Backyard Bird Photography

I took my digiscoping equipment (field scope and digital camera) out on the deck this morning and photographed half a dozen species of birds while sipping my morning coffee. In all, I took 85 photographs. After running them through Picasa to crop, sharpen and adjust the lighting, I’ve come up with 6 photographs to share with you.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is one of the more dapper looking birds in the yard. Its black head, very white belly, bright red bib, and white-spotted black back really make this robin-sized bird a dazzler. It’s just too bad he can’t do anything about that Jimmy Durante sized schnoze.


The male American Goldfinch is also a sparkler. It’s brilliantly yellow body is set off by the white-barred black wings and black forehead patch. These birds are the state bird of New Jersey but I seldom saw them there. I did sight several flocks along the roadside near the Bolt Hole in the Adirondacks, but the sheer number that attached themselves to the feeders in January and the 20 or so who have remained loyal astounds me.


The Indigo Bunting is a real jewel. Completely blue it stands out clearly against the green of the forest and shrubs. Early in the morning I can usually count on this little guy being perched at the very tippy-top of the poplars across the driveway as he sings his heart out to the rising sun. He will come into the platform feeders but seems to prefer to take his seeds on the ground. As is often the case in the bird world, the female is quite drab and nondescript.


Another year-round resident around the Aerie is the Chipping Sparrow. One of the smallest of birds, this little guy is sometimes overlooked. He wears his russet little cap like a beret. And his rapid, constant, repetitive, simple little call: “chip, chip, chip, chip…” ad nauseam, not only provides the source for his name but also can increase sales of aspirin.


Yet another year-round resident, the Downy Woodpecker often comes to the suet feeder. This smallest of woodpeckers was taking chunks of suet to feed a fledged youngster that hung on a tree just a short distance away.


The Mourning Dove also resides year-round in the area of the Aerie. These buff colored birds are not only subtle in their coloration, but their gentle “coo-coo” sometimes gets mistaken by beginning birders for the “who-who” of an owl. Despite a rather rickety looking nest, the Mourning Dove pair may produce 10 or 12 eggs during the course of a season. They lay two eggs for each clutch and may have 5 or 6 clutches a year. Perhaps that is why, despite being a game bird in many states, the Mourning Dove is one of the most abundant birds in the US.

You can learn more about these and other birds by clicking on the link for All About Birds over on the left. That will take you to the Cornell Labs website and its wonderfully informative entries.