Watching in Awe- A Potpourri of Birds

A major goal of my bird photography is sharing examples of why I am in awe of the bird world. It begins with their amazing displays of ornamentation.  This facilitates breeding selection and extends into adaptation.  Not all birds follow ornamentation.  Some take a different path, wherein dark feathers contain melanin which makes the feathers stronger to resist wear.  It seems to me that each successful bird species finds a niche where it avoids direct competition with similar species. If there is direct competition between two similar species, one will adapt better and dominate.  For example, the different woodpeckers in our woods each have a different feeding sector or food preference in the forest.  The Downy does not compete with the Pileated Woodpecker.

Let's begin with a simple example of the Red-breasted Merganser.  It is quite different from the larger male Common Merganser seen at right.  In June, this bird is still in its breeding plumage. 

Enter the smaller Red-breasted Merganser seen below.  First, he has already molted and his iridescent green head is gone. He's now a reddish color. He molted two months before the Common Merganser.  Also, while the Common Merganser dives as deep as 100 feet in large lakes and river, the smaller merganser frequents very shallow water. I observed this reddish merganser picking snails off the cattail stalks.

Similar species, but they are successful in different habitats. Now that I have found this bird's breeding area, I hope to get its photo in breeding colors. Breeding is over, and this boy was silent and red.

Now, let's go to the tuxedo bird.  Some have suggested that the Bobolink looks like he put his tuxedo on backwards.  I was fortunate to capture this male in flight.

I think he looks like a professor in academic robes - pale yellow cap and fringed puffy shirt with a black robe beneath. Breeding was just beginning, so this Bobolink was very vocal.  It's a beautiful song.

I've been following a particular Osprey pair for several years. In the first year, the male had a tough time getting a female to look at his nest.  He called at every large bird that passed hoping it was a female Osprey.  Now, they are bonded and get down to business quickly. Two small chicks are in the nest, and the male has begun his regular fishing for them. I have a good view of their nest right at my eye level. Here comes the male with a fresh catch.

It's pretty easy to tell which is the male. First, he is notably smaller. Since he is diving into the water  for each catch, his feathers are cleaner than the female who spends long hours at the nest.  When the chicks get close to fledging, she will join in fishing to match the chicks huge appetite.

At this early stage, the chicks are small and their heads are barely visible - usually only seen when being fed as shown below.

The male won't stay long at the nest. He'll be back fishing soon. Note the bunch of bedding to the right on the nest. It looks like fibers from cornstalks to me.

This COVID-19 pandemic has closed a lot of parks and some favorite natural areas. One of my best locations just opened recently, any only for only three days a week. In the absence of visitors, a Red-tail Hawk has taken residence in the park's pavilion and the adjacent camper-cabin area.  There is staff working there on renovations, so the bird has become a bit habituated to small numbers of people.  I've been able to get close to the bird by being patient and not directly approaching it. Today, this paid off for me.  I was only 100 feet away.

I am guessing the hawk has been very successful here.  I only saw two squirrels and no chipmunks in the area.  She is pretty good at picking concealed places, such as this gnarled pine tree.

Note how well her body coloration blends in with the tree branches.  Both male and female share this coloration which supports hunting success.  It works. When I arrived two days ago, I knew she was in the area but could not spot her. Thirty minutes later I returned to my car, and she flew out of the tree across from my car.  I had looked there initially, and I can only gain respect for her ability to stay hidden.

There is a similar story for the warbles, and I hope to have the patience to find the subjects to fill in the narrative.

Kind regards,

Paul

Bluebird Trail Farm- Meadow Birds and More

I joined my friends in the Chemung Valley Audubon Society on a Bobolink outing  to the Bluebird Trail Farm in Caton, New York a few weeks ago. The visit sent me back for some serious photography.  There were abundant Bobolinks, plus many other grassland birds and an inquisitive Alpaca.  Actually, it is an educational farm with chickens, ducks, sheep, and goats, in addition to vegetable and fruit gardens. It is a great outing for the family. The Barn Swallows are plentiful, and a joy to watch returning to their nests in the big red barn. There are a variety of activities on their website plus clear directions. Check them out at: 

 www.bluebirdtrailfarm.org




So, what did this photographer find at Bluebird Trail Farm? Yes, there were Eastern Bluebirds actively feeding young in nest boxes. They were a little leery of my approach, so I left them to their duties.  Bluebirds offer some challenges.  The sun's direction plays a big role in showing their brilliant blues, and the only place to see that was too close for them. There were so many other exciting birds in the grasslands that I did not feel disappointed.



There were many Tree Swallows, including some resting on various perches.  Away from the nest, they were much more comfortable with my approach. Tree Swallows are a common species, yet their appearance and acrobatic flight are very appealing.  Given the great number of insects they catch, they deserve to be appreciated. I got quite used to their flying within feet of me, as they swooped and rolled over the grasses. When I was under camoflage, one nearly landed on my head. 

The Tree Swallows in the nest boxes were very actively feeding young, and they, too, were more comfortable with my location. I took it as a challange to capture their rapid flight towards and away from the nest box.  The colors on the male are brilliant in the sun. It is a delight to stand a comfortable distance away and watch their nimble flight.

Capturing that moment when the bird just touches the box meant that I triggered the shutter when it was still some 4 feet away, and then just hoped I had it right. As I reviewed the photos, I noticed a wide array of insects in their beaks.  All were flying insects.  Other birds in the grassland had different menus.

Capturing the departure presented a new challenge. On approach, I could see the birds some twenty feet away and triggered the shutter as it passed a mark in the background. When it is leaving, there is just a bit of head showing, and often I reacted to a little twitch in the head that was just that. Other times it was the only warning of the explosive launch into the air.

So, Tree Swallows were abundant and provided a great challenge.  The Bobolinks offered a different entertainment.  First, their bubbly song is one I would never tire of hearing. However, the females  nest in the tall grass, and the males are often in the grasses searching for both larva and flying insects to feed the nestlings.  Even when feeding young, they do sing among the grasses.

Here is one male who gained a perch before delivering a catch of insects to a hidden nest in the grasses. The Tree Swallows in the nest box did not seem to object to the Bobolink.

The female Bobolinks are very differently colored to hide in the grasses. I captured this one flying towards a hidden nest.

This brings me to the more elusive of the grassland birds at the farm, and arguably the most colorful and musical, the Eastern Meadowlark. The bird proved difficult to locate, and required complete camoflage before it would approach a favored spot to sing.  It was worth the effort.  Thankfully, they are slower on the wing than a Tree Swallow.

The Eastern Meadowlark takes the posture of an operatic tenor to belt out its song with full voice.  I wonder if I could be so lucky as to record one on video?

Bluebird Trail Farm is not just for the obsessive nature photographer who needs to get ridiculously close to get a full frame image.  With a reasonable set of binoculars, one can get detailed views.  Absent binoculars, the views are reasonable, and the distinctive birdsongs clear to the ear. It is a wonderful place for the young and the young at heart.   Check out their website, and give Margie a call to arrange a visit.

I'll be posting more of my photos at:   http://pschmitt.smugmug.com/

Paul