Category: Birds

A Brush of Color

Continuing the bonus posts this month, thought I’d bring you a few shots that will help you think about Spring … as if you were not already in the mood after Mother Nature put up a whopping 77 degree day this week already (yeah).  Nothing represents a change in seasons .. oh sorry, guess I should use climate change instead .. than seeing the dull Winter feathers give way to beautiful color.
House Finch

The Purple Finch vs House Finch has always been a tough identification.  My go to characteristic is the streaking on the belly.  The House has very defined streaks where the Purple for the most part lacks the same definition.  The purple also has a more pinkish hue in my opinion.  Based on that, my choice for the shot above is the House.  Opinions to the contrary are always welcome.

Next up on the color spectrum is yellow.  Specifically, the American Goldfinch all decked out in its banana costume.  This image makes me chuckle every time I see it.  Chillin’ on a branch, shades on, hat pulled low – Raptors have nothing on this dude in the cool factor category.

American Goldfinch

If there is one bird that can rival the brilliance of the Goldfinch, it has to be the Indigo Bunting.  I swear that blue can be seen in the dead of night.  Over the last couple of years, these Buntings have been increasing their presence at my feeders and usually spot one or two on each of my runs in the Jubilee Park.

Indigo Bunting

Hit the jump to see a couple more crayons in the box.

Continue reading A Brush of Color

A Cautious Kestrel

We are once again in bonus time for the month boys and girls or maybe that should be birdmen and birdettes.  Having met the quota, once again, early in the month I can focus bit more on getting through the backlog of shots.  This particular post is really more of an update for the North American Bird List Gallery than a post on its own.  If you recall, the list rules require a few things before an image can make it on the gallery:

  • I have to visually see the bird
  • A picture has to be taken sufficient enough to tell what it is from the picture alone
  • Properly identify the bird
  • Any cleanup required in the digital darkroom must be completed
  • The image must appear on my blog (this is the bottleneck in the process)

So today’s bird post is focused on adding/updating the gallery shots of the Common Kestrel.  If you recall, this particular bird debuted back on December 13th (link here).

American Kestrel

This specimen was actually taken while out on our Yellowstone trip back in June 2013.  The location was actually in the Grand Teton National Park which we visited on the trek back on the Denver leg.   Kudos to Linda for remembering where this particular location was – I could describe the little dam, the long white rock road to the parking area by the river and of course the large tree in the entrance this Kestrel was hanging out in.  Based on the map we were looking at the consensus was we were near Moose Junction, WY along the Snake River.  Admittedly, beyond this Kestrel hanging out in the tree at the entrance, there really was nothing worthy of taking a picture of.  I tracked a large bird flying around near the far banks, fought like crazy to get a shot of it in focus only to find out it was not a Hawk as first suspected – nope, just a Turkey Vulture and with the amount of those that hang out in my backyard, no reason to spend any more time on it.

American Kestrel

As you can tell from the shots, this particular Kestrel wanted to keep tabs on me.  It would take a glance over at the Beast to make sure it hadn’t moved and then go back to scanning the fields for lunch… check the glass, scan the field, check the glass, scan the field to the point the exact timing of when it was going to look towards the camera was quite predictable.  Clearly this composition fits into my signature style of head across body (if you haven’t figured that out yet, you must not be looking at many of my pictures ha).  Based on the lack of slate grey across the wings and the dominant barring across the back we are likely looking at a female or possibly a juvi.  My money is on the former based on the size of this particular specimen.  Hard to tell from the shot itself, but this specimen was pretty large for a Kestrel compared to the smaller stature of the juvies.

Just a quick one today folks – hope you enjoyed!

What About Bob?

