Hawks and Fall Migration, Point Reyes National Seashore
When fall comes around and I think of Point Reyes, two things come to mind — the elk rut and the hawk migration. This red-tail let me get fairly close.
Tag: bird
Bald Eagle, Alaska
The annual Bald Eagle Festival in Haines, Alaska, was held last weekend. I meant to post this photo to recognize the festival a few days ago. However, problems in getting a new work station running threw me off track. A data drive failed almost immediately and, on top of that, the Windows 7 operating system was corrupted. Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing from now on. The new computer is much faster than the old one and the new 24″ EIZO monitor is a big improvement over the old monitor.
Our Nation’s Symbol
After I posted the photo of the three eagles on September 11 I thought of another photo I took a couple of years ago. To me, it epitomizes what a bald eagle should look like as our Nation’s symbol. I’m thankful that I’m not posting a photo of a turkey at this point.
Hummers Are Amazing
I find hummers to be amazing birds because of their size, speed and maneuverability. According to Hummingbird World, their nests are about the size of half of an English walnut shell. The outer part of their nests is made up of moss and plant fibers. Sometimes it is shingled with lichen. The rest is comprised of plant down and spider web material. Eggs measure one-half inch in length.
Birds In the Garden; Marin County California
Whenever the urge to go photographing hits me my first thought is where should I go? Recently, however, I started feeding song birds at home and I’ve been very pleased with how the birds have responded. Frequent visitors include goldfinches, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, acorn woodpeckers, scrub jays, California quail etc. However, what has grabbed my attention most so far have been the hummingbirds. No feeder was necessary for them. My wife, Joan, is an avid gardener and one of her gardening goals has been to make the garden attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Here is an Anna’s hummingbird feeding on a penstemon flower.
I’ve spent several hours now observing and photographing them in our front garden and have been amazed at their territoriality and flying ability. They fly like miniature helicopters. Maybe I should say helicopters are a bit like gigantic hummers. I don’t think helicopters will ever get as maneuverable as hummers though. A hummer’s body shape also surprised me. I had assumed they were slim birds, but they are actually kind of “chunky” looking.
California Quail, Point Reyes National Seashore
Bird nesting is about over now. A couple of California quail families go through our yard every day. Baby quail are very easy to recognize. Many baby birds don’t leave the nest until they are about as big as the adults. Baby quail, on the other hand, are on the move shortly after hatching. They’re all legs. I keep saying to myself that I should photograph the baby quail around our yard, but I never seem to get around to it. I photographed this adult male near the trailhead for Abbott’s Lagoon.
These immature quail were also photographed near the trailhead.
