Common Raven in the sun
Don Stiles' Bluebird & Tree Swallow route
Blue-gray Tanager, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trini…
Finally!
Common Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
A lucky find
A country scene
Marbled Godwit / Limosa fedoa
Red-winged Blackbird
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird female
Ruby-throated Hummingbird female
American Robin with food for his babies
Here comes dessert!
Red-winged Blackbird juvenile
Common Nighthawk
Stellar's Jay juvenile
Purple Honeycreeper male, Trinidad
Evening Grosbeak
Swainson's Hawk / Buteo swainsoni
Anyone have a comb?
Who can resist a Burrowing Owl?
I fell in love ....
Time for a nap
Curious
Cooling down
Flight training with a Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Oropendola, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trin…
Jackie's Hummingbird
Talk about baby fluff!
Barn Owl
Spiked hairdo
Short-eared Owl
Sleepy Short-eared Owl
Handsome Wood Ducks
Blue-gray Tanager / Thraupis episcopus, Asa Wright…
You looking at me, lady?
Semipalmated Plover / Charadrius semipalmatus?
Green Honeycreeper female, Asa Wright, Trinidad
Swainson's Hawk juvenile
Canada Warbler / Cardellina canadensis
Yellowlegs
Killdeer / Charadrius vociferus
Swainson's Hawk juvenile
American Goldfinch eating Sunflower seeds
Green-winged Teal and Black-bellied Plover
Hybrid Mourning Dove-Eurasian Collared Dove
Wood Ducks
Juvenile Swainson's Hawk
Wood Duck juvenile
Palm Tanager, Asa Wright, Trinidad
Juvenile American Coot
Swainson's Hawk
American Goldfinch
Magpies, Wood Ducks and a (Greater?) Yellowlegs
Purple Honeycreeper female, Asa Wright
Sweet young owl
Three years later ....
Pretty little Hummer, Asa Wright, Trinidad - immat…
Red-breasted Nuthatch
I'm tiny - and BLUE
Happy Thanksgiving!
Purple Honeycreeper male, Asa Wright Nature Centre…
A touch of blue
Brewer's Blackbird male
Brewer's Blackbird female
Tree Swallow female
Great Horned Owl male
Brewer's Blackbird, collecting food for his babies
One of three young owls
Killdeer / Charadrius vociferus
Killdeer 'nest' and eggs - a telemacro shot
Tree Swallows - time to change places
Watching the watchers
American Coot and 'cootlings'
Who are we?
Brown Thrasher / Toxostoma rufum - a 'lifer'
Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago delicata
Bobolink / Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Mountain Bluebird with food for her babies
Brown-headed Cowbird male
Collecting food for his babies
The innocents
White-crowned Sparrow / Zonotrichia leucophrys
American Dipper / Cinclus mexicanus
Crested Oropendola, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trin…
Oilbird / Steatornis caripensis, Dunston Cave, Asa…
Yellow Oriole, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad
The wonderful, tiny Tufted Coquette, Trinidad
Green Honeycreeper male, Asa Wright, Trinidad
Masked Cardinal / Paroaria nigrogenis, Trinidad
American Coot
Showing off all his "bling"
A slight touch of blue
Eared Grebe
Yesterday's treat!
Sweet little Mountain Bluebird
Mom and her babies
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Great Horned Owl and owlet
Sharp-tailed Grouse
American Robin male
Evening Grosbeak male
Hairy Woodpecker / Picoides villosus
American Goldfinch male / Spinus tristis
Rose-breasted Grosbeak male / Pheucticus ludovicia…
Evening Grosbeak male - what a look!
Purple Honeycreeper female preening, Asa Wright Na…
American Robin down by the river
American Robin's egg on the ground
White-lined Tanager, Asa Wright Nature Centre, Tri…
Green Honeycreeper male, Asa Wright Nature Centre,…
Cattle Egret on Water Buffalo, Nariva Swamp aftern…
Yellow Oriole / Icterus nigrogularis, Nariva Swamp…
Pied Water-Tyrant, Nariva Swamp afternoon, Trinida…
Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Nariva Swamp afternoon
Green Honeycreeper female, Asa Wright, Trinidad
Green Honeycreeper female, Asa Wright, Trinidad
White-necked Jacobin immature, Trinidad
Hummingbird wings
Violaceous Euphonia / Euphonia violacea, Asa Wrigh…
Wilson's Snipe
Green Honeycreeper male, Asa Wright Nature Centre,…
White-necked Jacobin, Asa Wright Nature Centre
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Balancing act
Today is going to be a very, very long, tiring day and I have such an early start. So, I am posting just the one image today.
Sometimes, when I see a Wilson's Snipe, the bird is standing on two legs, but more often than not, it is balanced carefully on just one leg. Also, sometimes, it is perched on the 'wrong' side of the road and I find myself looking into the sun. However it happens, I'm always happy to see one of these birds. When I've had no luck finding the birds that I set out to hopefully find, I know I can usually rely on Mr and/or Mrs. Snipe to be standing on a fence post. This one was seen on 29 May 2016, SW of the city.
"Though the long tradition of “snipe hunt” pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Snipe/id
According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."
youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q
A year ago, it was the annual May Species Count on 28 and 29 May 2016, so a very busy couple of days. On 29 May, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. We had a great day, stopping at a few wetlands and calling in at Barb Castell's acreage where she usually has amazing birds to show us. Several special species were missing, but we were delighted to watch a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We were also happy to see seven Rose-breasted Grosbeaks during the day, and a male American Kestrel that caught a frog for supper! No owls to be found anywhere, but I did go back the following evening and saw two separate Great Gray Owls in our Count area. I went back again on 1 June and found the first owl again. This time, it wasn't pouring with rain, but I was looking into the sun (so a lot of blown-out feathers) and it was very windy. It was nice to see the owl hunting, catch a small rodent and then fly to a fence post - wish the lighting had been so much better.
I also called in to see if a Wilson's Snipe was standing on a fence post, and I was in luck. These are one of my favourite birds to photograph and they have given me so many wonderful chances for photos.
Sometimes, when I see a Wilson's Snipe, the bird is standing on two legs, but more often than not, it is balanced carefully on just one leg. Also, sometimes, it is perched on the 'wrong' side of the road and I find myself looking into the sun. However it happens, I'm always happy to see one of these birds. When I've had no luck finding the birds that I set out to hopefully find, I know I can usually rely on Mr and/or Mrs. Snipe to be standing on a fence post. This one was seen on 29 May 2016, SW of the city.
"Though the long tradition of “snipe hunt” pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Snipe/id
According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."
youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q
A year ago, it was the annual May Species Count on 28 and 29 May 2016, so a very busy couple of days. On 29 May, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. We had a great day, stopping at a few wetlands and calling in at Barb Castell's acreage where she usually has amazing birds to show us. Several special species were missing, but we were delighted to watch a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We were also happy to see seven Rose-breasted Grosbeaks during the day, and a male American Kestrel that caught a frog for supper! No owls to be found anywhere, but I did go back the following evening and saw two separate Great Gray Owls in our Count area. I went back again on 1 June and found the first owl again. This time, it wasn't pouring with rain, but I was looking into the sun (so a lot of blown-out feathers) and it was very windy. It was nice to see the owl hunting, catch a small rodent and then fly to a fence post - wish the lighting had been so much better.
I also called in to see if a Wilson's Snipe was standing on a fence post, and I was in luck. These are one of my favourite birds to photograph and they have given me so many wonderful chances for photos.
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