I’m going to apologize right now for bringing out ANOTHER post featuring a bird.  The hate mail is already piling up:

“If you post one more bird shot this month I’m going to force you to watch the beginning of John Wick until you are left balling in a fetal position in your basement”

“I can’t take it anymore – bird after bird after bird – you’d think nothing intrigues you unless it has feathers on it – damn you birdman”

“Maybe a disease will wipe every one of the species out and I’ll be the only one who has a picture of it”

Oh wait, that last one came from my trash talking brother who just scored a new bird I didn’t have…. and you thought I was the competitive one.  To appease both sides of the table, I promise to not feature a bird on the next post and on the bird competition front, this bird is a new check on my list – back at ya buddy hehehe.
Bobolink shot at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota

Pretty cool bird eh?  I am proud to say this bird was in the top echelon of my wish list.  The reason for this high position is the unique coloring of the creature and how common it supposedly is in the region where I live.  It always amazes me when I read about a bird that has such a footprint around me and I’ve never seen it even once – nada, zippo and nofer.  Combine that with the fact it is far from a sparrow as you can get when it comes to difficulty to identify and you have a situation where it has to be at least in your top 5.  Technically this bird was fourth on the list last year, but picked off three of them already  (the Snowy and two mystery one I haven’t revealed yet) but missed the Painted Bunting when I had a chance (4 out of the top 5 in the tin was pretty impressive last year).  Especially annoying was my brother already had on of these.

Bobolink shot at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota

Hit the jump to read a bit more about this bird!

Continue reading What About Bob?

A Yellow Fellow

Today’s featured subject is hot off the presses, but unlike the previous post on the Wood Duck, this one is hot off the “processing” press.  The images were actually shot in South Dakota on our way to Yellowstone National Park back in May of 2013.  I know, I know I’m running way behind.  The good news is the birding competition between my brother Ron and I is accelerating my work in the digital darkroom (he’s cranking out new species in Chicago almost daily and even leaving his car to do it hehehe).  In an effort to keep up I present to you the latest entry in my Birding Life List of North America:
Common Yellowthroat from South Dakota

Can you see it?  The yellow is pretty much a dead giveaway if you happen to actually spot it moving in the branches.  The shot above was left in because this was the photography conditions I was fighting just trying to get this specimen in the tin.  It really didn’t want to leave the safety of the branches which were making the Beast focus walk all over the place trying to fight through the numerous focus opportunities.  I’d shuffle to the left to get a clearer shot, it would move to the right, shuffle back to the right and drop down it would fly up and back left… this ridiculous ballet went on way to long but it looked unique enough of a bird at the time to continue the pursuit.  Eventually this flighty bird moved into a less dense area revealing what it was.

Common Yellowthroat from South Dakota

Hit the jump to see a few more shots of this cute feathered specimen.

Continue reading A Yellow Fellow

Got Wood

I’m going to break from tradition of FIFO for a bit and execute a LIFO on my photography queue.  My brother is becoming quite the birding competitor requiring me to step up my game on the bird list front.  In the face of this stiff competition I’m forced to break from protocol and feature a recent addition to the North American Bird List Collection

Wood Duck at Washington Park in Springfield IL

This beautiful duck was shot in Washington Park in Springfield IL.  I was down there dealing with some family medical concerns and had the chance to head over to that park for a quick 10 mile training run.  Turns out the rolling hills in that park seemed to have grown in size since my last trips there as a kid.  By the time the 9th mile came the legs were considering an all out rebellion.  The last mile became a quest to find a distraction sufficient enough overcome the loud screams of torture at each footfall.  Opportunity knocks at the most interesting of times.

Wood Duck at Washington Park in Springfield IL

While crossing over a bridge I noticed a crap load of ducks and allies enjoying a small ice free area of a large frozen pond.  In the brief time they were in view it appeared that the occupants were predominantly Mallards and Canada Geese, but it looked like there were some outliers which are prime fodder for birders.  There was another mile to hammer out so unfortunately no time for a detailed scan.

Wood Duck at Washington Park in Springfield IL

Hit the jump to see a few more shots of this ornate Duck.

