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More Birds in Hand

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Last month, I shared some photos from a private bird banding that I watched. A couple of weeks later, I went to another one on both a Sunday and Saturday morning. It’s always nice to see birds up close! More cool birds were seen, but once again, the species who was caught the most were Gray Catbirds.

Gray Catbird

Gray Catbird not having a good time

Catbirds are always fussy, but other birds just want to bite down on something.

Northern Cardinal

This Northern Cardinal needed something to grab on.

We caught a couple of Lincoln’s Sparrows – it was nice to see this bird up close!

Lincoln's Sparrow

One of the target birds, a Lincoln’s Sparrow

Many of the birds were not in breeding plumage, but they are still beautiful!

Scarlet Tanager

Male Scarlet Tanager in non-breeding plumage.

American Redstart

A young male American Redstart

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting in non-breeding plumage

Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia Warbler in hand

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler brightened up the morning

We caught males and females of a couple of birds for comparison.

Eastern Towhee

Male Eastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee

Female Eastern Towhee

Common Yellowthroat

Male Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Female Common Yellowthroat

And accidentally caught a Hummingbird in the net. This one was not banded, so she was let go right away.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird before release

We also had a Praying Mantis hanging out with us on Saturday.

Praying Mantis

This Praying Mantis hung out with us

Sorry for not being so wordy in my post, I’d rather focus on the photo then the text!

After a Long Winter…

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This winter was a harsh one. Our days were extremely cold and the snow seemed never-ending. It made me more anxious for spring than ever before.

The snow is finally all melted, birds are returning and the migrants are slowly coming through. Birds are pairing up and warm days are here!

Mourning Doves pair up early

Mourning Doves pair up early

While it is getting warm out, we are also having a ton of very windy days. It doesn’t stop the birds from coming, but it’s enough to annoy both of us!

Downy Woodpecker on a windy day

Downy Woodpecker on a windy day

One of my favorite signs of spring are molting Goldfinches. They go from their more-drab winter coat to the most brilliant yellow.

The Goldfinches are molting!

The Goldfinches are molting!

I have a few nesting boxes up – one for Chickadees or Wrens, a ledge for Robins, Doves or Flycatchers, and a Brown Creeper box. So far, I have tenants in at least one of them.

Black-capped Chickadees took over this nesting box

Black-capped Chickadees took over this nesting box

I also found the nests of two other birds – Blue Jays are building one behind my neighbors house.

Blue Jays building a nest

Blue Jays building a nest

I also spotted Nuthatches going in and our of a hole on my neighbors house. As much as I was excited to see this, I think I should tell them now so that they do not unknowingly patch up the hole while there are eggs or babies inside. Oddly enough, I just purchased a Nuthatch nesting box, so if my neighbors choose to evict their tenants, maybe I can set up my box nearby. Speaking of Nuthatches – I’ve seen them exchange gifts to each other a couple of times right outside my window.

White-breasted Nuthatch before stashing the seed

White-breasted Nuthatch before stashing the seed

One bird who is nesting in the area that I have yet to find nests for are the Red-shouldered Hawks. I hear this bird more than I see it (I also hear the Jays mimicking them) and hope to find a nest one day.

Red-shouldered Hawk being mobbed by Blue Jays

Red-shouldered Hawk being mobbed by Blue Jays

I had my first visit from a pair of Cardinals. I’ve been hearing at least two males singing, but this is the first time I’ve seen them. Never again will I take such a beautiful bird for granted as I did in New York. I hope they decide to stick around my yard!

A long-awaited yard bird, the Northern Cardinal

This Cardinal was a long-awaited yard bird

As for birds returning for the summer, I had a quick visit from my first non-Junco yard sparrow, a pair of Flickers are being very vocal behind my house and the Phoebes can be heard singing around the woods.

A brief visit from a Chipping Sparrow

A brief visit from a Chipping Sparrow

Along with geese, blackbirds and gulls migrating overhead, I got my first feeder migrants of the season.

A male Purple Finch - one of many migrants passing through

A male Purple Finch – one of many migrants passing through

A female Purple Finches behind the brightly-colored male

A female Purple Finches behind the brightly-colored male

And that’s not all… the woods are becoming more active! So far, I’ve seen Pine Warblers and both Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, including some singing males. It was truly the first time that I felt like Spring is here.

Too bad this Pine Warbler would not come closer

Too bad this Pine Warbler would not come closer

The only decent photo I could get of this Ruby-crowned Kinglet

The only decent photo I could get of this Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I cannot wait to see who else will pass by! Spring is HERE!

Getting close to a Tufted Titmouse

Getting close to a Tufted Titmouse

Birding in Delaware

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My friend and I took a trip to Delaware to go to Bombay Hook and Cape Henlopen State Park on Sunday. One of our goals was to both get a life bird in its northern-most range, the Brown-headed Nuthatch.

The day started off with a bang as we were exiting a highway in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I spotted a raptor perched on a utility pole and IDed it as a possible Peregrine Falcon. We pulled into a parking lot to confirm the ID and take some photos.

Spotting a Peregrine Falcon from the road

Spotting a Peregrine Falcon from the road

We then started our long drive to Delaware. This was the first time I visited the state for birding. After my total of a three-and-a-half hour drive, we arrived at the Nature Center at Cape Henlopen to watch the feeders.

Red-winged Blackbirds dominated the area and were extremely loud at times.

