I've primarily been photographing from our porch and yard, but I was certainly surprised by how uncommonly beautiful the common grackle is.  I've taken to peeking over our fence (with the help of an upturned bucket) into the neighboring field where they tend to feed so as not to startle them! I've been lucky once or twice and already been waiting on the porch when they've landed closer, and managed to catch this stunning male on our arch! I've also started taking my camera with me when I bike, so I can stop by one of the local ponds and capture the wildlife there. Even a few minutes away, the difference in diversity is striking.

After my first less than thrilling early morning sit spot, I went to the bay and carefully and slowly  zig-zagged down a pier to sit for awhile. Although blazing hot, it turned out to be a much better spot for this time of year. I was able to practice trying to shoot birds in flight, diving for fish, but I realize that I need to work on my lighting as many of the birds just blended into the background - the sky was a bright light blue. I am really looking forward to delving into the next lessons on how to use the setting on my camera to optimize my outings. My best pictures were still shots of laughing gulls. I was using my 200-500mm lens so I was able to get some close up shots without interfering with their environment. My favorite shot - gull yoga - tree pose.

I went last week to a park where Wood Ducks are reliably found. To my surprise there were no males, but I found a female with her babies sitting on a log. In my excitement, I moved too quickly and the family left the log. I have the Canon 7D MKII and always forget that the exposure meter is awkwardly placed to the far right, out of view with a normal look through the viewfinder. So I had to lighten up the image. It takes some effort and a little time to see the exposure meter in this camera. I didn't even know it was there for the longest time. I did find a bird that looked like a wood duck but not exactly so I took a shot. I'm guessing it's a juvenile male because the markings match up with the male markings but the rest of the plumage colors are not there yet. It stumped me for quite a while. I can't even find a photo to match mine yet.

I found out that my area is a stop along the way during the winter spring migration of the sandhill. Each year in March the small town near the area holds a festival so getting to the wildlife area is a nightmare. So I went there days prior and there were only 2 photographers and 17,000 Sandhills.

While hiking I suddenly heard some Titmice making quite a fuss and I heard the high pitched call of a hawk. When I stopped to look and listen I realized there were 3 juvenile Cooper's Hawks calling for the parent to bring in dinner. I didn't have my camera on me because it was a new park and I was unsure of how safe it would be to carry an expensive camera around. I ran back to my car and came back knowing that based on past experience the juvenile birds would most likely remain in the area. When I got back to the spot the calling had stopped but in a short amount of time I was able to spot two of them in a tree. I took up a spot and waited. Soon they started calling out and I knew a parent was probably in the area. I had hoped to get a pic of the parent but he/she flew in pretty fast and just dropped the meal on a large limb and flew off. The two juveniles flew over and the one in this photo was faster and ended up with the meal. In my experience I usually hear the birds before seeing them and I have become familiar with types of calls such as alarm, calling for a mate, and even alerting to a parent in the area.

I have loved Sandhill Cranes for their exotic appearance.  In the past I've driven to watch them in fields where they have been known to congregate in migration season, and I have also been thrilled to come across a few or large number of them unexpectedly.  They are one of the few birds I can identify by voice as they fly overhead.  I used to think they only passed through my midwest area to more northern summer grounds, but my research shows that they spend the summer here, too.  I have been seeing them more often.  I was taking a walk through a forest preserve I had not visited before, and I came upon two sandhill cranes in a field.  I was surprised how close they let me come, as they seemed oblivious to cars nearby and to me.  I didn't want to scare them, so I stayed about 50 away.  

I've always known that there have been some Black-crested Titmice that love to forage in my backyard. They tend to stick around almost all year, too. I occasionally spot one of the birds jumping around in this large oak tree nearby my patio. After doing some research on their behaviors, I discovered that these acrobatic little guys that will cling upside-down to find insects to eat. After hearing some chirps on a gray spring afternoon, I quietly set up outside and waited for the bird to come for me. I eventually caught sight of the titmouse, and sure enough, after some waiting, it started hanging upside down. I was even able to capture this photo!

I chose to look for the Rock Sparrow, Petronia petronia (a life-list bird for me).  This is a bird that is found in rocky habitats throughout the Mediterranean, but has a north-south movement throughout the year in Israel.  Since we were in lockdown when it was in my area in the Negev desert in the spring, I went to Mt Hermon (3000 m) where it is easily found in June and July. I used three resources: eBird, Oiseaux birds and Wikipedia.  As to the description, eBird records it as “odd-looking, chunky, sparrow-like bird”, whereas Oiseaux is “very similar to the female House Sparrow”.  In my unschooled opinion it just looks like a sparrow, not odd at all.  Further to its appearance, a yellow spot on the throat is rarely visible in the field (eBird) which, indeed, is not visible in my photographs. However (Oiseaux) record that both females and males prefer mates with bright yellow spots.  It does have a streaked breast, brown head and pale yellow eyebrows. All sources were in agreement with it being found in arid, rocky habitats with short grass and Oiseaux has it as a “typical Mediterranean species”.  It feeds on seeds and berries throughout the year and insects when feeding nestlings. They are reported to nest in crevices in rocks or walls; so, it was very odd when I saw it at the mouth of a pipe. At first I thought it just landed there; this pipe was about 12 cm in diameter, stuck in the ground and at about a meter in height bent at a 45º angle. Since there is no sexual dimorphism I didn’t know if it was a male or female bring insects to the nestlings.  It perched in the open and had an upright stance holding the insect in its mouth.  I moved away to allow it to freely fly to its nest in the pipe.

