Birds « Photographs by Frank

20 May 2019

Star Island — Spring 2019 Birds

Filed under: Birds,Wildlife — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 9:30 PM

This past weekend Joan and I made another trip to Star Island to experience the vernal migration of birds. This is my third spring trip; previous trips were in May 2014 and May 2017, We also visited in the fall of 2015.

Star Island is one of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. As such, the island is a classic migrant trap that concentrates migrating birds in a small geographic area each day. That concentration, combined with the generally low vegetation (with sparse leaves in mid-May) makes for wonderful birding and bird photography.

The most charismatic of the migrating birds are the warblers in breeding plumage this time of year. However, there are other migrants present in addition to the warblers. There are also species that live and breed on the island. All are represented in the photos shown here.

The set of thirty photos* below begins with an image of a magnolia warbler in the chain-link fence with surrounds the island’s tennis court. I begin with this photo to show the size of the warblers… they are tiny birds! Their size, coupled with their near constant movement and their preference for thickets of vegetation make for challenging (and thus fun) photography.

I have sorted the set so that the warblers appear first followed by the other birds. I apologize for the large number of photos but there was an incredible variety of birds present on the island in the roughly forty-eight hours we were there. I tried not to show more than one photo of a species, but failed most egregiously in the case of both the yellow warbler (which breeds on the island and is thus one of the more common warblers) and the black and white warbler (which is one of the easier warblers to photograph as it tends to move a bit more slowly that most of the rest). Sometimes it is simply too difficult to choose a favorite “child”.

Lastly, there are still some photos titled “ID needed”. Hunting through bird books is not my idea of a fun time and in the interest of a timely post, they remain unidentified by me. If you care to help “fill in” those missing IDs, please leave a comment or send me an email. Corrections to the IDs I have made are also appreciated. I am hoping that Joan will do most of the “work” when she sees this post!

Magnolia Warbler (in chain link fence)

Northern Parula #1

Common Yellow-throat

Magnolia Warbler #1

Magnolia Warbler #2

ID Needed #1

ID Needed #2

ID Needed #3

Black and White Warbler #1

American Redstart

Cape May Warbler

Northern Parula #2

Black and White Warbler #2

ID Needed #4

Blackpoll Warbler

Yellow Warbler #1

Yellow Warbler Singing

ID Needed #5

Yellow Warbler #2

Mallard

Sparrow Singing #1

Catbird

Common Eider Pair

Cedar Waxwing

American Robin with Worm

Sparrow Singing #2

Least Sandpiper

White-throated Sparrow

Common Grackle Calling

Red-winged Blackbird Calling

* For those that are interested in such things, I made roughly 800 exposures (most but not all, of birds) while we were on the island. I processed 125 (~15%) of those exposures and present 30 of them (~4%) here.

Comments (4)

18 August 2018

Morning Visitor

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,The Yard,Wildlife — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 9:59 AM

One the the large oak trees down by the road has a large dead branch that overlooks Joan’s vegetable garden. Semi-regularly we see birds of prey, usually hawks sitting in this branch.

This morning, while eating breakfast, Joan noticed a hawk perched in “the branch”. I made a few exposures from the driveway before it decided to head off.

Hawk #1

Hawk #2

Comments (1)

31 December 2017

Adams Dozen — 2017

Filed under: Adams Dozen — Tags: Birds, damselflies, landscapes — Frank @ 10:00 PM

In keeping with a tradition that I began back in 2011 (see this post), here is my “Adams Dozen” for 2017.

It was not an easy selection. (It never is!) I could have easily chosen a dozen just from either the trips* we made this year.

Instead, I tried to choose photos from throughout the year from both “exotic” locations as as well as from the “neighborhood”.

Barred Owl

Pine Bough in Snow

Willet with Prey

Green Anole

Meetinghouse (Greenfield, NH)

Juvenile Green Herons

View of Brattleboro, VT

American Rubyspot (female)

Rutting Bison #2 (Yellowstone NP)

Mountain Bluebird #2 (Yellowstone NP)

Autumnal Abstract

Derelict Truck

*Florida in March or Yellowstone and other points out west in September.

Comments (2)

6 October 2017

2017 Road Trip — Cranes

Filed under: Birds — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 9:45 PM

On our way home we spent time at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin; rather than repeat what is already written, you can read about the history of the ICF by clicking here.

In addition to their ‘signature’ whooping cranes, the ICF displays all of the fifteen species of cranes found world-wide. I did not photograph all fifteen, but did get a nice selection of photos of these captive animals without too much man-made stuff interfering.

