21 Birds! 03-10-2011

I went for a drive with my family yesterday and was gone for three hours looking for birds. Well it paid off I saw a few birds that I do not remember ever seeing before and I saw some for the firs time this year as well.

Northern Flicker (Red Shafted), Egin, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/400 sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

Northern Flicker (Red Shafted), Egin, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/400 sec. Canon T2i, 328mm.

Red Shafted Northern Flicker, this I would have to say is one of my favorite birds, I grew up knowing what they were and seeing them around my house. With the image of the flicker flying you can really tell that it is a red shafted with the color under the wings as well as at the tail. From the red malar or moustache that this one has you can tell that it is a male.

Bohemian Waxwing, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/500 sec. Canon T2i, 500mm. (Cropped)

This is a Bohemian Waxwing this image is actually cropped for a better view of this one in flight.

Bohemian Waxwing, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/500 sec. Canon T2i, 453mm. (Cropped)

Another Bohemian Waxwing I cropped this one as well and it looks like that it is just about to take flight or jumping.

Bohemian Waxwing, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/640 sec. Canon T2i, 453mm.

This is a good example of the actual distance I was from the waxwings. The waxwings are about the same in appearance and I can not tell them apart. Finding these was quite by mistake I have gotten into a bad habit of seeing a group of birds in a tree and writing them off as starlings. I got lucky and noticed one of them flying around then looked up to see what it was and the tops of the trees were full of waxwings.

Red-winged Blackbird, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/5004sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

The Red-winged Blackbirds are just coming back into the area and if you can’t see them then you can hear them everywhere. They are acting very territorial right now staking out there territory before the females come back. the males come back first set up a territory then when the females come back the females nest where ever they want and mate with what ever males territory it is in (and sometimes others as well). As well I learned recently that the males do a lot to create and defend a territory then when the Yellow-headed Blackbird comes in latter it will kick the Red-winged Blackbird out. 

American Robin, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/400 sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

I saw the first Robin of the year on about the 20th of February now they are everywhere. It seems to be one of those birds that are common enough that most people completely ignore them, they are quite a pretty bird. It is the same thing with Magpies (I might get hung for saying this) if you stop and look at a Magpie you will notice it is more than a black and white bird. The Magpies feathers shimmer and there is a dark green to them as well.

Red-tailed Hawk, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/500 sec. Canon T2i, 398mm.

Red-tailed Hawk, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/320 sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

Red-tailed Hawk, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/400 sec. Canon T2i, 307mm.

Red-tailed Hawk, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/400sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

A Red-tailed Hawk is a Red-tailed Hawk I see so many Red-tailed Hawks probably close to twenty today and I can’t seem to figure them out. I am constantly thinking or hoping that it is a different type of hawk but to no avail yet.

Bald Eagle, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/320sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

This is one of five Juvenile Bald Eagles that I had flying over head at one time. It was neat to watch as they were scattered in different directions and they slowly came together then all flew off together. I came across two of them again later both perched in a tree not 20 feet off the ground and no more than and 20 feet from the road. These Juvenile Eagles are still trying to figure out what they are doing with their life, they are in the process of trying to decide to stay or go and trying to find a place of their own.

Bald Eagle, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/500sec. Canon T2i, 235mm.

Two of the Juvenile Bald Eagles.

Horned Lark, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/250sec. Canon T2i, 500mm.

This was a new bird for me and it took a while for me to figure out it is a Horned Lark. When I was trying to identify it a came up with one result a Horned Lark I looked at a picture did not see any yellow and disregarded it as the answer. Latter when I found out I went back at looked at more picture and saw the yellow. I was thinking about it latter and I need to pay more attention to details with the pattern this bird has on the face it should be pretty easy to identify. This is also one of those birds everyone has seen and have never noticed now that you have seen it watch for it along road sides near farmland or open areas.

Belted King Fisher, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/320sec. Canon T2i, 500mm. (Edited in Camera Raw)

Belted King Fisher, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/320sec. Canon T2i, 500mm. (Edited in Camera Raw)

Belted King Fisher, Rexburg, ID. 03-11-2011, f/5.6, 1/320sec. Canon T2i, 500mm. (Edited in Camera Raw)

Thank you hun, I was focusing on a million (close to) Common Goldeneyes in the river and trying to get the camera ready and out the door before they all flew off. Meanwhile my wife is telling me “no it is right there it is not going it is right there” not knowing what she was talking I looked up and focused a little closed to the car and saw it, a Belted King Fisher. it flew up the road a little so I got out and followed and and was able to get a couple of good shots. The third image was cropped for a better view of it as well the three images were edited in Camera Raw to bring out a little more detail (I was shooting in pretty low light). This is actually the second one I have seen this year the first one was a quick glance as it sat in some trees before it flew off.

By Complete bird list for today is Belted King Fisher, Northern Flicker, Robin, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Blue Heron, Chickadee, Magpie, Starling, Common Merganser, Common Goldeneye, some Seagull, Bohemian Waxwing, Sparrow, Horned Lark, Red-winged Blackbird, and a couple others I do not recall right off (I should probably start writing them all down).