I had no idea that, when doing this type of research, my chances of getting better poses and pictures would increase more and more. I'm really excited to go to the field to train what we have learned, but unfortunately I have to wait until the weekend where we have a country house. The bird I chose is a very beautiful, interesting, and especially agitated hummingbird which fascinates me. I have been watching and listening to this bird for the past two years and, among all the hummingbirds that we have in our mountains, this is the species that most amuses me. It is very difficult to take a good picture of him while in movement, as he is especially fast when compared to others who live in our area.

We have just passed the nesting season for hummingbirds in San Diego, but earlier this year I wanted to capture one of the many hummers that come to my feeders gathering nesting material.  Each year I provide kapok nesting material from a couple of locations.  This image was taken in my front yard with the afternoon sun not quite reaching into the area that is the background.  By keeping the exposure set on the bird, I was able to create the dark background I was after.  My camera, on tripod, was set up with some foliage for cover and I used a long lens to stay back, but feel up close.  This is a female Anna's Hummingbird.

For my subject, I chose the Marsh Wren, knowing it would be tricky to see but enjoying the idea that it would be a fun challenge. So this morning, I got up (very) early and drove to Île Saint-Bernard, an island on the river southwest of where I live in Montreal, Canada. There's a wildlife refuge there with a large marsh, and I had heard Marsh Wrens singing there earlier this spring. And sure enough, there were at least a half dozen of them in full song in the bullrushes along the main path that leads across the centre of the marsh. Of course, just because you can hear them doesn't mean you can see them - let alone photograph them. But wrens (I've seen the same behaviour with House and Winter Wrens) are curious. And if you stand still, they will sometimes work their way towards you to check you out, furtively moving through the undergrowth, moving with sometimes surprising speed, then popping out unexpectedly before disappearing just as quickly. I had one encounter exactly like this, but the shots I got weren't great. Then, on the way back, I saw a wren fly up and literally burst into song in mid-air, his small body contorting so hard that he seemed to hover momentarily. Figuring this was the extravert I was looking for, I stepped just off the path and leaned into the high marsh grass. A minute or so later, out popped the wren agin, even being so kind as to adopt the classic pose, legs splayed like a miniature marsh yogi. After singing for about 30 seconds, he dropped back out of sight and I quietly moved on, happy that I did not appear to have disturbed hm.

Every Spring I wait for the return of the Baltimore Orioles.  They generally show up in Connecticut in early May.  This year there seemed to be an abundance of these birds in my local park.  While they generally hang out high in the canopy I discovered a nest on the edge of a field quite low in a tree.  After the young fledged I was lucky to come across the little ones while the parents were feeding them raspberries from the field.  In the past I have witnessed the adults aggressively protecting their young but this pair didn't seem to be bothered by my presence. After getting a few shots I left the family to enjoy their berry breakfasts.  Unfortunately the Orioles will soon be making their way back down south and I'll have to wait again until next May to hear them sing from the tree tops.  

I did my research on birds that visit my backyard. I usually do bird watching and taking photos at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, along the shores of Lake Erie. It has been difficult to take photos at Presque Isle recently. First the water levels at Lake Erie have risen significantly and caused many birds have left or gone deeper into the wooded areas to get away from flooded trails and increasing water levels. The other thing that is driving the birds deeper into the wooded areas, are the number of people coming to the Park to exercise, walk, and bike. The birds and other wildlife are slowly being pushed out of their regular habitats. This is the reason I decided to research my backyard birds. This has been interesting because I have been able to watch Parent birds bring their young into the yard to eat from my feeders and the many berries and other edible plants in the backyard. The research that I did helped me to identify what the parent birds were doing for their young. The young House Sparrow would flap it's wings and run up to the parent bird to get food and as they progressed the young bird started to eat the seed and other food on it's own. The other interesting thing I learned is how everything in my yard is used by the animals that inhabit my backyard. I have a Trumpet Vine and the rabbits that come into the yard eat the fallen petals from the Trumpet Vine. My pictures are not as clear as I would like because I took the pictures from my window rather than try to go outside and take pictures and disturb the House Sparrow Parent feeding it's young. I appreciate what I have learned in this lesson, and through my research, because I feel like I pay closer attention to the behaviors demonstrated by the birds and other animals, and with background research understand why the birds are demonstrating the behaviors I observe.

