It’s easiest to post the photos that have arrived while I was gone, so I’ll do that today. We have two contributors. First, Anne-Marie Cournoyer sends birds from lovely Montreal:
Some photos were taken at the parc national du Mont St-Bruno. Others in our backyard.
Cedar Waxwings – Bombycilla cedrorum:
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis:
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus. If I am not wrong. it is a female because there is no red stripe on the cheek.
Common Grackle – Quiscalus quiscula:
Coyote (Canis latrans) with fresh Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) for dinner.
Coyote/vole denouement:
Desi (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) delivering a bloody hunk of meat to the nest, possibly road kill. This is the first time I’ve seen them feeding on anything other than fish, except for the occasional dead goose in a field. This frame was extracted from a digiscoped 1080p video.
This photo is a Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris). These birds are secretive and notoriously difficult to photograph, but I have the perfect spot. I called this one out with a recording on my iPhone.
These are wonderful! Cedar waxwings are among my favourite boids. I like the facial ‘swoop’.
I’ve always said that if Nike sneakers could fly, they’d be Cedar Waxwings.
Yeah, *that* and baseball caps, to boot! 🙂
Lone Ranger!!
Very nice pictures. Stephen, you are one clever monkey to use an iPhone to call in a territorial songbird!
The practice of calling out birds by playing their songs can be overdone and attracts criticism. Now that everyone has a smart phone it can be disruptive in popular birding spots. These Marsh Wrens are in a remote corner of the ranch and don’t see people for weeks at a time, and then they only see me and Deets.
The first Cedar Waxwing picture in particular is beautiful.
Stephen, that vole / coyote action shot is great. Was that a single shot or a multiple exposure action mode shot? In the 2nd pic the coyote looks very noble, thought the tongue sort of ruins the seriousness of the moment.
The photo is a single exposure, but when I photograph wildlife I nearly always shoot rapid fire. You never know what the animal will do.
Love the Cedar Waxwings.
Love your coyote!
Thanks!
Thanks! The photo was taken in the park, near a brook. We were surrounded by these lively and lovely birds.
Many lovely birds today. IIRC Jerry posted another Marsh Wren shot from Stephen a while back. I really like those birds.
The Cedar Waxwing is gorgeous.
🙂 thanks
Wonderful photos, thanks for sharing.
Stephen, the vole/coyote shot, with, I assume, early morning backlighting, is magic. Wow.