Readers’ wildlife photographs

March 12, 2015 • 7:30 am

I’ve noticed that comments have been a bit sparse on the readers’ wildlife photographs. That means either that people aren’t looking at them, or, more likely, that people look but have nothing to say. I want to remind readers that many of the photographers are first-time contributors of any sort, and some are a bit nervous about the quality of their photographs. So if you like them (or have questions for the photographer), please let the photographer know in the comments.

One photographer who’s already received lots of praise for his work is Stephen Barnard in Idaho, who sends us a single bird today:

This is a very common bird. Taking a photo of a rare or exotic bird is fun, but taking a good photo of a common bird is fun, too.

Can you guess the bird?

Mystery bird

Reader Amy sent several photographs of birds of prey in an email titled “Birds in the hand are priceless.”  The explanation:

Attached for your enjoyment (and maybe others) are photos taken of rescued birds. These birds are rehab’d but unfortunately are so badly injured they cannot be returned to the wild. The Ohio Wildlife Center uses them for public education and programs.

The first is of a merlin (Falco columbarius):
MERL_DBC_livebirds (2A)
Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio):
EASO_DBC_20140922(1)A
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
PEFA_DBC_20140922 (14A)
Rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus):
RLHA_DBC_20140922 (12)
Saved the best for last Northern Saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus). What a cutie!!
SAWO_DBC_20140922 (15)A

 

69 thoughts on “Readers’ wildlife photographs”

  1. Perhaps it is similar as some of the science posts – I read them but indeed feel I don’t have much to add …

    For the bird photos, I do wonder how people take them (at the risk of sounding very naive). I’d love to spot some owls, but how to go about it (time of day and such) … which also reminds me of this news item, http://tinyurl.com/nqcrvbk, so I am a bit afraid …

    1. Taking an owlbrella sounds like a wise move for getting the good shots. Also, being vewwy vewwy quiet.

      Judging by some of the Q&A in the comments, the better photos are taken with insanely great lenses, some of which cost more than what’s in my whole camera bag: you don’t get a closeup of a bald eagle with a pocket camera. The rescue birds look like they may have been photographed in captivity.

      1. The gear I use for most of my wildlife photos cost about $13,000 — the lens alone is about $10,000. You can get excellent photos with much cheaper bridge cameras, but they aren’t good for birds in flight.

        2. I always am gob smacked by your photos. Ever been to Magee Marsh Ohio during spring warbler migration? You could flex your camera gear there 🙂

    2. Save for Stephen’s, the birds pictured here are all permanent guests of a wildlife rehabilitation facility. The birds are indoors and no fancy equipment nor skill is needed to photograph them — though, of course, all the usual challenges of photography apply.

      Getting good photographs of birds in the wild, and especially on the wing…that takes not only some very expensive equipment, but a lot of practice and patience. Birds are small, far away, and move fast, so you need powerful telescope-like lenses that are part of fast-operating and (relatively) lightweight camera systems just to be able to have a chance of getting an in-focus shot where the bird fills the frame. And then, you’ve got to go out and find the birds, know enough about their behavior to predict where and when they’ll fly, strategically position yourself so they’ll naturally pose right where you artistically desire them to be…and wait for them to actually do what you think they might. And then you still have to be quick on the shutter release with a steady hand….

      b&

      1. See, that’s all just evidence for Intelligent Photographer Design (IPD). I mean, what are the odds that everything you listed could just randomly happen all at the same time.

        I don’t have enough faith to be a wildlife photographer.

        2. Actually…wildlife photography is an exercise in intelligent design…at least, it is when the photographer has something of a clue. The other way just gives you lots of badly-focused poorly-exposed shots of the inside of your lens cap….

          b&

  2. I’m going to go with the ‘Pink-sided’ variant of the dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis, but as an englishman with limited experience of north American birds I shan’t be too surprised if I am wrong!

    1. yeah, J. hyemalis, female, and I’d wonder if it’s the oreganus subspecies? I don’t know enough about the subspecies or crosses, or even if we want to get into the argument about the viability of subspecies. More to the point, even though J. hyemalis is a “dull” or “drab” or “common” bird, they are, in actual fact, quite beautiful when one takes the time to appreciate them. I always enjoy spotting the first of the year, and miss them when they leave (excepting that spring birds show up as they move out). There is always something more to be seen in the things we take for granted.

        1. Heather: I guess I’m more of an ornithologist than you are. I know both “cute” and “pretty”!

          Love the photos every time, but don’t always have time to comment, and don’t normally have anything to add.

  3. The merlin has a very worried look! I guess its experience of life so far gives it some justification for that!

  4. I like to see the pictures, but unlike a ‘news story’ there isn’t a discussion to be had beyond ‘nice bird’.

    Maybe we all like an argument 😛

    1. Indeed, but my point was that everybody who sends in photographs likes approbation of their work, so sometimes, if you like photos, you should simply say so. This of course doesn’t apply to Prof. Ceiling Cat’s posts, as he doesn’t need approbation!

