My mailbox, and the daily selection of readers’ photos, show that birds are by far the most popular beast to photograph. I guess that’s because they’re ubiquitous, colorful, and easy to spot (though often not easy to shoot). Yesterday, reader Joe Dickinson sent snaps of egrets and a heron:
A couple of weeks ago, an extreme low tide coincided almost exactly with sunset. I caught Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) illuminated by the setting sun and silhouetted against the twilight sky down by Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz, CA. Sadly, I missed the “money shot” – two egrets contesting a prime roosting site in a wonderful aerial ballet (could not find the focus fast enough).
Today, by the Santa Cruz small boat harbor, I had a nice look at a Great Blue Heron (Ardea hernias).
And reader Diana MacPherson sent juncos on Jan. 6L
Here are some cute pictures of Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) I took yesterday and this morning as they gobbled up the seeds on the deck. In some of the pictures, the junco resembles a penguin with its round, white belly!
Junco with seed in beak:
Penguin-esque Junco seems to embarrassed by his penguinness:
Penguin-y Junco looks up – you need to keep an eye out for hawks!
Junco throws up snow while foraging for seeds:
Very nice everyone!
Reblogged this on Joe's Notepad and commented:
Some striking photographs indeed…
Nice egrets & herons, Joe!
We have Juncos year-round in Northern California but nowhere near as cute as yours! Are they fattened-up for winter?
I don’t think you can make a junco fat. 🙂 I did feel sorry for the little birds last night as it was deathly cold & really windy. I wondered how they managed to keep warm & not blow away. I know they can manage cold temperatures, but it can’t be very comfortable, especially when you see the wind ruffle their feathers and expose their skin.
I think they’re fluffed up against the cold, they do look very cutely spherical.
Oh yes, they are puffed up against the cold. The roundest picture is where they junco has pulled the wings back.
Beautiful boids all!
Those aren’t boids, they’re theropods.
🐦:-)
Yes — hawks especially appreciate a tasty eye as an appetizer!
…sorry….
b&
Great captures in the sunset!
I like the last Junco where the individual snow specs around its’ head look like stars in a constellation; since you reside in Canada, I think Junco Borealis would be fitting. 🙂
That would be a very cute constellation!
It was interesting to see the Heron and the Egrets photographed in California.
I have seen both of those species numerous times on the east coast. I was not aware that their range extended all the way to the Pacific.
The shots of the foraging Junco are very nice photos too.
Wonderful photos; thanks, Joe and Diana!
Super photos! I like the contrast between skinny long legged birds and chubby little juncos! Juncos migrate through my yard in spring and fall and I always look forward to their perky presence.
A great series of videos was put out by the Junco Project a while back.
http://juncoproject.org
I suspect I found out about them here at WEIT, but they’re worth mentioning again. Juncos are more interesting than it might seem at first glance! 🙂