A few shots from this year's Great Backyard Bird Count

[Solly Mack]

Today is the last day. I was going through my photos and thought I'd share a few.

[ohheckyeah]

1. You have some great shots! n/t

[Solly Mack]

2. Thanks! The birds are ever so much happier with temps in the 70's.

And so am I.

[NV Whino]

3. No 2 eating on the run

Those are great shots.

[Solly Mack]

6. Thanks, NV Whino. She did keep on going. lol

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Those are great shots, my dear Solly Mack! Well done.

[Solly Mack]

7. Thanks, CaliforniaPeggy!

[Hoppy]

5. The bottom one looks like a White Throated Sparrow. What is the top one?

[Solly Mack]

8. It is. (WTS) Top is a Carolina Chickadee.

[Mira]

9. They are so great. Every one. Crisp Portraits.

My favorite is the second, it's funny as can be as well as beautifully photographed. She kicked up seed, did she? The third also makes me laugh with the adult looking head and glare in the eye on the baby type body.
For pure beauty of the specimens I love the first and the last.

[Solly Mack]

12. Thanks, Mira! They were fun to watch this year. Lot of juveniles.

[CrispyQ]

10. Love them all!

[Solly Mack]

13. Thanks, CrispyQ!

[barbtries]

11. i'd love to see them all.

i think i might like to take part next year - your post and pictures led me to google:
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/
they have a map showing the number of people and species. even now birders are going strong. it's so cool. though i have a hard time remembering all the names. your birds look a lot like the ones that hit up my balcony feeder, are you in NC?

[Solly Mack]

15. Thanks, barbtries. You should do it next year, for sure!

I'm in southwest central Louisiana. Real close to Texas.

They have a guide to help you identify birds and it's actually a lot of fun. It helps with birds but it also helps with documenting changing weather patterns, as birds are sensitive to changes. (migratory patterns, etc.)

It's a really neat citizen science project.

I got into it to help me identify the birds I was photographing. I keep doing it because I like it.

[shenmue]

14. Yay birdees!

There's a big tree outside my house. I like to listen to the 'boids' as they come and go.

[Solly Mack]

16. I usually do. Mine wake me up around 4 AM with their chirping.

I even have them peck at my window to remind me the bins need filling.

[Omaha Steve]

17. The top photo is a Black-capped Chickadee

We saw one up close yesterday afternoon. The temp was much warmer that when we rescued a blue jay in the snow with the temp near zero. The Chickadee flew into a marked (decals should repel birds) patio door. The fact the door was in the shadows may have contributed to this. It took about 5 minuets to get up on his feet. He was looking around trying to figure out what happened. It was another 10-15 before he flew off. We kept watch for the neighbors cat the entire time. The blue jay release photo is below.

Great photos.

K&R!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024270619

[Solly Mack]

19. The black-capped chickadee is very similar but does not get this far south.

This far south we have the Carolina Chickadee. The differences in appearance are slight but the calls and song are noticeably different.


http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Chickadee/id


Thanks, Omaha Steve.

[Omaha Steve]

21. I thought the placemet of colors was a little different

Thanks for the lesson. At my age it gets tough to remember every lesson.

[Solly Mack]

22. I have to use the guide all the time...even with birds I've seen my whole life.

I confuse the purple and house finch to the point I just snap photos of them and then hit the guide and go over the photos detail by detail.

I didn't know about the black-capped chickadee until I lived in Kansas. Just thought I was seeing more Carolina Chickadees.

Thanks, again!

[a kennedy]

18. Stunning photos.....

thank you for sharing.....

[Solly Mack]

20. Thank you, a kennedy!

[watoos]

23. What's that green stuff by the bird in the last pic?

from snowed in, in Pennsylvania.
Wife feeds everything, we even have a heated bird bath for them to drink.
What do I do when I catch the deer eating out of the bird feeder?

[Solly Mack]

25. lol! My grass was covered for a few hours - then the temp went up.

I need a heater for my bird bath. Warming rocks usually suffice to take the chill off. Not this winter.

About the deer - Other than high poles? Because that's the main way I know of. That and bringing the feeders in at night. Sorry!

[alfredo]

24. Nice images The second image made me think of a T Rex image I saw.

We have the Tufted Titmouse back again.

[Solly Mack]

26. She does look like a T Rex running. lol!

I love tufted titmice. They have such adorable faces.

[alfredo]

27. The eyes are beautiful

[brer cat]

28. Delightful, Solly Mack!

I love them all. Thanks for sharing. K&R

[Solly Mack]

30. Thanks, brer cat!

[mnhtnbb]

29. I love your bird shots.

What camera/lenses are you using? Do you go outside to wait for them?

Birds in my yard, near the feeders, won't stay still long enough to get decent shots. Although if I were to sit
and wait for them on the porch maybe they wouldn't notice me trying to slip out the door.

[Solly Mack]

31. Thanks, mnhtnbb.

Nikon D3200 w/ 55-300mm lens.

I have a bird blind (pvc pipes with connectors, netting over) that I position near my feeders. The birds get used to it. I sit inside of it and wait. I was maybe 6 feet from them.

I cut holes in the netting and then reinforced the sides of the holes with matching duct tape (that I then stitched). I have my tripod and monopod with me. Don't always use them. I am very, very quiet.

[ManiacJoe]

35. Great setup!

[Solly Mack]

36. I like it. Works well. I got what I wanted for less than most of the ones I priced.

[MrMickeysMom]

32. I was looking at the way your 5th picture lines up...

fence and bird alignment is pretty cool. The more I look at birds, the more fascinated I become.

I should come to the photography section more often!

[Solly Mack]

33. Hi, MrMickeysMom!

Thanks! You should stop by more often! It's a great group.

[elleng]

34. Here's an undistinguished one for you!

[MrMickeysMom]

37. Great...

My eye secretly takes pictures of cardinals when looking over my back yard. I love this one, elleng…

[elleng]

38. Glad you like it!

This one was taken through my living room window. I've posted other bird pics from that window, and other places, in the Birders group. I was happy to see the cardinals partying that day!