[rod_grant]

As for the birds we are in a major light corridor,

Norm, you are surpassing yourself!
These two sets are fantastic.
The colours in the grackle are very special.

[Mbaez]

When the light is right their feathers shine iridescent. I actually have some better ones , also of ravens.

Here's grackle with the light on him near perfect. He'd actually appear to be black with the light at a different angle.


As for the birds we are in a major light corridor, we see many of those birds twice a year. Also, the food expense, I put out 6 pitchers of food a day. I put out 4.5 black oil sunflower seeds, one half corn, half mixed seed for the sparrows and ground feeders (crows sparrows, grouses, grackles, blue jays, and a half picture of shelled peanuts, shelled sunflower seeds and a mixed nut with currents etc.

This guy is even better.


Having this many birds doesn't come cheap. My guess is over $100 a month. Easy. Probably approaching $150.

It's expensive but I think it's worth it for the experience of seeing and taking pictures of all your visitors. Plus, you are a good person helping them to survive.

[OrchidJulie]

When the light is right their feathers shine iridescent. I actually have some better ones , also of ravens.

Thanks. I have seen the iridescence on the grackles, when the light is just right. Just never seen one parti-colored like that. Will have to pay more attention in future!


Every once in a while I think about setting up a feeder, but then I'm reminded that we care for a colony of "community cats" in the yard and around the house, and I would not put the birds in any more peril than they have already. The mockingbirds and jays are bold enough to come near the house (and taunt the cats during nesting), the doves seem oblivious, but we don't see a lot of other birds close up. We used to have a couple of spot-breasted orioles feeding in the bottlebrush tree but I haven't seen them yet this year. And of course the feral parrots show up to gorge on loquats when the fruit is in season (winter, mostly). So they find enough to eat without my putting them in danger.

[normhead]

Hi Norm
Hows the shoulder now.
The food / seed brings in the birds and you get to photograph them , seems like a fair trade.


Dave

I'm up to 10 lifting a 10 pound dumbbell over my head some days. 5 when I'm tired, slow steady progress. You can't hurry it.

" seems like a fair trade."
They model for bird feed. This year, I've been out maybe 5 times. They are getting off without doing much for me in terms of pictures. When you have bit of bordom, their antics at the feeders keep us amused. Right now the Purple Finches are putting food in the mouths of their babies. There's always something going on this time of year.

---

Last edited by normhead; 06-15-2021 at 07:44 AM.

[dbs]

Hi Norm
Re-hab always takes more time than you think / hope.
You get to see the birds even if you are not photographing them thats a bonus.



Dave

[rod_grant]

Every once in a while I think about setting up a feeder, but then I'm reminded that we care for a colony of "community cats"

Yeah, that doesn't sound like a compatible population.

[OrchidJulie]

Yeah, that doesn't sound like a compatible population.

No, indeed. Being able to watch the birds up close would be terrific, but I won't endanger them just for my amusement (and photography). So we have to be content with seeing the birds in the trees, where they are safer.

[Des]

A couple of honeyeaters. KP + DA 55-300 PLM

Yellow-faced Honeyeater


Lewin's Honeyeater

[steamloco76]

A rather wet female downy woodpecker. DA*300/4 HSS flash Metz 58 AF-2 on KP

[MarkJerling]

We had quite the spring at the feeder here, usually we have one infusion, this year we had 5.

K-1 or K-3
Tamron 300 and 1.7x AF adapter or DA 55-300 PLM.

Back when there was snow, we had Pine Grosbeaks, 6 of them. Most years we are lucky I we see even one or two.

Male


Female


Juncos, at least 40 or 50 of them stayed for a month. They didn't leave until the 150 Grackles arrived.


We had at least 100-200 Redpolls earlier in the year.


Grackle, not from the flock but one who has carved out a out a nesting area.


The only sparrow I've htographed so far this year is a Chipping Sparrow. We've seen the White Throated, the American Tree Sparrows and Fox Sparrow but I've spent little time in the blind and didn't get images.


this weak it's been all about finches.
Probably 50-80 Purple Finches
Male


Female


We have currently 6 Evening Grosbeaks
Male


Female


And 6 Rose Breasted Grosbeaks

Female


There are another 6 Goldfinches.


One point we had 40-50 Pine Siskins, now down to maybe one or two.


And of course The year rounders.
Hairy and Downey woodpeckers


White and Red breasted nuthatches


Chickadees, although we don't see much of them. They are busy at thier nest holes this time of year.


And of course these guys...




Missing from the photographs... 4 raven come everyday, but they are really hard to photgraph. The spruce grouses, they come late in the evening when the light is poor, Robyns, Hermit Thrushes, Oven Birds one Brown Headed Black bird who hung out with the grackles, same with the Red Winged Blackbirds. Yellow Bellied sap suckers. Everyone that's coming through is either here now or has already been.

Lovely photos Norm. Nice to see you back!

[steamloco76]

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw this Cape May Warbler in our backyard (mostly dead) pine tree. He was gone in just a minute.
KP, DA*300/4 w/ HD1.4X

[OrchidJulie]

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw this Cape May Warbler in our backyard (mostly dead) pine tree. He was gone in just a minute.
KP, DA*300/4 w/ HD1.4X

Wow! Sharp as a tack! Great catch!

[jquill]

Tufted Titmouse

[dadipentak]

Jay in the Rain
[Olympus EM1-mII, 300/4 & 1.4TC]

[wtlwdwgn]

K-3 and A 70-210 f/4 + Kenko 1.5x TC.

A pretty fair shot of a robin.



I went off with a half cocked shutter and didn't reduce the EV for a European Starling in the shade.