Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Recent Avimor Birding Photos

Barn Swallow

While I was taking an evening walk with my kids, a pair of Barn Swallows hunted flying insects nearby and posed for a few photos.
Young Lark Sparrow on bitterbrush
Lark Sparrows eating grasshoppers - Yay!  I watched as they scratched the grasshoppers against the brush, I assume to take off the strong and tough hind legs.


Some pictures that might have been really good...if I had more than 150mm's...
Spotted Sandpiper without any spots.  This is the non-breeding plumage.  Check out this previous blog post for a comparison.
Young Cedar Waxwing - this was the first time I have noticed them.  They looked kind of funky-cool through my binoculars, but were too far for a great photo.  At least you get the idea that they are different.
This is a young American Robin whipping a caterpillar up in the air to eat it.  It was fun to watch.  It seemed to mash up the caterpiller on the branch, or at least rub off some of the spiny hairs.   I wished the photo would have turned out better...it was such a cool looking tree snag and what was happening was really fascinating.

7 comments:

  1. Wonderful series!! The Barn Swallow & Lark Sparrow photos are especially great! We are suppose to have Lark Sparrows here in Kansas, but haven't spotted one yet...very pretty Sparrow!

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  2. Nice images. Great to see the lark sparrow. I haven't seen one in years. They are such beautiful birds.

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  3. Isn't it great to be able to watch bird behavior like this Robert? Especially with your kids?

    The Barn Swallow and Lark Sparrow photos are awesome! Beautiful birds. I can also identify with the lens envy. Hard to get close with 150mm lens.

    That is a great snag in the last photo. Maybe home to an owl or woodpecker?

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  4. Love the waxwing. We had a flock of them in a tree across the street earlier in the year. They do look different.

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  5. Amazing photos of the birds in their natural habitats! Wonderful to see.

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  6. You are lucky: the birds are posing for you! For years I try that they'll do this for me...
    Nice observations on an evening walk.

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  7. Great series of photographs! Beautiful profile shot of the Barn Swallow and Lark Sparrows. Looks like you were all able to observe some interesting and fascinating behaviors. Your blog is a joy to view!

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