    2. we can argue about the validity of subspecies, “races”, or populations! That age-old fight between “lumpers” and “splitters”. In this instance, as color variants in J. hyemalis overlap and can interbreed, are they subspecies, or just local populations with color variability? So, are the following acceptable, fall under just J. hyemalis, or not?

      Junco hyemalis hyemalis
      Junco hyemalis carolinensis
      Junco hyemalis cismontanus (perhaps an Oregon x slate-colored cross) (also known as “Cassiar”)

      ok?, now…argue!

  5. Dark-eyed Junco is correct.

    The rescued-bird photos are very nice.

    Owls in the wild are difficult because most species are nocturnal. You have to know where and when they roost. I look for places that have a lot of droppings and owl pellets (the indigestible parts that are regurgitated). I’d really like to get a good photo of an owl in flight but haven’t been able to.

    There was a controversy here when a rare Hawk Owl showed up in Hailey. People in the local birding community were excited about it and revealed the exact location, leading to crowds of people disturbing the bird. The birders are more careful now, especially with nesting birds.

  6. We only have eastern juncos in this part of rural Virginia so I’m not familiar with the dark-eyed variety but teh pink beak was a tell for me that it is some kind of junco.

    1. The juncos in Virginia are the same species, but this species is known for highly variable plumages. The Slate-colored Junco, the Pink-sided Junco, and the Oregon Junco were once considered different species, but now they’re all lumped into the Dark-eyed Junco species.

      1. “Junco systematics are still confusing after decades of research, with various authors accepting between three and twelve species.” but no reference for that statement…
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junco

        The closest I would have got would be Passeriformes!

    2. I’m glad Winter is ending. My only regret is that all the juncos I’ve been feeding are already gone.

    3. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the Junco Project has put out a fantastic series of 8 videos about juncos. From their website:
      “Despite the fact that they are abundant and common across much of North America, birds of the genus Junco also exhibit stunning diversity in feather color, body shape and size, and behaviors among the various species, subspecies, and races across their range. Recent research highlighted in the film indicates that this diversity likely emerged very rapidly and very recently, as juncos re-colonized North America after the most recent ice age. This rapid diversification among junco groups is similar to Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands or the Cichlid fishes in Africa–but it’s happening across the backyards and parklands of millions of North Americans. As you will notice in the film, some juncos live in pretty remote and exotic locations, too, so there is a lot of variety highlighted among the birds, their habitats, and the researchers who study them.”

      It can be found here
      http://juncoproject.org

  7. Magnificent photographs – I forward to my son, who works in an office, to help him start the day with a glimpse of wildness & beauty.

  8. Great pictures! But a comment? What can I say beyond , Great pictures and identifying bird? There are so many pictures and I have books full of many if not all birds in existence, I grew up on a farm 20 miles SE of Des Moines, Iowa and we found an owl with two furry white chicks in our drive through granary. Even have pictures with dad’s old Kodak camera which I still have. We used flashlights for light.

    1. There’s nothing like those old Kodak photos, is there? No Instagram filter quite achieves that rich color balance.

      I spent the summer of 1972 in that neck of the woods, Bluegrass, IA, to be exact. As a city kid I was quite unprepared for the variety of wildlife you could find in the fields around my sister’s house. I had no idea then that “nature” existed so close to where people lived.

      Also, hogs. Their enormity was unexpected, and figured in my nightmares for quite a while after I got home.

      1. I am constantly surprised at the variety of “nature” in and around urban or highly populated suburban human infestations. In a former Kansas City rental house a few years ago, I racked up an impressive number of bird species that either visited my several feeders, fed on my two trees in the yard, or flew over my house, including a great blue heron who flew straight down the middle of the street, about 20-30 feet up. I had over 30 different species of birds, one snake, one tree frog, two rodents, and a wonderful variety of insects and arachnids. Just two days ago I visited a small creek and collected scuds, planarians, copepods, and who knows what else! There is indeed grandeur in this view of life, at least when we take the time to notice.

        1. And especially when you then identify and maybe read up on the species you’ve seen! I suspect few people are aware of the actual variety of birds around them. (For example.)

  10. I look at all the wildlife photos and look forward every day to my fix of birds and other critters. Sometimes I keep them in my inbox for several days so I can look at them again. The photographs are always the highlight of my email viewing day (along with Hili), but I don’t often comment. I am always amazed at the excellence of the photography, and will make an extra effort to comment, especially when a photo really touches me.

  11. I do have a question about the merlin, the falcon and the hawk. I see on these beautiful closeups that they all have a small hole on the sides of their beaks. What is this for and is this trait exclusive to raptors?

      1. Ahh, thank you. I figured it was probably a dumb question! 🙂 I can’t say I ever really noticed the nostrils in smaller birds.

        1. Not a dumb question at all! Bird bills vary enormously, and the nostrils will be found in different places in different species, from down near the tip to up at the base. A few birds actually follow scent to find food (usually carrion), but for the most part birds are thought to have rather poor senses of smell. They have a great need for fresh air, however.

