I’m very low on photos, but don’t make me beg!
Today is Sunday, which means another dollop of themed bird photos from biologist John Avise. John’s IDs and notes are indented, and you can enlarge the photos, as always, by clicking on them.
Phoebes and Color BackdropsThese medium-sized flycatchers (family Tyrannidae) may not be the most beautiful of birds, but nonetheless I find Phoebes to be especially endearing because they are quite common and relatively tame (thus providing many photo opportunities). Here in Southern California we have two species: the Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) and the Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya); whereas the rest of the country has only one species, the Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). This week’s post shows portraits of these cute little Phoebe species photographed against different-colored backgrounds.Eastern Phoebe against blue:
Eastern Phoebe against green and grey:
Eastern Phoebe against grey-green:
Black Phoebe against blue:
Black Phoebe against blue-grey:
Black Phoebe against green and grey:
Black Phoebe against green:
Black Phoebe against grey-green:
Black Phoebe against pinkish beige:
Say’s Phoebe against beige:
Say’s Phoebe against blue-grey:
Say’s Phoebe against blue:
Say’s Phoebe against grey-green:
Say’s Phoebe against reddish grey:
So simple – so beautiful!
We have Say’s in NM. I have a pair that nests in my horse stalls every year.
L
Nice images, great detail. (When I try to photograph Black Phoebes, the faces just look like a black blob.)
We’re in the Central Valley (not quite Southern) CA., and have lots of the Blacks. A few yrs ago, a pair built a nest in the eaves of our small front porch, where we could easily observe them through our front window just a few feet away. My wife was thrilled to see the new hatchlings, then horrified to watch the jays (Western scrub?) swoop in and grab them soon thereafter.
I’ve seen a Phoebe only once. Thanks so much for these!
I don’t know if I’ve been acquainted to the Phoebe. Thanks for showing off these neat little sprites.
These themed sets of photos are always fabulous – many thanks!
Great photos, as always. Thanks!
When I lived in the concrete jungle in LA, the Black Phoebe was the only unusual bird (that is, not sparrows or pigeons at McDonalds) that I ever noticed and was able to identify.
Now that I’m in the midwest, and have gotten into birdwatching (since May; hardly an expert), I’ve already seen an Eastern Phoebe!