Continue reading Got Wood

Duck Duck No Luck

It’s a new month which means the blog count has been moved back to zero and that number just makes me look lazy.  So, here we are with the first post for March.   My brother is busy harvesting birds for his life list and putting some serious pressure on me to keep doing the same to mine.  The last couple of posts have been more of an “update cycle” allowing me to replace some crappy pictures that were used for the initial load of the list but a tad embarrassing on the photography skills front.  This post is a little of the same improvement process, but there is a new duck here that I have been unable to identify that may turn out to be a new entry – if anyone can help me with that task.  We’ll get to that in a bit, but first let’s get the image improvement part out of the way.

Denver Bufflehead

These shots were taken in Denver on our way back from Yellowstone.  To be honest I had forgotten all about this shoot until they were popped off the queue in the digital darkroom.  As mentioned, this is not a new bird, but at least now you can actually see what these ducks look like – the other posting taken out in Yellowstone were pretty poor due to the distance (link here).  They also didn’t show the pretty iridescence these ducks possess which can be clearly seen in these shots.  This particular specimen was just wandering around in some fairly nasty green water that ended up providing a beautiful backdrop once the Beast softened it up.  The bright coloring and stark contrast with the white markings classify this one as a breeding male.

Denver Bufflehead

For the record, these two shots are some of my favorite overall duck shots and looking forward to seeing how they look in full print.  Hoping the coloring in the head is maintained through the printing process.  A few quick facts for my loyal readers.  These ducks pretty much call all of North America home.  Wintering in the Americas and breeding (as in Summering in Canada).  Unlike a lot of the ducks I’ve researched, the Bufflehead actually nest out of the water in tree cavities – per Cornell’s site this mainly includes old Flicker and Pileated Woodpecker holes).  They are the smallest of the North American diving ducks (and thus their ability to use the small Flicker cavities).  The are monogamous and they have a Conservation Status of Least Concern (crowd goes wild).  Not a whole lot more on these flamboyant ducks, so will move onto the second featured duck….

Hit the jump to see the second featured duck of the post

Continue reading Duck Duck No Luck

Sound the Trumpets

It’s another February bonus post and since last time I featured cute and cuddly bunnies I feel less guilty featuring another bird for today’s post.  Sorry to keep doing this to you but my brother is putting tremendous pressure on me with his progress on his birding life list gallery.  Now that he is using technology like e-bird alerts I’m forced to work my fingers to the bones slaving away on posts just to stay ahead.  Only thing going for me is most of the bird alerts required him to leave the car in the frigid temps of Chicago which translates to … no check mark hehehe.  With bloodied fingers I type you today’s featured bird the Trumpeter Swan.

Trumpeter Swans of Yellowstone

This is actually not a ‘new’ bird to the blog or technically an add to my Birding Life List Gallery.  What is new, however, is the fact you can actually make out the features on these shots.  The previous ones from Yellowstone were a long way off even with the Beast and tele pressed into service (link here).  Now that you can actually experience them up close you can see just how majestic these Swans are.  I laughed when processing the shot above in the digital darkroom – it seems a tad pissed off that we were disturbing his afternoon swim.  I am getting the general opinion that most birds simply looked annoyed or goofy when viewed head on.  See how much more pleasant this angle looks.

Trumpeter Swans of Yellowstone

Hit the jump to see a few more shots of these beautiful Swans.

Continue reading Sound the Trumpets

A Flamboyant Crow

And were back!  You are getting blitzed with posts at the moment because I’m taken care of some family matters which requires me to be in a place without that wonderful time waster .. a TV.  Luckily we invested in a hotspot allowing me to stay current with the world.  That doesn’t really take a lot of time – this group of people is killing that group of people, another group of people are spouting lies and still another is trying to take my rights away.  Pretty much sums up my view of the current chaos around the world and in the States.  Once that perception is confirmed I can jump into my little corner of the Internet and escape a bit.  Way I see it, it’s a win win.  Now I remember how my stay in Shenandoah went, but back then I didn’t even have cell phones – (ask Linda about our critter experience while at a payphone one night there) the horror, the horror.  Today we are in a better digital age which allows me to bring you this
Black-Billed Magpies of South Dakota

If you do not recognize this bird you haven’t been to the Northwest.  The Black-Billed Magpie are very populous in that region and thanks to their colorful palette are quite easy to identify.  I say this with a chuckle since I apparently had no clue what they were the first time we came upon them (link here).  Of course, that might be more due to the crap ass shots I was able to capture – I kinda cringe every time I dive back into the blog archives knowing my photography skills needed some serious work back then.  Glad to say there is marked improvement these days.  The following shot is one of my favorites from the Yellowstone vacation shoot.

