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.

I live in St. Louis, Missouri. For the past 8 years, we have had a pair of breeding Mississippi Kites return to our neighborhood. They arrive like clockwork on May 8-11 and leave for South America August 29-31. This year, they have a sub adult kite with them. They court and mate in our old elm tree in the front yard and their juvenile offspring beg to be fed from same tree before they depart. This year I found one of their nests. They appear to making a second nest simultaneously that I have not located. I found all research on All About Birds. My photo of the couple in our tree features the male kite leaving the "frame" which is not technically a good photo technique but is certainly typical of trying to catch a photo of these dynamic birds. 

I discovered this Gray Catbird nest while the mother was still on her eggs and returned often for additional shots.  I really wanted a photo of her feeding her young (there are 3), but I became aware that while I was taking the photo of them crying out for food, the mother was actually on a lower branch watching me, clearly not coming back while in my presence.  I left immediately and this is the last picture I took.  I was pleased to hear Melissa's discussion of the Kingfisher nest because it solidified my gut feeling about moving away from this nest.

I found this adult Cooper's Hawk with a meal because one of two young ones was begging for food. I kept hearing this sound, looked up and here was this sight, with one young one looking on and the other making all this racket. I was looking for warblers! Ha!

While visiting my parents and brother in the foothills of rural central Montana I was fascinated by the family of Ravens. First I noticed the size. They were the size of a small child. Then their call. Frequent and loud with a gravely texture. At times annoying and other times endearing. As I choose them for a subject I witnessed their graceful flight patterns. They became distressed when I edged near their nest and I chose to not go any further. After a few days of rain they hunted and foraged close to our house. Worms seem to be a fine appetizer

I know a fair amount about our local birds, but there are always surprises. We have an Oriole feeder.  This Spring several Baltimore Orioles would stop by to eat oranges and grape jelly (see below)  No surprise there.  They were likely migrants as they eventually disappeared. To my surprise when we put out a Hummingbird feeder the year it also attracted Orioles, who could reach the nectar.  This should make it possible to get a picture, if I'm patient enough, since they seem to make the rounds of the neighborhood.

I see swallow-tailed kites regularly these days. In this shot, a juvenile kite sat on the branch in this loblolly pine in my back yard while its parents circled around and brought it food. This went on for more than an hour. I love to watch these birds soar over my neighborhood.

I also spent some time watching a family of European barn swallows, observing how the young ones would start opening their mouths and calling before a parent came along to feed them, allowing me to get my camera at the ready.

I live in the Netherlands so you might see some different birds from me. I listened to stonechat calls on the internet and tried to figure out the difference between the male and female calls. While doing so I found out why the bird is so called - because part of their call sounds like two stones being knocked together. I went to observe them at a local nature reserve as they are very vocal at the moment. They each had a similar pattern - the males at least - doing the same call, flitting to another spot, calling, then flitting to another spot and basically repeating the circuit. This helped me figure out where they might fly to next and how long they would stay there.

• We researched a new place nearby from the previous lesson by looking at the Explore tab on EBird.  We also went out earlier than we we often would, again after the previous lessons!  We saw more birds due to doing an auto trail and using the car as the blind.  Can’t believe how much we’ve learnt already! Saw a number of birds we’d not seen before including the Dickcissel and Northern Bobwhite. 

I have been doing some bird photography close to home. Photos of the House Sparrow, American Robin, and Common Grackle were taken in my backyard. I enjoy watching the American Robins in my backyard hopping along the ground and listening for worms and larva that they pounce upon. House Sparrows are common and capturing the Grackle with a load of food in its beak was special.

The virus has supplied both my wife and I with lots of time to observe our neighborhood friends. As recommended we have spent hours just watching their parenting and feeding traits. Knowing in advance where their favorite haunts are allows for planning the images. Our Atlanta backyard offers a lot of options for viewing entire families.

Found this Tricolored Heron at the junction of the marsh and beach on Tybee Island, Georgia.

This year Black-necked Stilts nested at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida in a marshy area along the main road to the Lighthouse that allowed for observations and photographs through a long lens or spotting scope.  I thought the chicks would look like little dark fur balls like Common Gallinule chicks.  Not so!  These little ones were so well-camouflaged that the only way to see them was to look for movement or, perhaps, see their reflection in the water.  I, also, was able to watch their parents defend them from other birds including a Tricolored Heron that was much larger than the stilts.  The stilts were fearless protectors of their young.

The silver lining of the COVID pandemic has been time to spend in our local cemetery (Green-Wood in Brooklyn, NY), which is an amazing spot for birdwatching. I’ve learned so much this spring, from observing the migration of many warblers, to a juvenile bald eagle who took up residence for a few weeks, to various herons, a family of six Canada goslings and their very vigilant parents, two broods of mallard ducklings that haven’t fared so well, a family of two baby red-tailed hawks, and many more.

