Caught ya!

The brown-headed nuthatch is one of those little birds that constantly bounces from one spot to another.  They don’t sit still for long which is why I was glad to get a few good shots yesterday.

I have been watching for one of these guys to stop at my perch long enough for me to focus and shoot.  Usually, they go straight for a column feeder, grab a few seeds and dash off back to the side of a tree.  Even among the trees, they tend to climb and circle like a woodpecker searching for insects.

It seems that their cousins, the white-brested nuthatches are a little more camera freindly but I got lucky this time.  I even was fortunate enough to have a bit of sunshine in this case.  The day kept cycling from drab and dreary to a bit of sun and back.  I guess you just have to be patient and hope for the best in these instances.  Sometimes, it works out just fine.

Brown-headed Nuthatch
Roswell, Georgia
February 1, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
500mm @ f/8 – 1/400 sec – ISO 400

#BirdWatching #birds #BrownHeadedNuthatch #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Winter Warblers

I saw a post just yesterday where someone was saying that a Yellow-rumped warbler had come and taken over their feeders.  Somehow, that has not been my problem this season.  I do get the “butter butts” as some people call them but, they haven’t reduced the visits from other birds in my case.  I have seen the aggressive behavior of yellow-rumped warblers chase off competitors but that only last for a moment.  Once the bully is gone, all the others are right back.

The Pine Warbler shown here is a frequent visitor to the suet feeder.  I see both male and female but since the yellow color is so much more vibrant, the males attract my eye more often.

I thought maybe there would be lots of variety this winter when I started seeing the pine warblers, yellow-rumped warblers and goldfinches coming round.  They still visit but, I haven’t seen any new breeds show up recently.  Could be, I haven’t looked closely enough.  I did see some ruby-crowned kinglets that from a distance, looked like small pine warblers.  It’s hard to distinguish from a distance.  I’m hoping I chance across some new finds in the near future.

Pine Warbler
Roswell, Georgia
January 20, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/8 – 1/200 sec – ISO 400

#BirdWatching #birds #PineWarbler #Georgia #WithMyTamron

What are you looking at?

I love it when you capture an image of animals that seem to have such an expressive look that you have to wonder what they’re thinking.  This one shows a tufted titmouse with its head cocked to the side, seeming to be asking a question of me.  Maybe it just heard a sound or saw some random motion, but this quizical look was just perfect.

The titmouse is one of those birds that I don’t catch all that often.  They don’t sit still for long.  Even when they are feeding, there is always a motion going on.  Shifting positions or bouncing their heads from side to side, it is always a moving target.  I caught this one in a moment of indecesion.  Is it safe to go down and grab a few seeds now?  I guess so, then – bye, off they go!

Tufted titmouse
Roswell, Georgia
January 28, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
350mm @ f/7.1 – 1/100 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #TuftedTitmouse #rainy #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Not usually a perching bird

I have set this branch over top of my feeders so I can try to get some shots of the birds lining up for a turn.  This works well to get an image that looks much more natural and has an un-cluttered background.  Most often, you only see the perching birds stopping here but, in this case, I caught a woodpecker on the branch.  I almost always see them either hanging from the side of a suet feeder or going up and down the side of a tree.

I think when the feeding stations are really busy, I might get just about any visitor waiting on the overhaning branch.  Certainly hope so since this is the kind of shot I’m trying to get.

Female Downy Woodpecker

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/8 – 1/125 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #DownyWoodpecker #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Close up of wintery waterfall

When I dropped by the falls at Roswell Mill a couple of days ago, I was expecting the water to be more frozen. I found Vickery Creek flowing quickly over the dam and makinglots of spray at the base.  The water was then freezing in the surrounding tree branches.   This close up view shows the white branches to the right and the water glistening in the sun as it roared over the falls.  A beautiful sight to see. 
Old Roswell Mill waterfall
January, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
50mm @ f/22 – 1/13 sec – ISO 100

#RoswellMill #waterfall #winter #Roswell #Georgia #WithMyTamron Roswell, Georgia Historic Roswell Georgia

Taking up residence

This past year, I have paid much more attention the birds around here.  Most of that focus was brought about as a result of a trip to the Smoky Mountains for a workshop with David Akoubian.  The “bird nerd” in-chief really got me focused on the winged wonders that surround us all the time.  Getting a great long-lens from Tamron also made this a pleasure.

I have been amazed at the varieties of birds we have seen especially as the seasons have changed.  Winter has been a surprise to me.  I guess I expected to see lots of sparrows, chickadees and cardinals but had no idea that the bluebirds and warblers would be so common.  I posted a shot of a yellow-rumped warbler a few days ago thinking that I wouldn’t get a second chance.  Well, now they are around most of the time.  I got this nice portrait yesterday so, I guess they are winter residents now.  That makes me happy!

Yellow-rumped Warbler
(Setophaga coronata)

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/8 – 1/125 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #YellowRumpedWarbler #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Carolina Wren

This is one of those birds that is always around but hard to get a good shot of.  Wrens don’t sit still for very long, ever!  The definition of energy, they hop and flit from one place to another constantly.  I was lucky to catch this one in a quick moment when the sun was lighting him from the side.

I certainly wish I could soak up some of the energy that these little guys seem to have.  So far, it hasn’t worked.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/8 – 1/500 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #CarolinaWren #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Mourning Dove

How often have you heard doves cooing from the tree-tops or the rapid beat of their wings when startled?  The mourning dove is so commonplace we don’t pay them much attention. Up-close however, this is a beautiful bird.  I am always amazed by the texture and color of the feathers. Also amazing is how the colors they display camouflage them instead of making them stand out.

Once again, nature exhibits diversity and the ability to adapt to the surroundings.  I can hardly believe what amazing sights are always just outside my back door.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
460mm @ f/9 – 1/100 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #MourningDove #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Sunshine on a cloudy day

It is amazing how just a small amount of color stands out against the dreary landscape of winter.  With all the plants gone dormant, the scene tends toward washed-out beige.  Around here, we don’t even get the blanket of white to cover up the drab very often so, it is a great pleasure to see a bright little spot of life flying about.

I have to put food out nearly every day because my feathered friends are going through it rapidly but I don’t mind.  There’s nothing else out there that brightens my day like the birds do!

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/10 – 1/400 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #PineWarbler #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Is anybody else COLD?

Nature always had a way to deal with the elements.  In the case of birds, you often see these little guys puff out their feathers for a little extra insulation against the cold.  Obviously, there’s a lot of puffy looking birds out there recently.  Somehow, they continue to hop around and fly from one spot to another as if there was nothing to be worried about.  Still, when I see the wind blowing their feathers out sideways, I am amazed at how they are able to deal with this weather and we live in the South!

It’s a miracle that any animal makes it through the winter in areas where it gets really cold.  Hope you all can find a way to stay warm today.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/10 – 1/400 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #HouseFinch #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron