me back. We were in and out of the house, just hanging out and driving around. Friday morning on the way home from breakfast we spotted a Merlin high up on a power pole. I checked and it is a prairie sub-species. Later we drove downtown along the river with Jodie Wolslager and saw several Hooded Mergansers again. This time I got a photo of a female, with the familiar red Don King hairdo. Also saw a female Belted Kingfisher, and a Ringed Kingfisher.

Yesterday morning, Ann and I went to the bird blind at the state park to

Wstern Meadowlark

check on the feed supply and ran into a couple of new-comers to San Angelo. They are Mike and Diane Coleman, who have moved here from Fallon, Nevada, and birding is one of their hobbies. We then drove through the park for a bit and saw some beautiful Western Meadowlarks plus some other interesting sights. We saw a Northerh Harrier soaring near the lake, apparently hunting prey, and saw another Harrier sitting on a large rock near the shore of the lake, chowing down on a large fish.

I am going to put some photos here. The weather, for the most part, was damp and chilly so a few of the photos were taken from the car.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

The Sharp-shinned Hawk was photographed at park’s bird blind. It flew in, scaring the crap out of all of the other birds, and landed in a smaller tree. At the time I had my Canon 7D with my 100-400mm zoom lens in myhands. For the shot my vision was limited by a tree, but I had just enough room to place my center focus point on the hawk and came up with a good enough image to be able to identify it.

The Great Blue Heron, with it’s breeding plumage was high up on a lamp pole

Great Blue Heron

along the Concho River downtown. For that photo I got out of the van. I sought out a vantage point fron behind some trees and hand-held my 7D with my 500mm lens. I then had Ann help me get up off the ground so I wouldn’t fall into the river. It’s hell to get old. 🙂

The Roadrunner was photographed from the window of the van as we were driving around the park. He had just caught what looked like a large grasshopper. The Western Meadowlark was in a tree nearby also. So enjoy the photos. Click on any of them to see enlargements.