Bird Watching!

Sorry that I don't come around the TH much these days, but here's my latest. Eagle was low down and so close that I dared not get out of the car. Had to reach behind my seat to get the camera with big 150-600 Tamron attached and, minding the twinge in my shoulder, bring it to position. Shot a bunch. After a while, I eased out of the truck, but he flew off, away from me and behind the tree, so no flight images. But I have lots of recent spooning flight activities. Love is in the air here. Captured the same of three red-tailed hawks circling, and managed to fire off two shots as Mt. Baker came into view. View attachment 92977

Here's a link to my latest flickr album. Includes images from two trips to the Skagit area, sunsets, birds, birds in flight, landscapes and more. Keep checking back, as I've yet to add the images from my third trip from this past weekend. I may head back Thursday in hopes of capturing even better images of the sun setting behind the Deception Pass Bridge (only available spring and fall for about a week) Included are shots of 60,000 snow geese flying over me, in front of Mt Baker.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmw4FXAW

This shot of me made the cover of the Mar 5 Skagit Valley Herald . Had a great chat with the reporter, who saved a few copies of the newspaper for me. Me and the geese.jpg
 
Will do, buddy!! But I gotta pack up my gear and head to my house, then go do a tree job. Need to leave early to catch the Bainbridge Island ferry so as to be able to catch tonight's Supermoon rising over downtown Seattle and the Spaced needle (I'll bring weed) Picking up Quinn, a great arborist who is recovering from shoulder surgery. He shoots Nikon, is a rookie, but doesn't have a big lens. The reason I'm not home is that, 2 months ago, I had a house fire. Lost everything in my master BR -- Clothes but worse, old prints and slides from things like me skiing off Mt St Helens' then intact top, circa 1975, and me in 1967 on top of Yosemite Falls. College yearbook, all my t shirts from visited ski areas, and all but one from all the tree climbing comps I photograph--the latest and best graphics, which I was wearing. Lost two of four PC's, best laptop-only one working--- and more, but, the keys are this: I'm fine, and the house needed close to 70k in repairs to make saleable. Now it will get that and much more. Even though only the one room burned, it has to be gutted, due to the smoke damage everywhere.

About 10 pair of skis were in my living room. A brand new pair, still in the shrink wrap, had, like the others, the tips delaminate and foam come out..but the shrink wrap was still intact on the lower half of the skis, as the heat was concentrated at the top.

Gotta go, it's late.

Love to all here!!
 
Glad you stopped by for a visit, Roger -- don't be a stranger!

Found my post-dusk pic of an owl from a Columbus, GA visit:
file_1024x682_108742.jpg

file_1024x682_108702.jpg

file_1024x682_108650.jpg
 
Sheesh, your dad never told you about the birds & the bees? I steer well clear of beehives for that very reason!
That and the allergy factor...
 
We have an extremely territorial White Wagtail that shows up every year.
Any other male, he catches sight of, is attacked.
Last year it was a male inside the side mirror on my motorcycle.
The sheer agitation caused him to shit all over the bike.
This year it was the side mirror on the Vw.

Now we've covered all mirrors and he is attacking the bathroom window.

Nature red in tooth and claw.

P1060622.JPG P1060623.JPG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_wagtail
 
Your picture make me really pissed off that the leukemia put a stop to me visiting you this year.

Lets hope it works out next year.
 
To see my list of the more interesting birds we encountered in Arizona this spring trip, you might check that thread in the recreation forum.
 
Stig, we've had a male robin go crazy on his reflection in a living room window, more than once. They'll next to kill themselves, blood everywhere. Hanging an old sheet over the outside of the window took care of it, but sure spoiled the view for a couple of weeks :D.


Rest of you birders...to see my list of the more interesting birds we encountered in Arizona this spring trip, and some pics here and there, you might check that thread in the rec room forum.

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?21422-SE-Arizona-camp-hike-trip-I-are-back!
 
Thanks for link. Enjoyed the pics.

We visit a lake nearby to look for migrating birds going through. Fun thing to do together since retiring for me.

Wanted to get closer looks at the birds from different areas and do some fishing etc. So broke down and bought a boat to dock at the lake now too.

My son down for Easter has the islands nicknamed by the birds that hang out on them. Going by yesterday I see why now.

One was double crested cormorant island. Loaded in the tree tops and water around it. :O

No pics from yesterday. But here is what they look like. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/overview#

boat1.jpg
 
We have nesting boxes around our land for bluebirds and tree swallows.
Give or take 24 years of keeping track of them. We got our first white bluebird baby.

bluebirdbabywhite.jpg
 
Back
Top