Spring Wings

[jbird]

Winter has been extremely reluctant to loose its grip on this region. The last two days have broken 70 finally. Headed back down into the 50s this week. There is still not one single desiduous leaf yet!
The spring migration is underway and Ive done very little photography. Heres what I have captured.

The return of the grosebeaks is a welcome sign!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3786_zps472bb89e.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3786_zps472bb89e.jpg.html)

Heres a few with the macro lens...

Not positive of the ID on this bird... Song sparrow??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3271_zpsca42e2f7.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3271_zpsca42e2f7.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3304_zps5988fe34.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3304_zps5988fe34.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3266_zps1b135d84.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3266_zps1b135d84.jpg.html)

Male Purple finch

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3742_zps84ccc572.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3742_zps84ccc572.jpg.html)

Interesting to see him use his tongue to crush seeds.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3739_zps75131459.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3739_zps75131459.jpg.html)

Female Purple finch (I think)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3761-1_zps6fafb275.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3761-1_zps6fafb275.jpg.html)

Pine siskin

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3756_zps43de07f6.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3756_zps43de07f6.jpg.html)

This was taken 3 weeks ago. I have spent dozens of hours and traveled 100s of miles to photograph this bird with 0 results. Found this guy right across the street from my house!!
Hooded Merganser
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3178_zpsfba2c0ff.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3178_zpsfba2c0ff.jpg.html)

[DLJeff]

Fantastic pictures, Jay. Are the macros taken through the window to the feeder? I've been trying to get a head-on shot of a red wing black bird on the wing, flying directly at me. The red on the wings is amazing from that angle.

[jbird]

Thanks Doug. Yes, these closeups are thru a window blind. Theres no doubt a mature male redwing has some of the most brilliant colors of comon birds. Especially the way the contrasting black sets off the color. The full frontal shot would definitely be the bomb!

[Larry S]

Good shots, Jay! Had an oriole nosing around one of my hummingbird feeders the other day.
Cool temps and lite rains in San Diego for a few days. Almost reached 90 last Friday.
Best,
Larry S

[jbird]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3896_zps9748ca0e.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3896_zps9748ca0e.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3850_zps5a44639a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3850_zps5a44639a.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3855_zps625f9229.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3855_zps625f9229.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3865-1_zps0d7585dd.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3865-1_zps0d7585dd.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3871-1_zps51d0000e.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3871-1_zps51d0000e.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3878_zps83aa5a58.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3878_zps83aa5a58.jpg.html)

[Larry S]

Jay,
Love the colors! Snow in the forecast for Michigan. What is going on?
Best,
Larry S

[DLJeff]

Our goldfinches are getting their yellow now too. Interesting some of the grosbeaks still have their winter colors (the one with the cream color streaks on the head). I saw a black-headed grosbeak walking my dog this morning.

[jbird]

Thanks for the clarification Doug. I thought it mightve been a juvi male, but theres no way theres juvis this early here. Makes sense that he's just not in his "dating duds" yet

[Larry S]

Doug,
---I saw a black-headed grosbeak walking my dog this morning.----


As Arte Johnson used to say on Laugh-In "Verrrrry Intrasting!" LOL. I always have a gazillion goldfinches coming
to my Niger seed feeders. They're so used to me that I sometimes have to brush them gently aside to fill the
sacks.
Best,
Larry S

[DLJeff]

I always have to double check black headed grosbeaks versus spotted towees. Benicia is out here in the grassy foothills with the widely spaced oak trees so goldfinches are our most common birds. I've counted 21 on my wife's feeders one time. They're not as tame as yours but our Anna's hummingbirds are. I wish we had the variety Jay has. Ours is a relatively new neighborhood too so the trees aren't established. We do get good raptor traffic during the migration though.

[jbird]

had a SPECTACULAR day of birding on my little 5 acres of heaven. I encountered many first time species for me. I wish I coulda got some quality shots. Most are just what I call "positive ID shots". But I'm really excited as the diversity this spring is WAY better than last year!

