Tag: Bird Photography

Welcome to my bird photography posts! You'll discover an array of avian beauties, including Warblers, Finches and Sparrows, Blackbirds and Orioles, Thrushes, Cardinals and Buntings, Goldfinches and Hummingbirds, Woodpeckers and Nuthatches, Wrens, Ducks and Swallows, Jays Sparrows, Chickadees and Hawks.

Dark-eyed Junco in the Snow

Recently I have felt that all my work is effluent. Shit! Crap!

I snapped these pictures during a snowstorm in early February. The birds were flocking to the bird feeder in my backyard. I used a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera and an EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM super zoom lens to take the shots. I took the photos from inside my house, through the kitchen window and the sliding door in the living room.

Dark-eyed Junco

When I photographed this bird, I had no idea what it was. After a few hours of searching online and looking at many bird photographs, I identified this bird as the Dark-eyed Junco.

The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is a small-sized songbird that belongs to the sparrow family, Passerellidae. It is primarily found in North America and is known for its distinctive plumage variations across different geographic regions.

Dark-eyed Juncos are known for their dark-coloured eyes, surrounded by contrasting white or grey eyerings. Their plumage exhibits considerable variation, but the most common forms include a slate-coloured body with a white belly. Some populations may have a reddish-brown back or a mix of brown and grey tones.

These juncos are migratory birds found in many habitats, including forests, woodlands, and even suburban areas. During the breeding season, they inhabit the northern parts of North America, while in winter, they migrate to the southern regions, including parts of the United States and Mexico.

Dark-eyed Juncos are primarily ground foragers and feed on a diverse diet, including seeds, insects, and occasionally fruits and berries. They can often be seen hopping on the ground, using a characteristic "double-scratch" behaviour to uncover food beneath the leaf litter.

Downy Woodpecker

The weather this week has been uncharacteristically warm for February. The air temperature has ranged between 8°C and 22°C. Normally we would expect cold, windy and wet weather. It feels more like late Spring than late Winter.

I was ill all last week, since last Sunday. Usually, I am not sick this time of year. I have a relatively strong immune system. I also usually get a flu shot. This year I didn’t take the time to get it done. I think my system was overwhelmed by exposure to sick people. My wife's best friend had returned from India and debarked the plane with the flu, and my wife had gone over to bring her some food. The next day my wife was sick, and two days later, when her symptoms worsened, I took her to urgent care. I think everyone in the waiting room was ill.

I've stood at the window all this week looking out at the incredible weather. I was upset that I could not enjoy it. I wanted to get out into Sourland Mountain for a hike in the woods. I wanted to feel the sunlight on my face. I wanted to hear the sounds of nature. I had listened to the whir and whoosh of the central heating and cooling system all week. I'm not too fond of that sound.

Yesterday I opened the sliding door, grabbed my camera, and sat outside on the steps at the back of our home. I sat there enjoying the almost quiet. In the distance, I could hear the leaf blowers. Short gusts of wind caressed the tops of the trees. The aches and pains in my back were uncomfortable. I lay back and watched the higher-up winds push the clouds through the sky.

The bird appeared and hopped from branch to branch above the bird feeder. I sat up and followed its travel for a bit. Then I remembered I had the camera. I fired off a few bursts of the shutter. The bird hopped to another branch. Then another. Each time, I captured a burst of images. It seemed to be confirming that I was not a threat. I grabbed a few more shots, and then I stopped. I watched the bird eat. Having had its fill, the bird then flew off.

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I have no what type of bird this is. Do you?

UPDATE: According to my Instagram contacts, this is a downy woodpecker.

Birds in Flight

The series of photographs depicts backyard birdlife around the bird feeder suspended from the branch of a sassafras tree.

  1. A black-capped chickadee and dark-eyed Junco are featured in the first photograph. On the feeder clings a Black-capped Chickadee, identifiable by its distinct black head and throat, white cheeks, soft grey wings and back. A Dark-eyed Junco is seen departing the feeder. This bird's slate grey plumage and white outer tail feathers are characteristic of its species, making it easily recognisable.

  2. The second image portrays a Dark-eyed Junco flying towards the feeder, identifiable by its slate-grey plumage and white belly. The motion of its wings is frozen by the camera, giving us a glimpse into the bird's agile flight.

  3. The third image features a Black-capped Chickadee, recognisable by its black "cap" and bib, white cheeks, and light grey body feathers, perched deftly on the side of the tree. The second bird, captured in mid-flight with wings outstretched as it approaches, is another Black-capped Chickadee. Its dynamic pose, with wings and tail feathers spread, showcases the agility and speed with which these small birds navigate their environment.

  4. The fourth image captures a solitary Downy Woodpecker. Recognisable by its white belly, black and white spotted wings, and the distinctive red patch on its head (if it's a male), it's seen in a dynamic, wings-extended posture approaching the feeder.

  5. Captured in mid-motion is a Dark-eyed Junco, identifiable by its slate-grey feathers on the top parts of its body and white belly. Its wings are fully extended, showcasing the white outer feathers characteristic of the species, as it lands on the green wire suet feeder.

Each photograph showcases these birds' beauty and agility against the soft-focus backdrop of my backyard.

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Dark-eyed Junco · Sunday 5 February 2017 · Nikon D5100 at 1/1000 sec · AF-S Nikkor 85 mm f/1.8G at f/1.8
Blackpoll warbler (Setophaga striata)
Black-capped Chickadee · Sunday 5 February 2017 · Nikon D5100 at 1⁄800 sec · AF-S Nikkor 85 mm f/1.8G at f/4.0
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) · Sunday 5 February 2017 · Nikon D5100 at 1/1000 sec · AF-S Nikkor 85 mm f/1.8G at f/5.6
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) · Sunday 5 February 2017 · Nikon D5100 at 1/1000 sec · AF-S Nikkor 85 mm f/1.8G at f/5.6