[Leica] A summer of birds

[Douglas Herr]

I've made a few photos since the start of the year, beginning in January with a vagrant Snow Bunting that found its way to the coast of the San Francisco peninsula, well south of its usual winter haunts:

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/calcariidae/plectrophenax/nivalis/pleniv.html

While I was nearby I visited a marina in Sausalito north of the Golden Gate where a vagrant Yellow-crowned Night-Heron has taken up residence, far north of its usual range:

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/ardeidae/nyctanassa/violacea/nycvio01.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/ardeidae/nyctanassa/violacea/nycvio02.html

What doesn't show in this photo is the contortions required to get a clear view of the bird; squeezed between a telephone service box and a chain-link fence on a decrepit dock suspended 2 meters above mud flats with enough gaps in the dock's decking to drop the camera and a large portion of myself through, while crouched low enough to clear the bottom of the chain-link fence.  Extracting myself from this location was "interesting".

During February and March I was occupied with planning for an April/May road trip but I noticed that a pair of Downy Woodpeckers had found the suet bribe I had placed where lighting and backgrounds were suitable for portraits:

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/dryobates/pubescens/drypub.html#drypub07

In April I began my road trip through Arizona where I found numerous bird species not ordinarily observed near my Northern California home:

Cactus Wren:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/troglodytidae/campylorhynchus/brunneicapillus/cambru.html#cambru10

Gambel's Quail:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/odontophoridae/callipepla/gambelii/calgam.html#calgam01 (several photographs, scroll down)

Curve-billed Thrasher:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/mimidae/toxostoma/curvirostre/toxcur.html#toxcur04 (several photographs, scroll down)

Painted Redstart:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/myioborus/pictus/myipic.html#myipic04 (several photographs, scroll down)
woodpeckers: (several photographs, scroll down)http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/dryobates/scalaris/drysca.html (http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/melanerpes/uropygialis/meluro.html)

orioles:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/icteridae/icterus/parisorum/ictpar.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/icteridae/icterus/cucullatus/ictcuc.html#ictcuc05

hummingbirds: 
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/cynanthus/latirostris/cynlat.html#cynlat05
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/lampornis/clemenciae/lamcle.html

and others:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/aphelocoma/wollweberi/aphwol.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/cardinalidae/cardinalis/cardinalis/carcai.html#carcai02
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trogonidae/trogon/elegans/troele.html

en route to the continent's midwest for spring migration I found in Oklahoma a cooperative Carolina Wren:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/troglodytidae/thryothorus/ludovicianus/thrlud.html


In Ontario Canada I found a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers excavating a nest cavity:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/melanerpes/carolinus/melcar.html

a Rose-breasted Grosbeak:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/cardinalidae/pheucticus/ludovicianus/phelud.html#phelud01

Horned Grebe near the shore of Lake Erie:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/podicipedidae/podiceps/auritus/podaur.html#podaur04


The stars of the midwestern spring migration are the wood warblers:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/virens/setvir.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/citrina/setcit.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/petechia/setpet.html#setpet17
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/pensylvanica/setpen.html#setpen01
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/fusca/setfus.html#setfus01
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/caerulescens/setcae.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/setophaga/palmarum/setpal.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/protonotaria/citrea/procit.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/parulidae/mniotilta/varia/mnivar.html


On the return trip west I stopped to camp at Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, where I was reminded why I prefer camping over any other overnight accommodation.  This Loggerhead Shrike, a predatory songbird, was at my campsite trying to add Gopher Snake to the dinner menu.  The snake objected and eventually the shrike left to find a more cooperative meal:
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/laniidae/lanius/ludovicianus/lanlud.html#lanlud03

Also at Antelope Island
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/hirundinidae/hirundo/rustica/hirrus.html#hirrus02
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/hirundinidae/petrochelidon/pyrrhonota/petpyr.html#petpyr07
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/scolopacidae/numenius/americanus/numame.html#numame05
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/laridae/leucophaeus/pipixcan/leupip.html
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/tyrannidae/tyrannus/verticalis/tyrver.html#tyrver09
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/bovidae/bison/bison/bisbis.html#bisbis05

note that the bison wander freely through the campground; important to remember when visiting the outhouse during the dark hours. 

My final stop on the way home was Marble Hot Springs Road, where I've often visited for nesting birds typical of the Great Basin. 
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/spatula/cyanoptera/spacya.html#spacya14
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/icteridae/xanthocephalus/xanthocephalus/xanxan.html#xanxan20

There were many adventures along the way, and these photos represent the 'low-hanging fruit'.  I'm looking forward to my next road trip and the adventures and wildlife it may bring.
As usual, all comments are welcome and please feel free to share with those who may be interested.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com