One of many loud Red-winged Blackbird

One of many loud Red-winged Blackbird

When they quieted down, we could hear a Great Horned Owl hooting in the woods. We did not want to step off trail to find it and instead enjoyed the feeder birds. I took this chance to photograph a bird that I do not see in my new yard anymore.

Cardinal on a sign

The Northern Cardinal was common in my NY yard, but not in my PA yard

I also remembered that I have no good photos of Carolina Chickadees and snapped a few of them too.

I don't have many photos of Carolina Chickadees

I only see Black-capped Chickadees near me, not Carolinas

After a little while more of waiting, the bird we were waiting for finally showed up.

Brown-headed Nuthatch at the feeders

Brown-headed Nuthatch at the feeders

We stuck around to try to get photos of them in a more natural setting, but that proved to be difficult since they would go directly to the thick of trees from the feeders. We had up to six of these birds in sight and calling back and forth at the same time. If you’ve never heard their call, I highly suggest you listen to it on Allaboutbirds.org. It is the cutest call!!

This Brown-headed Nuthatch kept posing for us

This Brown-headed Nuthatch kept posing for us

After a couple of hours, we left to go back up to Bombay Hook in search of waterfowl, shorebirds and possible owls. This part of our trip was a little quiet as far as photo ops went. We did see seventeen species of waterfowl and an early shorebird migrant.

Greater Yellowlegs are on the move!

Greater Yellowlegs with a bill that is covered in mud – it is longer than it looks from this photo.

Other notable sightings include a Red Fox, multiple Harriers, our first-of-year Gray Catbird and a couple of Bald Eagles flying in the distance.

Red Fox on the road

Red Fox on the road

Bald Eagle flying in the distance

Bald Eagle flying over-head

I won’t leave out some of the more common birds that seem to pose nicer than the waterfowl, which I did not take any photos of due to over-bright lighting and distance.

Great Blue Heron in the grasses

Great Blue Heron in the grasses

Black Vultures perched on a chimney

Black Vultures perched on a chimney

Mockingbird posing nicely

Mockingbird posing nicely

Yellow-rumped Warbler in the holly tree

Yellow-rumped Warbler in the holly tree

House Sparrows are pretty handsome

House Sparrows are very handsome

Published in National Wildlife Magazine! Behind the Photo

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National Wildlife Magazine

National Wildlife Magazine – April/May 2013

Last December, I entered a photo into Project FeederWatch’s BirdSpotter contest on Facebook. The photo did not win, but it received recognition from Cornell and plenty of kudos from fans. That day, I received a private message from an editor of the National Wildlife Magazine who was interested in using the photo for an article. I didn’t get my hopes up yet because the image was not the best quality and probably not good enough to print. I sent the photo over and it turned out that the photo was usable! I was told that it would appear with a story about summer bird feeding in the April/May 2013 issue. I still did not want to get too excited because it all seemed to good to be true.

Then yesterday, the magazine showed up in my mail box. I saw my photo as soon as I opened the magazine – it ended up on the centerfold article! It really happened! I was published in a national magazine!

National Wildlife Magazine

National Wildlife Magazine Centerfold

You can find the article, written by Laura Tangley, online at the National Wildlife Federation website.

So, how about some back-story on this photo? It almost seems too perfect to have happened and I’ve been accused of it being photoshopped many times; but it really was a lot of patience and especially luck.

In 2010, I moved from central New Jersey to upstate New York. The decision to move was made easier because the company that I work for, Local Wisdom agreed to let me work from home. In the absence of people, I decided to make the best of my new situation by putting my desk downstairs near my sliding glass doors. I immediately purchased bird feeders that were visible from my desk and so began my love of birds. I made sure my set up was ideal for both working in a relaxing environment and having maximum exposure to my yard. I always have my camera facing out the window, even on poorly lit days because you just never know what will show up.

My home office

My home office, with camera set up to face outside

On warmer days, I set up outside for even more exposure and a better overall view of my yard.

My outdoor office

My outdoor office, on a second story deck, taken with my HTC Thunderbolt

This set up paid off a few times where I was able to get photos that I would have otherwise missed. From new yard birds to Warblers who perched for only a few seconds; a rare Hoary Redpoll who disappeared after four snaps; and the most colorful photo that I have ever taken.

Four Colorful Male Birds

Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole

Too bad I was not 100% prepared for it! At the time, I was aiming to get a photo of my most colorful birds. I was zoomed out because my original yellow bird was a Yellow Warbler who would often perch on the branches to the right. I kept coming close to the perfect photo with female Goldfinches instead of male. Still very lucky, but not what I really wanted!

Three Colorful Male Birds

The photo taken right before my all-male photo

This was taken only a few seconds before my prized photo. The female was not cooperating enough and never made it to the feeders, but then a male flew in and I quickly took another photo.

Four Colorful Male Birds

The original uncropped photo

Then I zoomed in and took another one… and he was gone.

Three Colorful Males

Three Colorful Males and a Chickadee

The Goldfinches were much more fidgety than the other birds. But the Cardinal and Oriole seemed to not want to pose anymore either. Any more attempts after that only resulted in three colorful birds, not four. But hey, I won’t complain about it!

Three Colorful Males

Goldfinches, Indigo Bunting and Baltimore Oriole

Always be ready, you never know what surprises you may catch!