Today was the most beautiful day this year. Warm, mostly sunny, mostly calm. I got up earlier than I needed to, given it was a Sunday and there were no lunches to pack, and then I went looking for birds. I found several, including this Clay-coloured Sparrow.
The most exciting thing I learned today was that if a person sneaks up on ducks very slowly, they won't fly away. In fact, after a while they float by as if the person is not there. Thus I took some of my best duck photos ever. this is a lovely Lesser Scaup.
This is a Northern Shoveller.
A pair of Blue Winged Teals.
A pair of Canvasback Ducks
And a Horned Grebe
A more unusual, but also slightly more distressing discovery today, was this Merlin. I wasn't distressed to see him, just distressed to know he lives on our farm. I'd seen him pass over the yard a few times, but today I saw where he hangs out. Now if only he would confine his bird predation to pigeons and grackles, we'd be good friends.
The most exciting thing I learned today was that if a person sneaks up on ducks very slowly, they won't fly away. In fact, after a while they float by as if the person is not there. Thus I took some of my best duck photos ever. this is a lovely Lesser Scaup.
This is a Northern Shoveller.
A pair of Blue Winged Teals.
5 comments:
Great photo's again mum! Especially the Merlin! Grebes are sure a funny looking bird aren't they!
Such excellent shots, Mum! I love your new camera (and your impressive shutterbug skills of course)
My skills are minimal, I assure you. I delete about 6 for every clear shot, and then 6 more for every shot where the bird is actually posed nicely and not sitting with its back to me or its head in the water or obscured by a branch. I was particularly pleased with this Merlin shot because he looks so dangerous. I have others where the mouth is closed. Not nearly so fierce then.
Yes, Jeanette. Did you notice its red eye? Very interesting looking. The Western Grebe is totally different, and more elegant looking, but it still has a red eye.
Very nice pix!
That Merlin pic is beautiful!
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