Posted on 10/02/2018 6:50:46 PM PDT by Chipper
Going to start this back up, with permission from Islander7. Posts, comments and stories for the birders/birdwatchers/twitchers on FR. Post and share.
I was walking through a small sanctuary in my county, when I had two Barred Owls paying very close attention to me. I happened to look straight up over my left shoulder and saw why.
Then on the other side of the tree I saw another reason why. One of the best birding experiences I have had. 
Parent bringing in the food. 
The other watchful parent 
Barn Swallow 
Northern Harrier so focused on hunting it was within 30 feet of me flying. 
Cackling Goose - rare but regular here in Michigan 
Burrowing Owl from a trip out West. 
Anna's Hummingbird 
This picture I had Mallard drake come by the dock I was on and got some decent pictures of. Shortly after it passed by I hear quite the commotion. Two Mallard drakes started to fight behind me. I started snapping pics and didn't even realize until about 1/2 through there was a third Mallard under the pile. Unbeknownst to me a pair were in the middle engaging in Springtime activities, and the second drake wasn't taking kindly to that. I did a gif that compiles all the pics I took (will take a little while to load). There are times where the two bottom ducks were completely submerged. 
before or after the picture depending on where you want the extra line space. That is html for a new paragraph. Hope that helps.
Here are 2 shots of the Yellow Billed Cuckoo that's been hanging around my house and the woods behind me this summer. 
This is the Great Blue Heron that I saw at the beach (Panhandle) a few weeks ago. He is a little shy, but not nearly as much as the one that sometimes visits the creek behind my house. You might have trouble seeing him in between the chairs and umbrellas. 
After a while he left his cover, and posed for me. 
Some pelicans that were playing in the water took off, and I got my first "good enough" shots of them. 
Oops! Meant to include Islander7 on my last ping, not you Islander. Sorry for the confusion!
I was finally able to get directions on how to post photos that I took. Check out post 62.
Wow those are great. THanks!
They are regular seasonal visitors to here on Humboldt Bay....
Nice!
Excellent images. Thanks for posting them.
I think of Swampsniper more than occasionally. I am sure his *hammock* misses him too.
Great thread, thanks and hope for more in the future. One request might be for a review of the equipment used to achieve the results.
I include the link to Swampy’s Tribute thread as a trip down memory lane. None of us escape this life without going through the portal called death that takes us into eternity.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3432349/posts
The hummer I was using my girl’s camera, probably mostly on auto as I was not used to using it. I looked at the settings and it was 1/400 shutter speed. I think you have to be running 10 times that to try to catch their wings. It was a nice camera and much easier to carry around the Zoo than my rig.
I shoot Canon 7D mk II, with a 400mm f/5.6.....but after seeing what people are doing with the Nikon D850 and Steve Matties showing off the new NIkkor 500mm PF f/5.6....I might be tempted to switch in the future. That lens is so small for 500mm, just amazing.
See post 71 ;-) I also use Lightroom for editing and “organization”.
I spent a lot of time late last week and the weekend finally getting out some (3 months of house in turmoil from remodel birding got away from me). I've been at 199 birds for the county this year, and didn't want to get stuck on that number 2 years in a row. So I spent 4 hours doing a poor man's hawk watch for a Broad-winged Hawk. After 3, I finally got one. Picked up a couple of Lincoln's Sparrows on Sunday.
Unfortunately I missed an amazing opportunities for some good shots when a commotion on the road behind me caused me to turn quickly. I thought it was two European Starlings going at it. It was actually a Sharp-shinned Hawk that was trying to take one down, but I think I spooked it when I moved.
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-throated Green Warbler
Cooper's Hawk
Tree Swallow
This I took in the Spring when it seemed Winter was never going to move on. My description is this Golden-crowned Kinglet has had enough of Winter and decided to jump.
Great pics, thanks so much!
I hope that last little birdie didn’t hang itself!(?)
Awesome photos, Chipper. Thank you.
Lovely pictures!
Thank you for the ping. We always enjoy. Appreciate it.
However, since you've shared photos from Spring, I guess I'm at liberty to share some of mine from earlier this year. I think technically these were taken in Spring, but in Indiana, we experienced a long winter. This first one is one of my faves, the Brown Creeper. I love this tiny guy! He actually brought a friend with him a few days later, and it was the first time I had ever seen 2 Creepers at the same time!
Here's a male Pileated Woodpecker. I thought he was excavating a potential nesting site, but if that was his intention, the Mrs. didn't like it. We have had 2 males and 2 females visit us almost every day, several times a day, until the last month or two. I still hear them in the woods behind our house, but they have become rare visitors to our feeders these days. I guess they have plentiful natural sources for their diet out on the great wide open.
Baltimore Oriole that visited what now seems like ages ago. I keep wondering if I'll see him on his way back South.
Fellow birders, show us your photos! There are so many species, and I'll never get to see them all in person! I love the everyday to the exotic. Also, what may be mundane to you, might be extraordinary for someone else! Swampsniper lives on!
Here are a few photos from Texas:
Crested Caracara
Altamira Oriole
White-tailed Hawk
White-fronted Parrot
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