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!


Heres a few with the macro lens...

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





Male Purple finch



Interesting to see him use his tongue to crush seeds.



Female Purple finch (I think)


Pine siskin



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

[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]

[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.