Whattled Crane (captive animal)

Brogla (captive animal)

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Crane Feathers (detail)

Black-necked Crane (captive animal)

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Black Crowned Crane #1 (captive animal)

Black Crowned Crane #2 (captive animal)

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Whooping Crane #1 (captive animal)

Whooping Crane #2 (captive animal)

Whooping Crane #3 (captive animal)

Whooping Crane #4 (captive animal)

Whooping Crane #5 (captive animal)

Whooping Crane #6 (captive animal)

Comments (1)

1 October 2017

2017 Road Trip — Wildlife

Filed under: Autumn,Birds,Mammals,Wildlife — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 10:30 PM

On Labor Day (4 Sept) we headed out on the road. Our immediate destination was western Montana and a nephews wedding on the 9th.

After the wedding festivities were over, we began the meat of the trip. Our first destination was Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), just to the west of Yellowstone National Park, our second destination. We spent five nights in Yellowstone and then wildlife refuge hopped back east.

We visited C.M Russell NWR, Bowdoin NWR, and Medicine Lake NWR all in Montana, Lostwood NWR, Des Lacs NWR and Upper Souris NWR in North Dakota and Agassiz NWR in Minnesota. We also visited the International Crane Foundation and the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin before heading home.

We arrived home yesterday (Saturday, 30 Sept) having driven just over 7,400 miles in total.

Of course, I made one or two photographs along the way! Here is the first installment… wildlife photographs.

More to follow over the next few days.

Birds

White-crowned Sparrow, Male (Red Rock Lakes NWR)

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White-crowned Sparrows, Pair (Red Rock Lakes NWR)

Mountain Bluebird ((Yellowstone NP))

Mountain Bluebird #2 (Yellowstone NP)

Greater Yellow Legs (Bowdoin NWR)

Plover (Bowdoin NWR)

Killdeer (Bowdoin NWR)

American Avocet #1 (Bowdoin NWR)

American Avocet #2 (Bowdoin NWR)

While Pelicans

Perigrine Falcon

White Pelican Taking Flight

Mammals

Pronghorn Antelope (Red Rock Lake NWR)

Bison Herd (Yellowstone NP)

Bison Rut ((Yellowstone NP))

Grazing Bison #1 (Yellowstone NP)

Grazing Bison #2 (Yellowstone NP)

Grazing Bison #3 (Yellowstone NP)

Bison (Yellowstone NP)

Rutting Bison #2 (Yellowstone NP)

Rutting Bison #3 (Yellowstone NP)

Elk Doe (Yellowstone NP)

Elk Doe #2(Yellowstone NP)

Bugeling Elk Bull (Yellowstone NP)

Elk Bull (Yellowstone NP)

Elk Bull #1 (CM Russell NWR)

Elk Bull #2 (CM Russell NWR)

Party Animal Elk (CM Russell NWR)

Bugeling Elk Bull with Harem (CM Russell NWR)

Comments (2)

15 July 2017

Juvenile Green Herons

Filed under: Birds,Summer,Wildlife — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 5:05 PM

I’m back!*

Yesterday afternoon, just before four, I received a call from Diane (one of my vast network** of wildlife informants). She said that there were four small herons on the mill pond behind Town Hall.

Big Bertha and I arrived as quick as we could and we spent roughly two hours making photographs of a quartet of juvenile green herons. I was unable to get all four in the frame at once; three was the best I could manage.

Juvenile Green Heron #1

Juvenile Green Herons #1

Juvenile Green Heron #2

Juvenile Green Herons #2

Juvenile Green Heron #3

Juvenile Green Herons #3

* After an unplanned, health-related hiatus.

** OK, so there are only two: Joan and Diane!

Comments (2)

14 May 2017

Star Island – May 2017

Filed under: Birds,Landscapes,Spring,Wildlife — Tags: Birds, black and white, landscapes — Frank @ 11:30 PM

I spent this past Friday and Saturday on Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. The trip (which is organized by Eric Masterson) was timed to coincide with the spring migration of birds.

Joan and I went on this trip back in 2014 (see this post for birds and this one for landscapes); this year I went by myself as Joan was occupied with editing the June issue of the Antrim Limrik.

The birding was not as spectacular this year as it was in 2014 but I had a good time anyway. One can always find something to photograph if you spend time looking carefully.