So yesterday , I used e-bird to see what others were sighting at Quivira Wildlife Refuge, which I like to go to every couple of months. I still find the site a little over whelming but will continue to use it as a tool. I usually use my car as the blind, but I did try stabilizing the lens with my hand when extended and liked the feel of that. I am sharing 3 of my better photos from yesterday.   Eastern Kingbird   Mourning Dove   Red-winged blackbird

Since March, sheltering indoors with the corona virus, I have spent time observing Scaled Quail who live in the arid, undisturbed prairies which surround my home in southeastern Colorado.  April is the start of breeding season. My photo shows three very young quail just starting to venture a few yards away from their parents, baby steps to leaving the nest.  My favorite insight is that Scaled Quail are extremely protective & cautious parents, who will chase off any other birds who get near their chicks. The male acts as a guardian, constantly surveying the surrounding area for any potential predators, allowing his mate (for LIFE!) a chance to eat with their chicks in peace.   They eat seeds of trees, shrubs, sunflower seeds and "forbs"/non woody plants, like the Russian thistle weeds, otherwise known as tumbleweeds!

Ridgway 1889 said, the Bewick's Wren "... explores the garden fence..." and that is where I see one or two of them everyday as I eat my lunch outside on my back patio. I regularly see them finding what look to be moths on my shaggy fence. The one photographed today seems to be a young bird, and it was peeping regularly back and forth with another of its species. Notice that there is an annoying and distracting yellow stick/line in the background -- something that Melissa warned us to look out for! With birds that rarely sit quietly, it's hard to avoid sticks. (As an aside, I would note that all the photos uploaded here seem rather "soft" as if the quality of the upload is not great. My photo looks quite sharp on my computer, but here seems a little blurry.)

Our home is in a mixed woodland environment with some open areas, and a marshy pond area adjacent to it. It's the perfect habitat for the violet green swallow. Their preference of catching insects on the wing has certainly become a welcome activity for us (goodbye annoying flies, wasps and gnats!) and their aerial acrobatics are captivating. This is the second year we have been fortunate enough to have a family of violet green swallows nesting in one of our canned lights in the gable over our patio. The parents don't seem to be bothered by our presence and it has provided a great opportunity to observe their natural parenting behaviors. When getting ready to feed, a parent will circle, flying closer and closer to the nest each time, and softly chattering. The baby birds will respond louder and louder until the parent lands, feeds, and quickly flies off again. It's been difficult to catch the parent in focus but it's been a blast watching the babies grow!

I decided to research red-winged blackbirds as I have been watching males harass  much larger birds chasing them away from the marsh by my house as well as dive bomb people as they walk down their boardwalks to the beach. As I researched, I learned that they like to build nests in grasses in or near fresh water marshes. This morning, I went out early and followed the a male until he went to a suspected nest in the marsh. I quickly spotted the female as she flew. I’m not quite steady yet to get great moving shots, but here are a few. The middle picture is my surprise picture. The male was sitting on the twig that is out of focus.  What I didn’t realize until I reviewed my photos was how he was able to take off like a rocket, in a completely vertical direction. 

Many species of birds here in Malaysia are with little research information. We do not know much about their habitat, food sources, nesting season or any distinctive behaviour. To identify them by sound is not easy because most of the time we could hear their callings but couldn't see the birds. There are quite a number of migratory species here, suspect a few have already become residents. There is worrying sign of diminishing bird species caused by reducing natural forest coverage and connectivity.  To conserve the remaining species  is a big challenge. But the challenges could become opportunities. I am going to confront this challenge by bringing greater public awareness of the many beautiful birds that live in our forest. The best way to do this is by photographing, capturing exiting moments of birds' interesting behaviour in the wild. Begun with the first bird of interest - Little Green Pigeon.

I decided to research and look for the Scissor Tailed Flycatcher which is a common summer migratory bird in my area. They can typically be found in open fields, lots or parks where some lone trees are near by for nesting. They can easily be spotted perched on feces line or electrical lines surveying their surrounding for food. Their diet consists of insects and they typically catch on the fly which can be so fun to watch. I was really looking for their in-flight acrobatic moves I did see these but was not able to get any good photos. I used e-Bird to determine a good location to go look at some had been spotted by the local lake. I was able to spot a male, female and 3 juveniles flying, perching and doing some aerial acrobatics. The photos are of the male landing on a perch down by the lake.

I am so fortunate to live on a property which is home to many species of birds. There are owls, hawks, ospreys, warblers, and many, many others. One of my favorite subjects are herons, specifically, night herons, which I have the opportunity to see Hunting along the shoreline and Roosting in the trees. I’ve learned a lot over the years from just observing them but found the Cornell site and the Merlin app very helpful in learning about their mating, nesting and community habits. Thank you Melissa! I would love to hear from and see any photos from the rest of you taking the course. Here are shots of two black crowned night herons and a juvenile yellow crested night heron. The light was poor on the black crowns and the lens is lImited to 6.7 aperture here.