Tied To Nature: Red-winged Blackbird

Showing posts with label Red-winged Blackbird. Show all posts

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Its Spring Time! 05-19-2011

When people think about spring time in nature one of the first thoughts that come to mind is twiterpation and babies! Well something that is even more prevalent than these two things is COLOR. It is everywhere the birds, the mammals, the reptiles, the plants, everything is bright and beautiful.

As I have looked around specifically at the birds I thought “well camouflage just got thrown out the window”. If you look at the bullock's oriole below what part of this bird says I am camouflaged so you cant see me, it must be the bright orange. I am unsure why there are so many bright birds but I am sure there is some purpose for their color even if it is just for our enjoyment.

Bullock’s Oriole, Rexburg, ID. 05-16-2011, Canon 60D.

Speaking of camouflage I am surprised that I caught a glimpse of this guy he was pretty well hid in the top of this tree. These raccoons do a pretty good job of keeping a low profile one rason is they do blend in pretty well but they also are less active in the daylight hours. This is actually the first raccoon that I can remember seeing outside of California.

Raccoon, Rexburg, ID. 05-14-2011, Canon 60D

It is a great time to be out and enjoy nature, it is one of the most active times of the year, the water is running high, migration is at its peak, a lot of mammals are waking up or becoming more active, trees and flowers are starting to bloom, and it just makes you want to sing.

Red-winged Blackbird, Rexburg, ID. 05-19-2011, Canon 60D

It is so nice to see all of the green this time of year especially when the trees start to match the color of the grass. I don’t even mind the dandelions, I know they are a big pain to have in the lawn but think of what this picture (below) would look like with out the dandelions I just think that it would be missing something. Also if you look around notice the honey bees around already and notice the only real flower in bloom, well put two and two together. The dandelions are important to the honey bees right now and to all the beekeepers bring there bees back from California.

Osprey, Rexburg, ID. 05-16-2011, Canon 60D

Even this well camouflaged turtle has a bright side to him, I don’t know if he would have caught my attention if he was not displaying his belly. I have actually seen 4 turtles this year already at two different locations, I had no idea they would hang out here in freezing Idaho.

Turtle, Rexburg, ID. 05-16-2011, Canon 60D

I have seen hundreds of American Kestrels before but I have never noticed all the color these guys display. What caught my attention the most was the ring on his beak.

American Kestrel, Rexburg, ID, 05-12-2011, Canon 60D

Below is not the greatest shot of what I saw so let me tell you what it was I saw. I was walking along the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River as the sun was setting down river. The sun was making a beautiful red and orange reflection across the river. Now if you have ever watched a Western Grebe you know they can pop out just about anywhere and that is what this one did. So I just followed him down river watching him pop up and down as all the colors were on display across the river.

Western Grebe, Rexburg, ID, 05-12-2011, Canon 60D

There seems to be a lot of yellow birds or birds with yellow on them, this one is the first of its kind that I have seen. It is a Western Kingbird and it was not shy I parked a cross the road and watched as it flew out over the water feasting on insects and then come back to its resting place on the fence.

Western Kingbird, Rexburg, ID. 05-16-2011, Canon 60D

Speaking of colors this Wood Duck is not lacking in any, green, brown, tan, white, red, black, and maybe a few more. I spent three days wandering seeing the same wood duck just as it would go out of view or fly away. I kept looking, it had been my first time ever seeing a wood duck and I wanted to have a chance to really look at one. They have a lot of colors but they sure do camouflage well for the first while every time I saw one it took so real looking to find it and then confirm what it was. After all this looking one day I gave up and was headed somewhere else and here was a Wood Duck just sitting on some guys chimney. What's the chance of that.

Wood Duck, Rexburg, ID. 05-16-2011, Canon 60D

Here is another first the Lewis Woodpecker the first time I saw this bird I could not decide (looking through a dirty window at dusk a good distance off) if this bird was red or if it was blood stained. If you look t the picture below I thought it might have been eating a mouse or something. After getting a better look I did recognize that it had a red belly and then a day latter I got a better view of him.

Lewis Woodpecker, Rexburg, ID. 05-16-2011, Canon 60D

Lewis Woodpecker, Rexburg, ID. 05-19-2011, Canon 60D

To end one day a little light and a little color.

Sunset, Rexburg, ID. 05-18-2011, Canon 60D

Friday, April 1, 2011

Patience pays off 04-01-2011

Today was another day in Madison and Fremont Counties out to Warm Slough over to Beaver Dick Park, and back out to Salem. It was nice to see more than just birds out, I saw 3 moose today but none were in a good place for pictures as well as a few other mammals.

The four pictures of the Bald Eagle below took some patience but it paid off, these our four of many that I took as the Eagle left its perch.

Bald Eagle, 04-01-2011, Canon 60D.

I have seen Red-winged Blackbirds all over the place close to where I live outside of Rexburg, ID I have seen flocks of hundreds of them flying around. But this is how they are usually seen just one at a time hanging out in his territory.

Red-winged Blackbird, 04-01-2011, Canon 60D

One, two, then three, that is how many Muskrats were swimming around. One of them did not notice me as he swam around but the other two did and were under the water and gone in a second. Waiting on this one to get close enough for a decent shot took some time, at one point I thought it was gone then it turned around and came pretty close to where I was at.

Muskrat, 04-01-2011, Canon 60D

While I was taking pictures of the Muskrat a goose flew in and landed in the water. It didn’t take much time for it to notice I was there and it took off. I had to lighten the image up because of how dark it was since it was a quick shot that I was not prepared for.

Canada Goose, 04-01-2011, Canon 60D

I have heard and seen a few Great Horned Owls in the last few weeks but I was actually able to get a decent shot with some daylight. I must say that the owls eyes are my favorite feature they are almost haunting.

Great Horned Owl, 04-01-2011, Canon 60D

More to a Mallard than just its head, the mallard is quite a beautiful bird. I have been trying to get a good picture of one in flight and this is the best I have done so far. When the mallard is flying so much more detail and color is visible in both the male and female.

Mallard, 04-01-2011, Canon 60D

To end the day when I got home we had this little cotton tail waiting for in the driveway.

Friday, March 11, 2011

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)

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).