Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

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Took these photos last night at home. They were all on the same flower.
Male Blue face Honeyeater

Lorikeet

Female Blue faced Honeyeater

All together, there are at least 7 birds on the one flower here.

[radman]

A couple of these little beauties showed up today and spent the afternoon hanging around:



American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis



This little fellow is just transitioning from his winter plumage to his breeding colors.  I hope they stay for a while.

[radman]

Them Crooked Vultures:

[EmperorDinobot]

This tulip tree sprouted the biggest flowers I have ever seen at my college. Dang it I need to take a picture before they go away...It's been two weeks since they bloomed and they said they would be there for only a week, but i visited in two different weeks and they were still there. Oh my Lord I hope they are still there.

[ZoPteryx]

Nice photos everyone!

Spring has officially come to southern California, the year's first orioles are beginning to arrive and Yellow-rumped Warblers have entered breeding plumage and will probably be on their way north soon.  I haven't managed to photograph any orioles, but I have managed to get some other good shots:

An unusually confiding immature White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) walked within four feet of me!


Down at the local harbor, I found a pair of Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) doing what they do best.

[Takama]

Couple of Doves

[radman]

Found this cute little baby gray rat snake while I was gardening:





I let him go deep in the woods, and as I was watching him slither away carefully and photogenically (and me with no camera) over the pine needles, I realized, that wow, those pictures would have been a lot better than the ones of where I trapped him in the dirty aquarium. 
Next time!

[radman]

Redheaded woodpecker:



I've been birding for about ten years, and this is my first redheaded woodpecker, right here in my own backyard. What a lovely creature! Notice how it uses its stiff tail feathers to brace itself against the bottom of the feeder, forming a tripod of support.

[Jetoar]

Wonderful Woodpeckerand snake  .

[Gwangi]

Beautiful woodpecker. I've been a bird watcher for about 16 years and have yet to see a redheaded myself. It is one of only a few NY woodpeckers I have yet to see.

[radman]

There goes the neighborhood:



Starlings. 

[radman]

Who can identify this young raptor:



It's not very big, about twice the size of a bluejay.  The beak is small, chest is thin and tail is relatively long, so I don't think it's juvenile hawk, but rather some kind of falcon.  Young American Kestrel, maybe?

[Gwangi]

Red-shouldered hawk. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/id

[radman]

Ah, you nailed it, thanks Gwangi!  I had suspected the red shouldered hawk, tbh, as I could see the red shoulder, but the illustration in my field guide (by Nat. Geo Soc.) had both the mature and immature considerably bulkier in the chest area, and darker in the face.  Anyway, thanks again, another bird to add to the life list!

[Gwangi]

No problem and congrats. That's another one I still have to add to my own list yet.

[ZoPteryx]

Great yard birds Radman, that woodpecker is gorgeous!  I didn't realize you and Gwangi were both birders, I am too!   Been seriously bird watching for about 7 years now.

Here's a few of the sightings I had in recent weeks:


Adult male Bullock's Oriole.  Although I see them all the time, this one was unusually photogenic.


And a non-bird.  A medium sized Gopher Snake, rather out of place in the middle of a grassy lawn.


Trying to make his escape up a tree.  Someone needs to tell him he's not a boa.

[Gwangi]

Great yard birds Radman, that woodpecker is gorgeous!  I didn't realize you and Gwangi were both birders, I am too!   Been seriously bird watching for about 7 years now.

If you're interested in dinosaurs and not out watching the ones still alive then I don't think you're interested in dinosaurs enough. 

[radman]

A pair of brown thrashers:



Not the greatest picture, I readily admit, but these guys are very elusive and hard to photograph.  It's actually rare to even see two of them together.

[radman]

Turkey-lurkey!

I was pleasantly surprised to find this pair of wild turkeys and their seven poults strolling through the yard yesterday:

[radman]

Nutty!

A trio of beautiful little brown-headed nuthatches (Sitta pusilla) found their way to my feeder recently; here are two good pix:





These are very tiny birds, only about the size of a chickadee!