Birds

Grackle in the Grass

Herring Gull

Swainson's Thrush

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Northern Parula #1

Northern Parula #2

American Robin

Mallard

Song Sparrow #1

Authorized Personnel? (Tree Swallows)

Gulls Standing Gaurd

Chickadee

Song Sparrow #2

Song Sparrow #3

Tree Swallow #1

Catbird

Red-breasted Nuthatch #1

Red-breasted Nuthatch #2

Black and White Warbler

Tree Swallow #2

Other Work – Color

Surf

Sunrise, Smuttynose Island

Gulls Mob Lobstermen

Caswell Cemetery

Sunset, Star Island

Sunrise, Star Island

Sunrise Shadow

Star Island, Early Morning

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Authorized Personnel, No Respect

Other Work – Black and White

White Island Light

Untitled #1

Reflection

Song Sparrow Silhouette

Grackle Silhouette

Gosport Chapel #1

Gosport Chapel #2

Art Barn Reflection #1

Art Barn Reflection #2

Untitled #2

Comments (1)

6 April 2017

2017 Trip South

Filed under: Amphibians,Birds,Odontates,Other Insects — Tags: Birds, insects — Frank @ 3:30 PM

If two years makes a tradition, we headed south after (a snow-delayed*) town meeting for our “traditional” trip south. Our destination this year was the Florida panhandle.

We spent a week camped at the Wright Lake campground in the Apalachicola National Forest. Each day we headed out to explore from this base. We ranged from the Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the east to the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in the west. In addition, we hit a number of Florida Birding Trail sites within the National Forest, the Saint George Island State Park and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (their Unit 4 tract on St. George Island was particularly productive photographically).

Since we had such a good time last year at the Okefenokee NWR/ Foster State Park in SE Georgia, we stopped there for a day on the way back home. This time we were able to kayak some of the swamp on our own. It was quite an experience sitting low to the water with dozens of alligators all around.

Birds (many IDs needed but in the interest of a timely post, they will be added later)

Osprey with Fish

Gull

ID Needed 1

Clapper Rail

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Crow

Eastern Towhee

Semipalmated Sandpiper (?)

Tri-colored Heron with Prey

Tri-colored Heron

Little Blue Heron (immature) and Glossy Ibis

Pied-billed Grebe

American Coot

Sora

Common Moorhen

Glossy Ibis

Brown Pelican (immature)

Brown Pelican

Sanderling (?)

Willet (?)

ID Needed 2

ID Needed 3

ID Needed 4

ID Needed 5

ID Needed 6

Brown Pelican

Mockingbird

ID Needed 7

Double Crested Cormorant #1

Anhinga

Double Crested Cormorant #2

Laughing Gull #1

Willet (?)

Laughing Gull #2

Laughing Gull #3

ID Needed 8

ID Needed 9

ID Needed 10

ID Needed 11

Little Blue Heron

Other Subjects

Alligator #1

Softshell Turtle

Green Anole #1

Alligator #2

Cypress Trees with Anhinga (Okefenokee)

Alligator #3

Okefenokee Swamp

Florida Slider

Alligator #4

Dragonfly (ID Needed) 1

Spider

Dragonfly (ID Needed) 2

Butterfly (ID Needed) 1

Burnt Palmetto

Butterfly (ID Needed) 2

Dragonfly (ID Needed) 3

Damselfly (ID Needed) 1

Apalachicola Forest Landscape

Green Anole #2

* Two feet of snow will do that… even in NH! We arrived back home on the evening of 3 April to find a knee high pile of snow at the end of the drive way (the result of another foot of snow dumped a few days previously). It took about 45 minutes of work with snow blower before we could get the car and camper into the driveway.

Comments (1)

1 January 2017

Happy New Year

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Wildlife,Winter — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 6:09 PM

Around noon today Joan’s cousin Liz called to say that there was a barred owl sitting, clearly visible from the dining room window, in a tree at the back of her house.

I did what any self-respecting wildlife photographer would do. I headed out the door headed to Liz’s house as soon as I gathered up my gear! Joan came along too.

These two photos were taken from Liz’s bathroom window with my 300 mm lens. The first was made through the storm window and the second after I raised the storm window. The owl was completely unperturbed by my raising either the regular window or the storm window even though it was maybe twenty five feet away.

Barred Owl Yawn

Barred Owl

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23 September 2016

Pack Monadnock Hawk Watch

Filed under: Birds,Early Fall,Monadnock Region,Wildlife — Tags: Birds — Frank @ 11:00 AM

Yesterday, I finally made it up to the Pack Monadnock Hawk Watch… on day 22. And what a day it was, perfect weather and lots of hawks.

I arrived just before noon, the the show started shortly there after and continued until around three. I left about 4:30.

The total was about 2,800 birds, about 2,700 of which were broad-wings. Katrina’s official report can be found here.

The 10,000 birds for the season mark was reached and the traditional group photo around the tally board was made (with Katrina’s camera, but I am sure that it will appear at some point.)

While the bird watching was great, the conditions for photography were not ideal. The raptors were kettling pretty far away; only a few appeared close to the summit. The resident turkey vultures made fairly close approaches at times and I was able to make a few mediocre photos.

Kettle of Hawks

Turkey Vulture #1

Turkey Vulture #2

Turkey Vulture #3

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