Tag: bird

Twisting and turning.

A couple of Black Terns twisting and turning as they search for something to eat in a marsh. A bird would spot something in the marsh and twist around in flight.

I was taking a little used back road as an alternative route to visit friends in Saskatchewan when I came across a small colony of Black Terns on a marshy slough. Needless to say, I was late getting to the friends place although they knew I was going to be delayed having seen me on the back road when I was photographing the Terns.

The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge is Twisted.

Twisting and turning.

Twisting and turning

Land, mate, preen.

A sequence of photos taken on the Lake Huron shoreline in the spring.

I was photographing a Common Tern on a rock in the water when a second bird flew in.

Two Common Terns

The second bird landed and approached the one on the rock. By the front birds wing position it was fairly obvious what was going to happen next.

Ready to mate.

The birds mate. I’m guessing that they were a well established pair as the male didn’t bring a fish as a courtship offering.

mating Common Terns

After mating both birds started preening.

Preening Common Terns

Week 19. A Warbler that thinks it’s an Oriole.

A bit of an odd one from me this week for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I have been avoiding photographing birds on feeders for years, or more probably, decades. I got tired of editors picking a bird on a feeder over other shots of the same species in natural settings.

Secondly, this is unusual behavior, which is why I photographed it. A grab shot after I got home Friday afternoon. The bird has been back regularly over the weekend but I haven’t had chance for a second attempt at a better shot.

The photo shows a male Black-throated Blue Warbler coming to the Grape jelly in an Oriole feeder. It didn’t do it once, the bird has been coming to the feeder regularly for three days now.

I did some research and found records of them taking sugar water in Hummingbird feeders but no records of them pretending to be an Oriole and eating Grape jelly.

I submitted a report of the bird and its behavior, including the photo below to one of the Ontario bird sightings websites. The report is being ignored as far as I can tell.

Male Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Eat, bath, preen.

A Marbled Godwit on a section of Little Quill Lake shoreline. Taken one spring in the late 1990s in Saskatchewan.

I remember spending some time with the bird but had forgotten how many photos I had taken until going through my slide archives and digitizing some a few years ago.

The bird feeding.

Feeding Marbled Godwit.

After feeding the bird decided that it was bath time.

A bathing Marbled Godwit.

After bathing the Godwit had a long preen.

Preening Marbled Godwit.

Week 18. Two different birds.

I had a few photos under consideration for week 18 of my 52 week photo project. I spent some time one morning out in the yard photographing some of the birds. A mix of winter visitors still with us and some recently arrived summer visitors. All while being swarmed by Black Flies that are now out. I only got one Black Fly bite which is good as I am allergic to them.

First, a recently arrived summer species, a young male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I say young male because it’s still showing traces of its juvenile plumage.

A young male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Second, a winter species that is still with us. A Pine Siskin, one of a dozen or more still hanging around.

A posing Pine Siskin.

Week 18. Two birds.

Week 18 was originally titled two ducks but the head and neck of the leading bird makes me think that they could be a Grebe species. They were out on Colpoy’s Bay and silhouetted by the rising sun. The photo is more about the light and ripples on the water, the birds are there for context.

Two birds at sunrise.