          Our (in)famous nightjars have nostrils down at the tips of their bills. Their gaping maws are mostly hidden at rest, with only the tiniest bit of the bill protruding from the plumage, and that is where the nostrils are. Perhaps you can see that in this picture:

          https://flic.kr/p/jYk5cK

          3. It looks almost like a teensy bird skull–just follow line of the eye to the right.

        2. You want to see weird bird nostrils you should check out AN Albatross’ nose (not to be confused with THE Albatross).

  12. I’m not sure about the unnamed species. It reminds me a bit of the Green Heron, although the coloration is different. I’m pretty sure that whatever it is, it is not a raptor. I can’t help but notice the difference in, for lack of a better term, beak design between our unidentified feathered friend and the birds of prey featured in the other photos. The hawks and owls and such have that curved beak, which I assume must be used for tearing flesh from prey, I’d guess the unidentified bird is an insect eater or maybe a fisherman.
    Either way all of the photos are terrific, especially the owls.

  14. Man out of time sounds like a man out of town. Sorry, I couldn’t help it.

    I seem to get most of my pictures out the windows which is possible when you live rural. It also helps if near water. It is the lazy way out. I will need to get the lens to do more of the close up thing.

  15. I have a camera question. I like taking macro photos of flowers and plants and would like to get a new camera, hopefully not too crazy expensive. I’d appreciate suggestions of which cameras others like and what I should look for. Thanks!

    1. Most point-&-shoot “bridge” cameras have great macro capabilities, my Canon sx40, for instance.

    2. I too have a canon SX40 and love it. Spouse has a biggass Nikon with a mucho longo lens and he is oft jealous of the photos I take with it. Not sure the 40 is still available. They might be up to 60 by now. For the money it’s a great cam. My only complaint is the manual focus which tends to jump in multiple feet increments. But I’m still hanging on to my Nikon D50. I don’t have a biggass lens but I know someone who does 🙂

  17. I don’t know much about birding, and can’t tell you names of birds from close-up photos…. but, I am a leading world authority on the identification of distant birds on the wing.

    You can be also. Here is the process:

    1) See a bird so distant as to be a mere speck in your field of vision. (Or hear the call of a bird too far away to be seen)

    2) Assume the command voice of a stuffy British ornithologist. I think of Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.

    3) Assert the name of any bird you want with a tone of final authoritative judgement.

  18. When we were kids in SW CT, we had a bird nesting box nailed up on our house in a somewhat hidden spot. One day while playing near there, we saw a beautiful little owl that looked just like the owl in the picture here sitting on top of the nesting box. It just looked at us and didn’t seem afraid at all. To date, it is the only wild owl I’ve ever seen. This photo brought back one of my most pleasant wildlife memories from childhood. Thanks!

    1. I concur that seeing an owl in the wild is a joyous experience. It has only happened to me a few times, and I remember all of them with great clarity.

      1. I remember best the one that took exception to my after midnight search for aurora. After a few passes close over my head, it let a claw part my hair and lightly graze my scalp.

        It was too dark to identify, but barred owls have recently expanded their territory into our area and I see or hear one a few times a year.

  19. New falcon cam about 2 blocks from my office in downtown Baltimore. The IT Masters in my Corporate Entity have indicated that I am NOT ALLOWED to go to this website (although I can look out the window at the falcons!) so I’m not sure what it shows.

    I’m hoping to avoid embedding. I removed the www and the http from what follows:

    chesapeakeconservancy.org/peregrine-falcon-webcam.

    1. They had it on the local (Baltimore) news last night! The reporter talked about the new webcam-great.

  20. A very nice Junco shot Stephen. Just because they’re common, doesn’t mean they aren’t enjoyable, right?

    Good on the Ohio Wildlife Center for taking care of those birds and educating the public. There are many centers around the country that do this good work. I wonder if they are usually state or privately funded. I imagine funding comes from a lot of sources, depending on the state.

  21. These posts are one of my favorite things on the entire internet. I look at them every day and never comment on them. I find them emotionally nurturing and deeply meaningful, and I am so grateful to the artists that I’m struck dumb.

  23. Beautiful junco, Stephen! IME, it’s often harder to get a nice clear shot of an active little passerine than of a big bird of prey. Our juncos abruptly left a few days ago after packing the feeders all winter. I miss them, but–spring!

  24. Beautiful portraits, Amy! Thanks for sending them in! It’s nice to get such up-close-&-personal looks of these gorgeous birds of prey. Do you work at the Ohio Wildlife Center?

    1. OWC is in Columbus. I commuted 1 hour each way for 25+ years and don’t want to jump into that much driving again.At least for now. They rehab’d a red tail that hit my car broadside one day (commuting from work). I caught him up and held him in my lap on the way to OWC. Turned out he had no tail feathers and therefore had no lift. They kept him an entire year waiting for him to molt and then released him. For that they got a big check.

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