So it seems like ever other bird blogger has gotten out to digiscope the sparrow migration and today was finally my day. I got some OK pictures but there always seemed to be something obstructing part of my subject. Lincoln’s Sparrow I managed to come across several Lincoln’s Sparrows and one cooperatively perched about 30 ft away long enough to … Read More
More Arizona pictures
Juniper Titmouse @ Grand Canyon National Park Black-headed Grosbeak @ Grand Canyon National Park Broad-billed Hummingbird @ Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum Barn Owl @ Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum Anna’s Hummingbird @ Madera Canyon Anna’s Hummingbird @ Madera Canyon
Bainbridge Sparrow hunting
There is a little spot on the Susquehanna River south of Harrisburg known for fall Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows. It’s basically a collection of small islands populated by sedges and grasses and the sparrows seem to like it. Today, the most common passerines on the islands were American Pipits and Savannah Sparrows. The real show-stoppers today were the shorebirds, though. A … Read More
Arizona pics
So almost 2 months ago I was in Arizona for my honeymoon. We stayed in Sedona for a while enjoying the scenic canyons and visiting the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest National Parks. I did not manage any digiscoping on that part of the trip but we then went to SE Arizona for a few days and I did much … Read More
Birding has been good
With spring migration in full swing now, and no nasty weather to stop it sightings have really picked up. I was lucky enough to go home to Pennsylvania for a day and was able to find 7 species of warbler close to Lake Ontelaunee, one of my favorite places to bird in my county. My highlight was getting very close … Read More
Warblers are a’coming!
Just to whet your appetite on what’s to come, here is my somewhat poor digishot of a Louisiana Waterthrush. I thought that putting everything in b&w except for the warbler itself would jazz it up a bit. I know that there have been recent controversies about doctoring photos but you have to remember that this is not photojournalism, its closer … Read More
Rainy day birding
There are some things that can be said for rainy day birding. There are also somethings that could be seen as a major drawback. From my experience this morning at Garret Mountain, I would suggest not going out in driving rain in early April. It’s just setting you up for a really damp bit of disappointment. On the other hand, … Read More
Fortunate series of chases
I had an excellent Easter. I saw 2 of the 3 birds I chased, missing only Yellow-headed Blackbird. That miss is not too big of a deal because between Scott’s Oriole (1st PA record), Lazuli Bunting (3rd PA record) and Y-h Blackbird, the blackbird is the most likely to turn up in PA again in the near future. Both the … Read More
Inquisitive Birds
Some days at the hawk watch the weather is less than ideal and the the hawks are not flying. These are the times when it is particularly fun to watch the other local birds behavior. Since I am stationary most of the day, the birds become used to my presence and settle down to enjoy the bird seed I put … Read More
Turkeys at Garret
This morning at Garret Mountain Reservation in New Jersey I came across a group of Wild Turkeys and managed this shot of one of the fine looking toms. There was not anything else new at the park that I didn’t see yesterday but Chipping Sparrows were more numerous. I heard rumors of several Pine Warblers but didn’t come across any … Read More