Thirteen photos of nine species.
Following is a collection of bird photos taken over the last several months. None of them will win any prizes but I think each one is interesting for one reason or another and collectively they provide a pretty accurate cross section of the species I’ve been seeing during this tragically warm and dry winter.
A Great Blue Heron fishing in front of a large rock along the shore at sunrise. It was cold, as evidenced by the heron’s frost-covered back but in early February it still hasn’t been cold enough for this small, shallow pond to freeze over a single time. And that’s highly unusual.
For good reason I found this bird fishing in exactly this same spot at the same time of the morning for three days in a row. It was a highly productive…
fishing spot. Here’s the same heron, in exactly the same spot, just before sunrise two days earlier. This is one of nearly a dozen small fish I saw ‘him’ catch at his ‘glory hole’ over three consecutive mornings. Like human fisherpersons he quickly learned where the good fishing spots were.
The same heron on another morning. I’m including this photo as an example of rim lighting. I seldom use rim lighting because I instinctively try to place the sun behind me when I’m in the field and I’m not a big fan of the technique with birds. But in certain situations, not necessarily this one, it can produce interesting results.
A Cooper’s Hawk performing a wing stretch on my back fence as ‘he’ awaits an opportunity to go after songbirds at my feeders.
My favorite Belted Kingfisher, an adult female.
A Pied-billed Grebe that was as surprised as I was that it found itself this close to me.
A drake Mallard coming in for a landing on the water. I like the effects of the air currents on his wing feathers.
A goofy-looking drake Ruddy Duck and his reflection. Red on red.
A drake Redhead at the beginning of a dive for food. In my photos of diving ducks their nictitating membrane is usually beginning to close just before their head goes underwater, as is the case here.
The next photo in the burst.
A female House Finch gorging on crabapples at a city park near my home. It’s been so warm this winter the crabapple leaves and fruit were still in pretty good shape.
A male House Finch doing the same thing.
I’ll close with a Northern Flicker looking down at a magpie that had just landed in the tree below him. Getting this shot required more of the “creative driving” that I’m known for. Long story.
Ron
Thanks so much for continuing to post! This is one of your Montana fans currently “on the road” through your state.
As I peruse my map I see Bear River area. Is it a worthwhile digression from my journey?
LIsa, Bear River MBR is an amazing place to see but this time of year birds can be hit or miss and I haven’t been there for a while. I wish I could give you more helpful information.
Wonderful photos!
Thanks for the creative driving!
The feathers involved in that Cooper’s hawk wing stretch look for all the world like a heart perched atop its head. It’s an avian valentine!
Good call, Shoreacres. Timely too.
What a delightful set of shots, Ron! Each one is special in its own way and each one is so different from the others. I’m always thrilled to see you in my email. 💜
Hoping we might get some more snowpack out west before the winter completely leaves, but it ain’t looking good.
Thanks, Marty. Our snowpack is almost nonexistent.
Your photos inspire me to get out with the camera in spite of our non-winter here in the northwest. I enjoyed all of your birds. Our Bay Birds are nowhere near usual numbers
“Our Bay Birds are nowhere near usual numbers.”
It’s like that around here too, Judy. It’s sad and depressing.
I love the Belted Kingfisher image. We have them here in Rhode Island, I just can’t seem to find them !! Glad to see you posting.
Thanks, Gary. I work very hard at getting shots I like of that female kingfisher but she isn’t an easy subject.
Lovely post, thank you. The rim lighting on the GBH is gorgeous, shows his breast fringe so beautifully!
Glad you like the rim lighting, Carolyn. For some it’s an acquired taste.
“Tragically warm and dry winter” indeed! As if we needed something to REALLY be worried about!
Exactly, Sue.
Good to hear from you Ron, and to see the photos! Before I fully focused on the Coopers Hawk, I thought he had pine cones glued to the back of his head. A new mating trend maybe?
“A new mating trend maybe?”
I suppose some of the (nearsighted) female Coops might be turned on by it. 🙂 Thanks, Kathryn.
