Photographs by Frank

6 July 2015

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks et al.

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,The Yard,Wildlife — Tags: — Frank @ 12:00 PM

After an activity-filled Independence Day, I finally settled down with the camera near the feeders at about 5 PM and spent the couple of hours watching (and photographing) the birds.

I was especially hoping to photograph the rose-breasted grosbeaks that we have observed coming to the feeder for the past few days; I was not disappointed. At one point I observed two males in the area at the same time. I only saw females one at a time so I am unsure if there are two pairs or not.

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Eastern Kingbird Nest Update

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,Wildlife — Tags: — Frank @ 12:00 PM

I spent a couple of hours yesterday (5 July) observing (and photographing) the eastern kingbird nest on Gregg Lake. The nestlings have made great progress since my last visit a week previous. See the first photo below… that is one of the nestlings, looking very adult-like both in color and size.

I saw no signs of fledgling… the juveniles spent most of their time with mouths agape waiting to be fed. The adults obliged them; bringing in a steady supply of insects, mainly dragonflies from what I could see.

In addition to the kingbirds, there was a small flock (maybe six individuals) of cedar waxwings in the vicinity. One a couple of occasions, waxwings perched in the trees along the road within three or four feet of where I had set up my camera.

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The three frame feeding sequence took less than four seconds.

 

1 July 2015

Feeding Fledglings

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,Wildlife — Tags: , — Frank @ 7:00 PM

This morning dawned rainy. The rain varied from a light drizzle to hard downpours most of the morning. About 11, during a brief lull, I decided to brave the elements and set up my camera near the feeders and under my semi-waterproof blind. My patience was tested during one heavy burst of rain, but I was eventually rewarded.

During the roughly ninety minutes I observed our suet feeders this morning, they were visited by white-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers and red-bellied wood peckers.

There were no signs of last weeks hairy woodpecker juveniles… or, maybe I can not tell them apart from the adults at this point. However, I did observe both adult nuthatches and red-bellied woodpeckers feeding juveniles.

I am unable to tell fledgling nuthatches from the adults by their physical traits.. Behaviorally, it is very easy to tell them apart… the juveniles sit by with their mouths wide open waiting for food to be stuffed in!

As for the red-bellied woodpecker, I suspected that their might be a juvenile nearby as the adult made a number of short trips to the feeder, always leaving with a full mouth. On one of his trips outgoing trips, I was able to follow the adult to a branch fairly high in a nearby tree where the juvenile was waiting.

The total elapsed time for the three frame sequence… less than one second.

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Experimental video below! I have taken the three still photos shown above and combined them into a very short video. Sorry about the jitter! I was not planning a video when I made the photos and thus did not lock down the tripod… not that I would have had time!

 

28 June 2015

Eastern Kingbirds Redux

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,Wildlife — Tags: — Frank @ 12:30 PM

Yesterday (27 Jun) morning I headed down to the eastern kingbird nest at the lake. The skies were mostly overcast; good light for photographing black and white birds. The light on the nest would also be coming from a good direction. I was hoping to catch a “feeding sequence”… the events that happen within the couple of seconds after an adult arrives at the nest. In the two hours I observed the nest, I watched between ten and twenty visits by the adults.

The first photo in this sequence was made about two minutes before the others. The remaining four frames were made within a total of two seconds.

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In the intervals between adult kingbirds arriving at the nest, I chatted with numerous passersby and photographed whatever perched nearby. In addition to the kingbirds, I was able to photograph cedar waxwings (there are a lot of still green blueberries along the lake road) and grackles. I also heard many red-winged blackbirds in the marsh to the north of the road but none approached close enough to photograph.

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27 June 2015

Meet the Downy Family

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,The Yard,Wildlife — Tags: , — Frank @ 6:15 PM

Yesterday (Friday, 26 June) afternoon , just before 2:30, a male  red-bellied woodpecker made a brief appearance at the feeder* and left with a large chunk of suet in his bill. I suspect that he was carrying the choice tidbit off to a nest, but have no proof of that; he headed into the woods at great speed.

After the red-bellied departed, I noticed a male downy woodpecker hanging around fairly high in a nearby spruce tree. I thought it odd that he did not approach the now unoccupied feeder. I watched him move about in the spruce tree for some minutes and then, suddenly, he headed for the feeder.

