[Leica] A summer of birds

Mon Sep 18 12:41:43 PDT 2023

Your bird photos are incredible as always, but I must say that the bison really got my attention. And yes, having camped a few times during bicycle tours, I would not want to run into one of these while going to pee in the middle of the night.

Cheers,
Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
photo at frozenlight.eu

http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.frozenlight.eu

Слава Україні! Героям слава!

> On 2 Sep 2023, at 02:08, 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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