Since the pandemic began, I’ve taken almost daily walks through the woods and around a small lake near my home in Northern Virginia. One of the highlights has been the frequent sightings of an Osprey (sometimes two of them) that seems to have favorite perches in two trees there, one near each end of the lake. It does not seem to nest there, but visit s almost daily to feed. I have watched it fly from one perch to the other, dive down and grab a fish from the water and take it up to the perch for dining. I have also seen it battle crows intent on taking the fish from it or, at other times, on driving it from the tree. With a telephoto lens, I’ve been able to get some fairly good photos. In this one (my last of that session, and since then...) the facial expression, like that of Melissa’s Harrier, suggests I may have overstayed my welcome.

American Goldfinch taken 6/23/2020 I love watching these birds at our feeder however these images were taken on a road trip thru Missouri. When driving thru we always visit the Columbia Bottoms Conservation area, just outside of St.Louis. The area is mostly wetlands or prairie like.  Goldfinches are a common backyard bird in Kansas where we live. They are a year round resident. They prefer open habitats as well as one's yard, and Columbia Bottoms is definitely open habiitat. They eat seeds and seem to arrive in flocks to the feeder, and are often joined by house Finches. In the photos they are eating the common roadside weed/wildflower. Chicory. They seem non aggresive and have gotten quite used to us when we sit outside. They have a high pithed sweet sound when at our feeder. They nest late in the summer, July to August, when more seeds are abundant and use the "downy seed heads " to pad their nest. The males are the vibrant yellow and black and the females or more dull olive green. I have noticed this week that more females have returned to the feeder.  

House Finches intrigue me because they seem to bring the whole family along to the feeder. In fact, I suspect the smaller birds joining in this morning are juveniles. They look like smaller versions of the females. The smaller "juveniles" preferred the platform feeder to the tube;  one female perched on the edge as though she was the lookout. Though I read a lot about these finches, it's not clear to me whether they pair up for nesting, or if one male has several girlfriends. When they come as a group to feed, there are always several females but only one or perhaps two males. I have a plan for photographing them tomorrow that I hope will give me better, closer shots. This old 200mm lens takes some special care.

I am in complete awe of the beauty of the blue jays that visit my bird feeder daily. Behind my backyard there is an area with tall trees and now I wonder if they have built their nest there. I am eager to go explore this area and try to find them and take pictures of them in the trees. 

I have been intrigued by Bell's Vireo ever since I first heard it sing a few years ago.  Its song is not very musical at all, but rather a harsh, buzzy song often sung as a couplet.  It tends to be a secretive bird fond of scrub and shrubby habitats, often heard but not seen.  So, my goal has been to capture a really nice photo.  It typically arrives in our part of Indiana the end of April or early June and departs again for its wintering area in Mexico by mid-September.  Insects are its primary food source, particularly caterpillars, and like most vireos actively forages insects from the foliage. Fortunately for me a Bell's Vireo began nesting in the shrubby habitat adjacent to my property this year.  So, I have included a couple of photos to share.  

For a long time I have been trying to capture a great photograph of the Hooded Plover, which is an endangered species along the eastern coastline of Australia. There are a group of 7 that can often be found along a stretch of beach near to where I holiday. It is always a challenge to get close enough for a clear photo without encroaching on their 'personal space' and stressing them. It is hard to leave knowing you have a good photo but not a brilliant one because you made the decision not to get a little closer. The story Melissa shared about the kingfisher really resonated with me and reinforced my belief's about ethical photography. The bird's safety and protection must always be of the uppermost importance. 

In California where I live, the California Scrub Jay is a popular bird. He is very noisy and easy to find. He has blue feathers that stand out. One day in May, I was on a trail and saw one, I followed him with my binoculars as it went down a little ravine and into a bush. I saw him fly back in my direction holding what looked like a pretty yellow flower in its beak.  I quickly took my camera and aimed it to the tree next to me where it landed thinking I might get some interesting shots if he stuck around. Usually, I see them holding acorns in their beaks,  so a yellow flower was unusual.  I was able to take several close-ups. It is only when I looked at my photos at home that I realized that the yellow flower was in fact a baby bird, its legs sticking out of the California Scrub Jay's beak. I did some research afterwards and realized that California Scrub Jays are omnivorous and can eat  insects, caterpillars, snakes... They can also follow parents to their nest and steal their babies. After this experience, I observed their behavior even more carefully, they don't only eat acorns as I first thought.

Since I moved to St. Augustine, FL I have these lovely birds frequent my backyard and have counted up to 20 in one visit!  Today there are 4 beautiful wild turkey girls that have been hanging out all morning.  ISO 800, 220mm, f/6.3, 1/400s.