[Leica] A summer of birds

[Don Dory]

I have missed your images.  The hummingbirds in flight were most
impressive.   You should make it down to Port Aransas in the spring before
the Sandhills move north.

On Fri, Sep 1, 2023, 7:08 PM Douglas Herr via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
wrote:

> 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
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