Some shots of the day

[Eric CAN]

The 2 Robins shot were taken at 27 feet, the first Waxwing was about 30 and the last one 35 feet. That spot where the Waxwing was seen is a real gem, there's a lot of fruit tree in the neighboorhood and that dead tree is in the open inside the forrest, which seems to be a point where many species go to watch around.

I went to that area to catch a bird I hear singing (I've seen him there before), its a Wood Trush, also I've seen a Great Crested Flycatcher and some juvenile Robins too.

I'm still after some Yellowtroat, I hear them, sometimes see them, but can't seem to understand their present patterns these days.

Goldfinch are now in matting mood. The male makes a nuptial parade while flying and they started to sing their nuptial parades lately.

Something funny I watched today... American Robins are also in mating mood... but what's really funny ... Its the female that follows the male, not the contrary ? I never seen this behavior amongs bird. And now while watching a couple on a branch, I saw the female singing to the male, he didn't pay attention much.. flew away and she followed him ? Was I in presence of something out of the ordinary or ?

Geoff what's your call on that last paragraph ?

Cheers everyone

Gallery : http://gallery.bytephoto.com/showgal...rd=&page=1

[Normcar]

Great photos, Eric, I'm envious for that wonderful blue sky you have over there. It's been raining and overcast here for days. I'm going stir crazy at home here.

Thanks for the play-by-play as well, it's always neat to read your experiences. It looks like you may have caught these on that tree you were describing, am I correct in that? If so, please take a photograph of the full tree and background, it sounds pretty.

By the way, I love the robin photos and that first waxwing photograph is beautiful with the nice blue background splattered with green foliage.

As for the behavioral stuff, I'll wiselyremain mute on that (because if I said anything it would probably be wrong)and let geoff and others toy with that.

[geoffs]

Eric CAN wrote:

The 2 Robins shot were taken at 27 feet, the first Waxwing was about 30 and the last one 35 feet. That spot where the Waxwing was seen is a real gem, there's a lot of fruit tree in the neighboorhood and that dead tree is in the open inside the forrest, which seems to be a point where many species go to watch around.

First, all of these are great pictures, Eric. I know I must sound like a broken record saying that, but I just don't see any bad pictures being posted by you. Tell us you're human after all and that you do take some bad shots once in awhile, but you're just not posting them :-)

Fruit trees are great places to find birds, especially Robins and Waxwings, both of which are omnivorous and will eat loads of fruit. Also, for Waxwings, stake out some areas now where there are Mountain Ash trees. In the winter when these Ash's have clusters of red-orange fruits on them, you'll find flocks of Waxwings gorging on them. Eventually the fruit ferments and the Waxwings get drunk on them, falling out of the trees to the ground (I've personally seen this when I lived in Missoula, Montana). If you're lucky you might even get Bohemian Waxwings as well as the Cedar Waxwings that normally occur in your area, as the Bohemians will wander from their usual western haunts into your area.

Another habitat hint for finding a diversity of birds, especially outside of the breeding season... There are birds that stick to open areas (fields, grassland) and birds that always remain in dense forest, but a much greater diversity of birds will frequent the transition areas - the areas where fields meet woodland. It is at these borders between the two habitats where you will have happy hunting.

I went to that area to catch a bird I hear singing (I've seen him there before), its a Wood Trush, also I've seen a Great Crested Flycatcher and some juvenile Robins too.

Yes! The Great Crested Flycatcher would be a great find - I love them. Get me a picture Eric :-)

Thrushes are the most melodious singers. If you think you've got a Wood Thrush in the area, make sure to also listen and look for Hermit Thrushes and Veeries, both of which should be present in approximately the same habitat.

I'm still after some Yellowtroat, I hear them, sometimes see them, but can't seem to understand their present patterns these days.

I always found Yellowthroats to be easy to locate by their sounds but tough to actually sight because they love to move around in the low scrub brush and shrubbery they frequent. You can do it though as it's just a matter of patience.

Something funny I watched today... American Robins are also in mating mood... but what's really funny ... Its the female that follows the male, not the contrary ? I never seen this behavior amongs bird. And now while watching a couple on a branch, I saw the female singing to the male, he didn't pay attention much.. flew away and she followed him ? Was I in presence of something out of the ordinary or ?

Geoff what's your call on that last paragraph?

Are you sure that it's really female robins that are chasing and presenting to the males? The males will have the blacker heads. Also, it's not uncommon in the avian world for frustrated males that have been "left out in the cold" to engage in male-male hanky panky, if you know what I mean. Anyway, that's possibility #1.

By this time of the season, even in your more northerly area, I would have expected that the robins' first broods would already have been raised. There'll be a certain number of robin pairs that will raise a second brood. This year's juveniles and the adults that do not raise a second brood will amass together in groups. Were these robins you were watching part of a larger number of robins that were grouping together in a relatively small area? If so, then we might just be seeing more typical, non-breeding season, behavior among these individuals. That's possibility #2.

There's also a possibility #3: That would be the answer that I can't supply because I just don't know what it would be :-)

[Eric CAN]

Hi Norm and Geoff, I'm about to leave to do more photos this morning. Norm - the Waxwing were taken in that tall dead tree in the open. The Robin were taken more in the open near bush trees where I have also seen other species as well. Thanks for the good words

Geoff, really nice detailed reply. As for my bad shot, I do have plenty of them, but since I spend time post--processing each shot to get the best of all aspect, then I feel like loosing my time simply working the bad ones. For example I had 3 shots of the Flycatcher, the bird was detailed, but the branches OOF were hiding part of the bird which makes the photo simply ugly. I promiss to get more of the Flycatcher since I've seen were they are located now.

Now about the Robin, it was definitly a female Robin, I was watching this with the binoculars and they were not that far (50 feet max). I've seen 2 juvenile yesterday with their distinctive brown dots on the belly (beautiful they are). So the bird I was refering was a female, with a colourless belly compared to the male. I think your explanation #2 makes sense here (the last phrase). But I asked what you thought of that since you know more about bird behavior than most of us. Thank you for that.

Thanks and cheers guys

Happy 4th of July to you guys, I'll go now hunt for more.

[eric s]

Oh, you want a Great Crested Flycatcher, do you? Check out the few shots I got in this gallery (I hope you don't mind me stepping up Eric CAN):
D:\ERIC\website\my-marx7\menotomy\Horn1\index.html

the last 3 are the flycatcher. These were taken with the 100-400, so the quality isn't as high as I get now.

Nice shots. How much to you play with saturation? The green's of the background seem a little too strong. But, of course, I'm transplating that picture to where I am... and that really isn't right.

I'm always for more cedar waxwings. Great birds, lovely pictures. And the bohemian are great too. They come down to where I live on occasion, but I believe that up where you are is well within their normal range (maybe not now, but in the winter.)

Now I've gotta get my act together and get going myself.

Eric

[geoffs]

eric s wrote:

Oh, you want a Great Crested Flycatcher, do you? Check out the few shots I got in this gallery (I hope you don't mind me stepping up Eric CAN):
D:ERICwebsitemy-marx7menotomyHorn1index.html

I'd love to look at the gallery Eric, but you'll have to change that url from pointing at your harddrive to looking at your website! :-)

[Eric CAN]

Lol Geoff, Eric change that URL :P

I didn't pushed any saturation Eric, I only play with hue/saturation for scenery shots.

Cheers !

[zoomn]

Very nice shots!