A little more post processing

I posted the previous Pewee picture on Fred Miranda's web site. I got some nice feedback including a recommendation to clone out the leaf on lower right of picture. So I did this and softened the hot line on the left side. I think the new post-processing is worth re-posting.

Next night, not as good

With memories of Wednesday night floating through my head, I headed up to Highbanks Metro Park last night (Thursday). First I checked my Bluebird boxes. Excitingly I have one box with babies in it that are just about ready to fledge. That should happen this next week. Another box has 5 Bluebird eggs in it with the proud parents standing guard. Tree Swallows are buzzing over the paired boxes every time I come out, but no nest yet. I would love to see an active Tree Swallow nest right next to an active Bluebird nest.

So on to taking pictures. With migration pretty much over with, I’m looking to the nesting birds. Easy to find as they are very active and vocal right now. Inspired by Wednesday night I had dreams of grandeur, Bluebirds, Common Yellowthroats, Orioles, Buntings and the like all dancing through my head. I did see an Orchard Oriole (first of the year and nice tick mark for the birding side of me) and a Baltimore made a brief appearance just outside of photo range. This was a sign of things to come as none of the birds I speak of had any interest in having their picture taken. As dusk seemed to be settling over the land I packed up and headed for the car. I should do this much earlier as this seems to be the time when things happen. The light is almost gone, but I’m shooting off a tripod, so I can go to a much lower shutter speed than when hand holding. I’m thinking, maybe I have a chance at something. Hearing Towhees I decide to see if I can sneak up on one. Yea I know, just a towhee, but hey sometimes you get what you can. That’s when I got the chance meeting with the bird that makes my favorite call, the Eastern Wood Pewee! He stops for just a moment, and I snap off a few shoots. Despite the high ISO and the really slow shutter speed, 2 pictures came out pretty nice! Pewees are somewhat plain, but a favorate bird none the less. What they lack in color, they make up in character.

Wonderful Night Shooting Birds

Wednesday night everything seemed to work. I scouted out this little patch of woods/scrubby secondary growth area and noticed that there was an abundance of Indigo Buntings there. Also present there were a few other of my favorite birds like Common Yellowthroat and Brown Thrasher. So with just a spectacularly beautiful evening of weather, I thought it would be a nice night to take some pictures. The buntings were everywhere in this small patch. I would have thought them to be territorial, but they seemed more communal as they zipped to and from. Seemed like every tree had a singing Bunting. This is a very good thing for a photographer/birder! I managed a couple nice shots.



Sometimes they would be low like this guy and sometimes higher in the tree, like this next example. This does cause problems, as it requires different settings on the camera. Sometimes I think, "I'm only going to shoot at one level and if the bird is not at that level, I'm not shooting" So far that has not worked. So, I come home with lots of silhouettes, or blown out pictures. The background is a little blown on this one, but it’s not bad. I think I’ll take it.

So now I'm happy, ready to head home. I'm getting hungry and I'm tired of picking ticks off me! So I head for the car. As I'm almost there I see this little baby Song sparrow, looking closer, there's lots of little baby Song Sparrows. Hopping around on this mulch bed. So I decide, why not set up here. Surly one of these little guys will present a shot. Well this ended up being the place. While I'm watching these little guys move incredible fast, who shows up on a perfect little perch not more than 10 feet from me, but one of the resident buntings!

Then the adult Song Sparrow puts an appearance on this same perch.

I had 2 more memorable visitors while I was sitting here. The first was a Cedar Waxwing, and then a Willow Flycatcher. What a night. I went home very hungry and very happy.

I did not end up getting any great pictures of the baby Song Sparrows. They were moving so fast and blended into the background so well that I never really got locked on, but that's ok!

No Birding this weekend

What's wrong with me. It is still May and I did not go out birding at all this weekend. Normally this is the biggest weekend of the year for me to bird. But I decided to work on my house. Yesterday didn't turn out as planned. I was just getting productive when my brother called. His water heater went out. So, I helped him for the rest of the day. I was planning to go out for a few hours this morning, but just did not make it. I did get some stuff done on the house. A little bit more I suppose and just a little closer to being done with the wiring!

On another note, I listened to the Reds Game as I worked on the wiring today. I haven't paid any attention since the beginning of the season because they sucked and I lost interest. Then, I hear they are doing well, so 3 days ago I start paying attention again, just in time for them to be swept by San Diego. :(

First of Year

This evening I heard that old familiar "Peeeant". Looked up to see a Common Nighthawk. They will be out for my viewing nearly every night, now through the summer. They nest up the street on the roof of Kingsdale Shopping Center.

New Yard Bird!

This morning I step out the door to go to work and what do I hear? The all familiar call "pee-ah-wee". Truly one of my all time favorite calls. The Eastern Wood Pewee!!! Sitting in my neighbors tree. If I can see it from my yard it counts as a yard bird. Very cool new yard bird. That makes two in less than two weeks. Just the other day, same thing happened. As I was leaving for work, I heard a Chestnut-sided Warbler. He was a little harder to find. Way up in the already too leafed out tree. That is now only 3 warblers for the yard, but who knows maybe there will be more.

Here is what a Chestnut-sided looks like. I took this picture last year at Magee.

For those who do not know what a Pewee looks like, here is a link to one. I thought I had a picture, but couldn't find one? http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Wood-Pewee/id

Birds at OSU West Campus Mid-Day

Working over at West Campus today. What a great place to sneak out at lunch time to bird. Was already getting warm by then, but the birds were crazy. In roughly 15-20 minutes, I had Common Yellowthroat (nice view of the ever so pretty female), countless Indigo Buntings (Kelly would have been in heaven), a Philadelphia Vireo (I think), Female Redstart, Song Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Warbler (oh gorgeous) and a Tennessee Warbler (singing away)! No sign of the potential Connecticut from yesterday.