Love the shot of the coop. Also loved getting an update from you.
“Also loved getting an update from you.”
I know, it’s been a while hasn’t it. Thanks, Catherine.
Thank you for the lovely selection. Looking at these and reading your comments are a balm upon my soul.
Thanks very much, Sharon.
I really enjoy many differently types of bird photos occasionally. And, your comments that go with them.
Good to know, Mike. Thank you.
Wow! That Cooper’s Hawk is amazing! The way the wings and head are kind of remind me of a Harpy Eagle. 😁 Is the heron fishing on the Great Salt Lake? Antelope Island? What kind of fish? Thanks, Ron.
Thanks, Ellen. It’s a pond near the Jordan River here in the city. I don’t know what kind of fish it is. All I know is that it isn’t a weather loach, which used to be the most common fish in that pond.
The condition and abundance of those crabapples made me think
that at least there may be more food than usual for early migrators to eat when they begin their journey north. I loved the shot of the drake mallard–“flaps deployed”! Rain’s supposed to becoming this week–
I hope it actually appears……
Kris, today is supposed to be our “wettest” day from this cold front. So far – zilch.
Yeah, it was “damp” at best up here. Colder, but still nothing like winter. I just came home from shopping and I swear I saw a forsythia in bloom! Is that possible?
Sue, I don’t know if it’s possible but if it is it would happen this year.
Blooming forsythia always makes me think of Jim Witucki.
Fun! At least there are some birds around……. 😉 Robins that stayed over are finding “slim pickins” in the crab apple trees and buffalo berry bushes across the creek at this point. Love the flaring mallard and the Great Blue. We’ve been warm and dry for the most part – Great Falls a few days back was down 2′ of snow for this snow season! NOT good. We did pick up .75″ yesterday in a rain/snow mix that came through – we’ll take it!
Judy, yesterday I looked out at my bird bath and there were seven robins competing for bathing and drinking opportunities. And just now I looked out and noticed that the water in it is all gone. I’ll be filling it again in a few minutes.
Congrats on your significant moisture yesterday. I wish some of it had come this far south.
Wow what a potpourri of bird photos Ron. All fun and well done.
I like your backyard Cooper’s and the Mallard about to land best, but all interesting. Be careful out there driving around looking for
photo opps.
Thanks, Everett. “Careful” is my middle name… 🙂
Thank you for these.
Thanks for appreciating them, Karen.
Ron – it’s always a treat to have your photos. I love the Great Blue with that tiny fish – it must have needed a bushel of those to get through the day! And the Ruddy – looks like a clown. Thanks!
Thank you, Noel.
All the fish in that pond are about this same small size. In previous years most of the fish have been invasive weather loaches but this year I haven’t seen a single fish-eating bird, mostly kingfishers and herons, catch a single loach (loaches are easy to identify). Which makes me wonder what’s going on in that pond.
Like Michael, I love the Coopers and the Kingfisher shots, and they’re all interesting, as usual. Thanks for brightening my days. Sure wish we weren’t messing up our habitat.
“Sure wish we weren’t messing up our habitat.”
Me too, Burrdoo. We’re already paying the piper and that process is just beginning.
Lovely series, Ron, thanks for reminding us there is beauty in the world.
Thanks, Brett. We all need that reminder occasionally, especially these days.
Very happy to see a post this morning. A ray of sunshine in an otherwise challenging past few weeks.
Nice share about rim lighting. Have seen it before. Just did not know it had a name.
The Coops shot is interesting, and the Kingfisher shot is a gem. But that front on shot of the Mallard coming in for a landing is really interesting. I don’t suppose opportunities for straight-on shots like this come very often.
Thanks.
“I don’t suppose opportunities for straight-on shots like this come very often.”
Michael, that kind of opportunity presents itself more often than one might think. But we don’t see those kinds of shots that often for two reasons – they typically require very quick reflexes from the photographer and with the bird quickly approaching, cameras (and photographers) often have a hard time acquiring and maintaining sharp focus on the bird.