"birding" fun

[Don Boose]

I've never seen either of those birds before, Ash.

I hope to post some images next week (am crashing now on getting end-of-term papers evaluated and grades in), but unless something unusual shows up, they will be images of the usual back yard bird suspects and a couple of baby bunnies who have eaten all my daisies and asters. I can hear the pileated hammering like the dickins out in the Conodoguinet bottomland, but it hasn't entered the back garden since I acquired the new camera.

During the next two weeks, I will also be doing my recon of South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam in preparation for the Maryland Campaign Staff Ride, and should see lots of barn swallows and bluebirds, as well as butterflies and hope to capture the images of some of them.

Don

Don

[Kevin WS]

Ash. - like the Crossbill shot - unusual lighting.

[Ashrunner]

The crossbill shot was made about 4 pm in the afternoon. The tree the bird was in was north of me and this guy was at the top...about 50 feet up. The image is about a one third crop of the original. This particular bird is a first year juvenile as it hasn't developed its red coat yet.

Don...you have to come out west to see these birds. The Western Tanager is a strange little bird. Right around the time I finally got a good camera, I was at a nearby lake taking photos. I located a Western Tanager and got several shots of it, then I walked over to picnic table, sat down to eat a sandwich and laid the camera on the table next to me.

About five minutes after I sat down, the Western Tanager flew over, landed on the table in front of my camera and began looking into the front of the telephoto zoom lens I had on the camera. It then hopped up on the top of the sunshade, looked at me, cocked its head and flew off.

I sat there totally amazed with probably a shocked look on my face as the bird was less than three feet away from me the entire time.

The Red Crossbills are more numerous south of where I live, in the forest areas. The occasionally show up in town and I was in the right spot at the right time.

[ashevilleangler]

Ash,

Great story about the Tanager! And I love the pics.

I'm sending my old Sony Mavica FD-97 off to Amazon today so I can purchase a Fuji FinePics HS25EXR from them. They say they will give me about $75.00 or better trade-in on my old camera. They have a used Fuji in stock in "very good" condition for about $200.00. So I'll get a pretty good upgrade for about $125.00. Gotta squeeze my pennies. Now that I actually have a job as a part-time Student Aide at AB Tech here in Asheville I have a bit of money to spend, but it doesn't pay a lot.

Curt

[Kevin WS]

Been a bit quiet this thread.

Though I would see some with the new camera!

[JohnM]

Anyone here familiar with the habits of the British House Martin ?

I live in the middle of a row of 8 houses. Two terraces of four houses. Some of the houses have been re-rendered, and a few have been smooth rendered and painted at the front, but mine is the only one of the eight that has been smooth rendered and painted (Magnolia) at the back. All the others are covered in grey stone chippings.

Why is my smooth wall the only one that the Martins are dive bombing with mud, trying to get it to stick so that they can build their nests? The mud would stick much easier to the stone chip covered walls, and it would also blend in better to hide the nests, but no ... not one of the other seven houses are being bombed.

The wife's not too pleased either, as the wee beggars are nicking the mud out of her freshly made hanging baskets.

Johnny.

[ashevilleangler]

Maybe your house just happens to be the only one with those super convenient hanging baskets to obtain mud. They probably then just head directly for the nearest wall.

Great story in any case. Right now I'm waiting for Amazon to "evaluate" my trade-in and post money in my gift card account. Then I can get serious about shopping for the camera on the Amazon site. Once I get it I'll certainly be taking a messapics.

Curt

[JohnM]

No, that theory don't hold up Curt ... The hanging baskets are out front and it's the back wall they are bombing. Sitting underneath the bombsite in the conservatory, it is amusing to watch them flying straight at me on their bomb runs. Usually followed by the rattle of mud falling on the roof. They are not having a lot of luck. They've been bombing for a week now, but there's only spots on the wall. Some are stuck well enough for the Martins to actually cling on to though.

Johnny.

[Kevin WS]

Why not put up some mesh for them, and their own mud basket?

[Kevin WS]

To prove to Ash these birds eat what I said!