The common and somewhat cooperative Yellow rumped Warbler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3904_zps2d6579cd.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3904_zps2d6579cd.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4032_zps4de1f5b8.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4032_zps4de1f5b8.jpg.html)

Yellow Warbler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3960_zps5a207499.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3960_zps5a207499.jpg.html)

Wilsons Warbler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4116_zpsf206b0f5.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4116_zpsf206b0f5.jpg.html)

Chestnut sided Warbler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4018_zpsc1213dcc.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4018_zpsc1213dcc.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4090_zps40a66026.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4090_zps40a66026.jpg.html)

Black throated Green Warbler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3992_zpsf206a3bd.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3992_zpsf206a3bd.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4104_zps2a817bc3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4104_zps2a817bc3.jpg.html)

Magnolia Warbler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4100_zpse6dcb87f.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4100_zpse6dcb87f.jpg.html)

unidentified warbler. Vireo possibly?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4020_zps43bce712.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4020_zps43bce712.jpg.html)

White eyed Vireo
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4111_zpsb971f94f.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4111_zpsb971f94f.jpg.html)

House wren
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4061_zpsf9f00ac3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4061_zpsf9f00ac3.jpg.html)

Oven bird
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4073_zpsc1896c64.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4073_zpsc1896c64.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_4078_zps219e4615.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_4078_zps219e4615.jpg.html)

Stumbled over this on one of the circuits around my trail
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3984_zpsee260b60.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jbird35/media/JDS_3984_zpsee260b60.jpg.html)

Along with these I saw...

Cardinals
Multi species sparrows
gold finches
purple finches
Eastern phoebe
robins
chickadees
Grosebeaks
crows
red tail hawks
coopers hawk
2 bald eagles (adult and juvi circled right over my roof)
mourning doves
red winged blackbirds
brown headed cowbird
grey catbird
baltimore oriole
red breasted nuthatch
white breasted nuthatch
downy wp
hairy wp
red bellied wp
piliated wp

I know Im missing some...

[DLJeff]

That's a pretty impressive list (and photos) for a morning stroll. Don't ya' just love those little olive birds? The great blue heron nest over by the lake I walk around has a new baby in it. Plus, saw a bullocks oriole which for this open brush land country is pretty uncommon. I need t start carrying a camera.

[DLJeff]

Here's a couple backyard shots from the last two days. First, there are lots of muley's wandering around here and they impact what you decide to plant around your yards. This doe had twins, the other one was farther out under another tree.
7358

Wife and I were sitting eating dinner tonight and saw this fellow fly up and land in the dead juniper out back. They have used a nest in a big juniper out there for the last couple years but we hadn't seen them in awhile. Great to see this one back again. Not the sharpest photos but best my little point & shoot can do.

7359

[kokaneejr]

Jbird,

Beautiful photos as usual. Loving the warblers and jealous of the diversity of species. I think the bird you questioned as a song sparrow may actually be a fox sparrow. Tell me what you think. Thanks again for all your posts

[jbird]

Doug. Thats very cool to see a GHO in broad daylight!! Jealous!

Kok. You are spot on. Someone set me straight on that earlier.

I still have incredible bird diversity on my property. Much more than last summer for some reason. Its just so hard to shoot them when the foliage is mid-summer dense. And the bugs are of biblical proportions right now. I'll get back to it this fall.

[Langenbeck]

Jay, There is a very good free app by Roger Troy Peterson that let's you build your own bird list.

[Mike McKenzie]

Here's a couple backyard shots from the last two days. First, there are lots of muley's wandering around here and they impact what you decide to plant around your yards. This doe had twins, the other one was farther out under another tree.
7358
Wife and I were sitting eating dinner tonight and saw this fellow fly up and land in the dead juniper out back. They have used a nest in a big juniper out there for the last couple years but we hadn't seen them in awhile. Great to see this one back again. Not the sharpest photos but best my little point & shoot can do.
7359

Benicia isn't known for sage brush and junipers or mule deer, I'm guessing from the picts above, you're back in Colorado for a visit?
Why did ya' ever leave? :)

Mike

[DLJeff]

Ha, no Mike, we moved to Redmond, Oregon in May. Always thought we'd end up back in Colorado but found a place up here that has just about everything we wanted, plus it's only an 8 hour drive down to the daughter's, etc. I can be on the Deschutes riding my bicycle in 5 minutes. The high desert is a pretty cool place with it's own ecology.

[Mike McKenzie]

Ha, no Mike, we moved to Redmond, Oregon in May. Always thought we'd end up back in Colorado but found a place up here that has just about everything we wanted, plus it's only an 8 hour drive down to the daughter's, etc. I can be on the Deschutes riding my bicycle in 5 minutes. The high desert is a pretty cool place with it's own ecology.

I'm old and get confused pretty easily anymore.. I was fooled by your location listed in your header. I knew that those weren't Benicia picts but they sure fit Redmond! Or pretty much anywhere else in the Great Basin country!
We were lookin' to move up to central OR. 8 or 9 years ago. We were lookin' everywhere from Sisters to Prineville but ended up stayin' here trapped by Grandkids! Some day maybe again..

Mike

[DLJeff]

Fixed........