Back yard birding thread... (Corona virus restrictions)

[janzin]

Back at the cemetery today, a beautiful day but didn't get many photos except for this Eastern Towhee.

 

 

 

 

[mvecht]

Quiet on the bird front this afternoon but did have this male Fox.

[janzin]

We ventured into our local park the last couple of days, instead of the cemetery. The park is a little more crowded and a bit overrun with runners, joggers and dog walkers so we prefer the cemetery generally during this social distancing time, but there's just not the same habitat because of course the cemetery is more groomed. So there's very little understory there and less waterways. Anyway, the warblers and migrants were there but not too many cooperated for photos (up high in trees, and now trees here are really filling in.)

 

But here's a few shots.

 

One of my favorite spring migrants, Prothonotary Warbler.

 

 

Got a water-strider!

 

 

Another posing Hermit Thrush

 

 

 

Aptly named Black-throated Blue Warbler

 

 

And an early spring woodland plant, which is only found in a few places in our park. In fact this may be the only place it grows wild in Brooklyn. Trillium "Wake Robin" Trillium erectum. Okay not a bird but I like this photo.

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by janzin

[Towlersonsafari]

I was tryig to get a photo of one of our blackbirds having a wash in our pond but instead-and apologies its not quite clear- saw  a female catching a ramshorn snail-a veritable kill1 it took it to the bank and gave it a quick shake before eating the poor snail

[Towlersonsafari]

and to add to the dunnock collection, here is one having a preen and one of our pair of very shy Stock Doves

[Towlersonsafari]

and forgive the indulgence, but a couple more shots of our local lockdown walk, a rather pretty bridge and our villiage-although not our house, seen from the local nature reserve

[pedro maia]

This afternoon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnR]

@pedro maia Fantastic on the wing feeding behaviour.

[Soukous]

One of our resident Blue Tits, bringing food back to the nest

 

 

 

[Soukous]

For a while they were very wary of me and my camera, but they seem to be relaxing a bit now.

 

 

 

[Soukous]

The other birds that seem to be always close by are Song Thrushes. each time I see one I hope that it might be a Mistle Thrush instead, but no luck so far.

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

Chaffinches too are abundant

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Soukous

[Soukous]

Robins too. Another bird I have started to ignore because they are so common

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Soukous

[Towlersonsafari]

what lovely pictures-they really "pop"  very jealous of your song thrush-we rarely get them in the garden @Soukous

[Soukous]

7 minutes ago, Towlersonsafari said:

what lovely pictures-they really "pop"  very jealous of your song thrush-we rarely get them in the garden @Soukous

 

Plenty here, but so far no Mistle Thrush. We always want the ones we can't get 

[JohnR]

@Soukous My wished for bird is much more common than yours — a house sparrow. I’ve never had them in several decades.  

[xelas]

About the "pop" - is there a secret you would like to share with us? Skip the lens (too expensive) just tell us about post-processing tricks .

[mvecht]

I went to the local reserve in Nivaa, Denmark this morning.

The Shelducks were very active including some territorial disputes

[Soukous]

19 hours ago, xelas said:

About the "pop" - is there a secret you would like to share with us? Skip the lens (too expensive) just tell us about post-processing tricks .

 

My lens is the same as yours Alex - Nikon 200-500mm zoom, so I have no advantage there.

It must be in the PP.

 

In Lightroom, I check the White Balance and the exposure. I find my D500 tends to give me quite 'cold' images so I have to add a bit of warmth.

In Photoshop Elements I resize the image and remove excess noise, then I add sharpness if I think it is necessary.

That is all I do. 

[Peter Connan]

Here in SA, lock-down conditions have been lifted slightly in most areas. However, whereas initially I was quite impressed with the rules imposed, some of the rules applied now just seem completely ridiculous. For example, no alcohol or cigarettes may be sold here. The alcohol ban I completely understand, but the cigarettes not so much. Since I don't smoke it doesn't affect me personally though.

Another rule that doesn't make much sense to me: we are now allowed to go out of our yards to exercise once per day. But only between 6am and 9am. Keep in mind that the sun only rises at 7am here at the moment.

 

Also, there are many reports of people being arrested for "unauthorised forms of exercise". There has for example apparently been more people arrested for surfing than have been arrested in the whole state capture debacle... So, as a result, I have not gathered the guts to take my camera out of the yard.

 

Here is my entire collection of Swallows, Swifts and Martins, all photographed standing on my driveway:

 

Swallows:

 

Martins:

 

Swifts:

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Peter Connan

[Soukous]

2 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Also, there are many reports of people being arrested for "unauthorised forms of exercise". There has for example apparently been more people arrested for surfing than have been arrested in the whole state capture debacle..

 

Get arrested for surfing, but real crimes are ignored. The priorities seem to be a bit mixed up. Making everyone excercise at the aame time and go shopping at the same time doesn't make much sense either; just ensures crowds.

[Peter Connan]

7 hours ago, Soukous said:

 

Get arrested for surfing, but real crimes are ignored. The priorities seem to be a bit mixed up. Making everyone excercise at the aame time and go shopping at the same time doesn't make much sense either; just ensures crowds.

 

My thoughts exactly. Lots of other weird rules too, such as shops not being allowed to sell hot food...

 

Anyway, here's some more birds. Some of them a bit more colourful.

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

super additions @Peter Connan, if you've got all these visitors to our garden why do you bother going elsewhere?

[janzin]

Went back to Prospect Park today (must explain, the park is directly across the street from our building, so really it is our "front yard.")  As I mentioned before, at times it is over-crowded with joggers and dog walkers and in nice weather just too many people but today was sunny, but very windy and cold--some areas around us had snow! so we figured it wouldn't be too bad. And it was very pleasant. The cold didn't seem to keep the birds down.  Anyway a four-hour walk brought some good birds!

 

Another of my favorite warblers (okay I have lots of favorites Hooded Warbler

 

 

A real beauty, Rose-breasted Grosbeak. They are usually up high in the trees so very psyched to find one low down. I think the wind was keeping the birds a bit lower today.

 

 

Wood Thrush, a bird with a gorgeous song.

 

 

Veery...also a thrush and a lovely songster.

 

 

Ovenbird...this is a warbler. The park was dripping with them today, but they are hard to photograph as they are constantly moving and usually on the ground.

 

 

Lincoln's Sparrow...this is a bit of a rarity for our park.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by janzin

[Kitsafari]

beautiful shots, @janzin