Black-Billed Magpies of South Dakota

Hit the jump to view a few more shots of the Black-Billed Magpie

Continue reading A Flamboyant Crow

Yellow in the Meadow

I hope you enjoyed the previous post I affectionately refer to as “Throwback Friday”.  I will not get you back to your regularly scheduled programming which obviously is another BIRD POST (crowd goes wild..or maybe not depending on your interest in those feathered creatures). My brother Ron is partly to blame for the recent bird blitz. He has turned into quite the birder as of late and I know he has a bunch of birds to add to his life list thanks to a quick run to Florida. Unfortunately to a flaw I’m somewhat competitive and don’t want to lose ground on our little competition. To counter the new influx on his front I bring you:

Western Meadowlark in the Tetons

First off, my apologies for how soft these images are. I was sitting in my car .. umm.. I was using my car door as a solid mobile tripod platform while Linda was off taking what turned out to be gorgeous pictures of the Grand Tetons. We were actually at a secret spot she stumbled upon on the Internet that turned out to be quite nice. I’m generally not as interested in landscapes as she is (unless it is statues which I’ll let you know is a tease for an upcoming post). While she is off doing her thing I turn my attention to the surrounding trees, brush and prairie looking for precisely these pots of gold.

estern Meadowlark in the Tetons

Oh, on the soft part.  This bird was sitting a loooong way off even for the Beast.  I think the tele was even on so let’s just say the opportunity to be nice and crispy was slim to none.  However, when it comes to being able to make a check on the bird list, there is no such thing as a too soft shot (just ask Ron about his Yellow-Rumped Warbler hehehe).  All in all, they didn’t come out nearly as bad as expected.

Hit the jump to find out what this bird is .. in case you don’t already recognize it

Continue reading Yellow in the Meadow

With Delay The Gray Jay

I’m back with another bird post so you are either overjoyed (if you are a birder) or frustrated about the total lack of diversity so far this month being as we are two for two this month in covering our feathered friends.  Truth be told, much like the last post, this effort is again doing double duty.  On second thought it might actually be doing triple duty, but will hold off on that explanation for a bit.  Today’s featured bird is not a new one to my bird list and it was featured previously back in the early days of the blog.  If you recall, and that means you’ve been frequenting this blog for at least a 5 years now (impressive), the Gray Jay made its debut back in Jan 2010 (link here).  That capture took place in Yellowstone National Park – the same location where my new specimen was discovered.

Yellowstone National Park - Gray Jay

Based on the fact it was previously photographed and secondly already featured on a blog post you would think this bird had already made its way onto the Bird Life List Gallery (link here).   Not the case.  Back then I was processing images solely for the web and therefore was not doing much work in the digital darkroom.  The smaller the file size the better and even reduced it to the final display size on the page – It is possible you don’t realize this, but most of the images in the blog are now full size images up on the EddieSoft Gallery (EddieSoft.smugmug.com) but only the medium sized version are referenced for the actual blog post.  You can simply view the image and it will redirect you to the gallery – rip off the filename in the URL and you will have full access to the gallery controls and view the image at whatever size you want.  For the old shots, the image was simply copied up to the physical blog file directory and referenced from there – what you see is what you get.  I liked the pictures back on the original post but those images were super small and didn’t really want to put those up on the list without at least one better quality one.  I thought there was another shot or two from the 2013 Yellowstone trip out there and I finally found them.

Hit the jump to see another picture and read a bit more about the bird.

Continue reading With Delay The Gray Jay