When I turned my gaze (and lens) to the feeder, I was extremely surprised to find three woodpeckers on the trunk… the adult male I had been watching and two juveniles (a male and a female). The female left within a minute, but I watched the adult male feed the juvenile male for another three or four minutes before the adult took off. The juvenile spent a short interval tentatively feeding itself before it, too headed for the woods..

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* I use custom-made, photogenic suet feeders. These consist of a chunk of tree on a stand to hold it vertically. I drill holes in the “back-side” of the trunk and keep the holes stocked with suet and/or dried meal worms.  There… my secret is out!!!

 

Eastern Kingbirds

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,Wildlife — Tags: — Frank @ 6:00 PM

Thursday (25 June) afternoon, I discovered an Eastern Kingbird nest on a small island in Gregg Lake. It is within easy sight of the road but a bit far for photography.*

I watched the adults come and go for almost two hours. They brought in a constant supply of insects (often dragonflies) which went down the gullet of one of the three chicks the instant (and I mean instant!) the adult alit on the nest. Twice, I observed an adult leave the nest with a fecal sac.

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* All of these photos are cropped significantly. Also, I present them here a bit larger than my normal blog size so that the nest is more visible.

 

24 June 2015

Not Your Typical Bird Portrait

Filed under: Birds,Summer,The Yard,Wildlife — Tags: — Frank @ 11:00 AM

Woodpeckers make a distinctive call that announces their imminent appearance at the feeders. Each species’ call is unique. Thus, if I listen carefully, I know when to head for the camera (which is set up on the deck) and what I can expect to find.

The other day I heard the call of a red-bellied woodpecker, but as I got to the camera he flew up into the trees. I found him in the lens, but he was very strongly back lit against a patch of sky… not a recipe for a good photo and I did not press the shutter release.

As I turned away from the camera a thought popped into my head… “silhouette”. I put my eye back to the viewfinder… the bird was still there. I pressed the shutter release.

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14 June 2015

Nesting Loons

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Summer,Wildlife — Tags: , — Frank @ 1:00 PM

A couple of weeks ago, Joan and I discovered a loon nest on a body of water that has not supported a breeding pair for more that forty years*.

Yesterday, I got permission to cross the privately-held shore line and photograph the nest and its occupant.

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* I am being a bit circumspect about the exact location in order to protect the nest site.

 

2 June 2015

Rainy Day Birds

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Spring,Wildlife — Tags: — Frank @ 12:00 PM

Over the past few days, we have been getting some much needed rain. I’m not complaining but I’d much prefer a 65 degree (F) rain than the 45 degree rain we’re getting!

Yesterday afternoon, we noticed a male hummingbird spending a lot of time perched near the feeder. Presumably he was defending his territory from an intruder.

His more-or-less constant presence was enough to get me to set up the blind and camera in the 45 degree rain and spend an hour photographing the birds. I was amazingly warm and dry in the blind and a number of other birds appeared in the hour I was sequestered therein.

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24 May 2015

Ruby-throats & Red-bellies

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Spring — Tags: — Frank @ 11:30 PM

Today dawned warm and sunny. After breakfast this morning, I set up the camera on the deck, “just in case” and went about my around the house chores.

A few minutes before ten, I heard the call of a red-bellied woodpecker announcing its arrival in the vicinity of the feeders. I, of course, headed for the camera. While I was watching the red-belly, I noticed the hummingbird out of the corner of my eye.

The first two photographs (below) were made within twenty seconds of each other.

Just before eight this evening I put the camera away and started the grill to cook supper. Not more than five minutes later, I heard the red-belly call again. I was able to get the camera back out and make few more photos before he flew off again.

The lighting in the two sets of photos is about as different as it can be. Bright, harsh sun in the morning and very low, soft light in the evening about a half hour before sunset*.

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* For the photo geeks, the exposure in the morning was ISO 200, f/5.6 and 1/750 sec. The evening exposure was ISO 800, f/4 and 1/60 sec. If I’ve done the math right this is about a seven stop difference.

I had to work a bit harder to clean up the noise in the ISO 800 exposures but the six or seven year old D300 still does a pretty good job… me thinks!

 

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