Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch, a photo by Jim Arnold (jga154) on Flickr.

Either sipping for nectar or pecking at an undeveloped seed. We tried all morning to get several species of birds on these flowers, but only two goldfinches came. Could have been the same one twice also.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler, a photo by Jim Arnold (jga154) on Flickr.

Frank and I spent the morning shooting birds from blinds at his pond. I believe this is an Orange-crowned Warbler. It also resembles a Warbling Vireo. I mostly photograph them then look them up and lots of them look alike to me in the book. If you can confirm yea or nay on my identification please leave me a comment.

I changed the name of this bird after receiving input from a bird ID group on Flickr. Without doing a hands-on exam, I don't think anyone can tell for sure which warbler it is though.

It's empty!

It's empty!, a photo by Jim Arnold (jga154) on Flickr.

A Lesser Goldfinch staging on a spent sunflower, waiting for a turn at the feeder. Mary wanted a photo of one on a beautiful gallon pot of Rudbekias she bought. I put them right next to the feeder and salted the flowers with seeds only to find out they preferred the dead sunflowers with no seeds.

Thanks Frank for the use of your spot.

A Little Calibration and Testing

I went to Frank's this morning so we could do some fine tuning to the auto focus on our lenses. We spent an hour or so using a SpyderLens Calibrator. A couple of our lenses were quite a bit off and it is nice to have a camera that I can adjust the auto focus for each lens.

After we finished we set up in his blind and tested on real birds. This is a White-breasted Nuthatch eating a piece of corn from some suet that was pressed into a hole behind the branch. All in all the shots were nice and sharp.

Malheur Trip

4am Thursday, we leave Palo Cedro, CA for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon. A trip to photograph sage grouse on a lek. I hope they are there...I hope it doesn't rain/snow...If it does rain/snow I hope we can photograph something else. Well there's hope anyway.

This is a shot in my yard. It must be getting close to spring...Maybe I'll have more to say when I get back.

Blind Date - Bird Photography Weekly #25

Last Saturday (yes, Valentines Day) I had a blind date in the Delevan National Wildlife Refuge. That's a photography blind date. Doug and I arrived at the parking area a little before 6am. We decided to sit in the truck a few minutes since you don't have to be in the blind until an hour before sunrise, 7:02am on Saturday. Just before six we walked the 150 yards to the blind sign (points to the blind). I looked to the left and saw about forty yards of water between me and the blind. This one is supposed to have a boardwalk to it! The refuge website says there is a boardwalk to it! We came without waders! Neither of us was about to wade out there then sit in a cold blind with wet feet.

Fortunately just before leaving my house I threw my bag containing not one but two pairs of waders in my truck. We were in luck but now were going to be a little late getting in the blind. Not our fault I say! I expected a boardwalk. Doug's feet (size 11) were a little cramped in the neoprene waders stuffed in my spare boots (size 11) with socks too. But he managed to wade out there and took the boots off in the blind.

Speaking of the blind. It is a nice one. I (6' 3" tall) could stand up inside. That is a big improvement over blind #2. There is also lots of room to maneuver our equipment, packs, chairs and somewhat over sized bodies around.

While we were waiting in blind #4 for a photo opportunity this Snow goose wandered along the edge of the tules eating stems. It would stick it's head underwater and grab the stem then jerk the tule back and forth until it came out. Then the goose would eat only the very tip of the stem. Cool behavior to watch.

It was a very overcast and windy day. This was the only bird that came anywhere near enough to the blind for a photograph. But, as usual we had an adventure.

And by the way, I did make it home by 1:00pm to spend time with my wife. We got to babysit our grandson, Jack, overnight. What a blast.