More albino hummer pics

These are two more pics taken of the albino hummingbird in the Salida, CO area earlier this week. I talked to the property owner just a little while ago and the bird has not returned. Please note that these were more distant so in addition to cropping to enlarge the bird I tweaked the lighting and contrast. SeEtta

Least Bittern fledgling taken yesterday: pic not cropped

As I have had questions about whether the Least Bitterns I saw yesterday were in the middle, top or bottom of the cattails, I am posting this pic that I did not crop so you see what the bird looked like through my long telephoto lens combo (400mm lens + 1.4 extender and with a 1.6 multiplier for not having a full frame camera=equivalent of around 900 mm telephoto or 18 X's normal lens). This also shows the challenge these birds presented for photographing especially since I have to focus manually. Click on pic to enlarge then click on it again to get better view. SeEtta

Albino hummingbird at feeder in Salida,CO area

Yesterday I was contacted about a possible albino hummingbird that had been photographed coming to feeders in the Salida, CO area. I believe this bird meets criteria for full albino rather than leucistic because it has very white feathering (rather than off-white or a pinkish bill and feet and reddish eyes. I cropped these photos taken by Judith Anne Smith and did not modify the coloration.


True Albino hummingbirds are very rare as are leucistic hummingbirds, just more so.

The other hummingbirds coming to the feeder are Broad-tailed and Rufous and I can't tell from these photos which specie it might be. The property owner where this albino hummingbird has come to the feeders this week is open to visits by interested birders if it stays around. Contact me if you are in the Salida area and would like to try for this beautiful hummer and I will connect you with the property owner. SeEtta

9-1-11 PostNote:  I exchanged photos today as I had Ms. Smith's name incorrect and I did not have the correct copyright symbol--these photos are copyrighted.

Least Bitterns: the male

Shortly after I watched a fledgling (or two) practice clinging to a cattail and looking around (possibly to see what caused all the noise and vibration--a local rock quarry train had pulled up and stopped on tracks about a hundred feet from the birds), I spotted this Least Bittern which I believe due to it's darker plumage is the male.

The bottom pic really shows off the coloration from it's crown down to it's flight feathers. These pics really show details if you click on them to enlarge then click again to super enlarge. SeEtta

Least Bitterns near Canon City, CO: fledglings!

Due to post surgery restrictions I haven't been able to get out to the Holcim Wetlands where the Least Bittern was found 2 weeks ago. Since then other birders have seen possible male and female birds raising the possibility that there might be breeding occurring. I went out this morning and looked for them from 7 am to 11 am--I could hear Least Bittern soft 'cooing' calls off and on but could not spot any birds. Interestingly, the location the calls were coming from was right where I had photographed the Least Bittern the first time as it hunted.

When I left I stopped for some food in nearby Florence and checked my email on my Droid phone--a post this morning while I was at Holcim stating he had seen a male, a female and 2-3 fledglings yesterday between noon and 1pm. So I gobbled down my food and returned to Holcim Wetlands to try again, at this unusual mid-day time frame.

Doug had made it sound like a piece of cake but it wasn't so for me. I had even sat on the log he had referred to thinking that maybe being at a lower angle would obscure my profile and increase my chances. As 1:45 I got anxious and got up to look as I had to leave soon--I spotted an obvious fledgling, with it's fuzzy white feathers standing up from it's head and body, as it clung precariously to a cattail. I returned to get my tripod and tried to see the bird from there, but the angle of view obscured the young bird so I returned to where I first spotted it and got these pics. I took a number of pics over a 10 minute period of time and I am not sure if the fledgling in the top pic is the same one in the bottom pic as it looks darker. The white feathering appears to be left over from hatchling plumage so I believe it is a pretty young bird. Check out the size of this little bird compared to the nearby cattail seed head. (Click on each pic to enlarge then click again for more detailed viewing) SeEtta

More pics of MacGillivray's Warbler

These are more pics of one of the two MacGillivray's Warblers I found two days ago. They seemed to be together as they fed near each other and moved off together. The top pic shows the whitish throat quite well but I am not sure if this is a female or a juvenile bird. SeEtta

MacGillivray's Warblers migrating through

I found 2 MacGillivray's Warblers migrating through my friend's farm just east of Canon City two days ago. They were very actively feeding in some tree limbs just above a farm pond. Photographing this active warbler species is always a challenge because they like to skulk behind thicker vegetation or messy areas with lots of limbs and stuff in the way of a clear shot like in the bottom pic. I hear them give their 'chip' call more often during spring migration so less auditory cues now also. Plus I am still recovering from outpatient surgery to improve my vision so I cannot yet bring the binoculars or camera eyepiece up to my eye as there are still stitches (and chance for infection) so more of a challenge for me to follow their often quick movements and get good focus (yes, I have to focus manually). So I was pleased with these and pics that follow. SeEtta

Shorebird survives flight through Hurricane Irene!

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While birds and other wildlife have evolved over thousands of years with hurricanes and other severe weather events, they are still subject to their impacts. In a blog entry titled "Seven Things to Know About How Hurricanes Affect Wildlife" by Kevin Coyle on the National Wildlife Federation 'Wildlife Promise' blog site, a story is recounted about a Brown Pelican (like the bird above that I photographed this past January) that was reported in the news media as having been blown very far off course to Nova Scotia during Hurricane Earl.

Mr. Coyle goes on to discuss how perching birds cling with their toes wrapped around branches, an adaptation that keeps them safely perched in trees while they sleep also. Various other species of birds have evolved different strategies to help them cope with hurricanes. Other species are also affected and this blog notes that "some dolphins and manatees have actually been blown ashore during major storms."

[created by Steve Maslowski/USFWS"]I just read one amazing story about a migrating shorebird, called a Whimbrel, that flew through the most dangerous part of Hurricane Irene this week as it flew in migration towards it's wintering grounds in South America. This little bird named Chinquapin, only about a foot and a half in length, is part of a tracking program by the Center for Conservation Biology and their partners in which tiny radio transmitters are attached to ride on the bird's back and send signals that show important information on it's route and progress as it migrates. The radio signals indicate that the Whimbrel apparently made it safely through the hurricane and that it was able to land on an island in the Bahamas on Friday. Additional signals Saturday confirms it appears safe on the ground on this island. The director of The College of William & Mary's Center for Conservation Biology, Bryan Watts, was quoted in an article on this in USA Today as saying, "When he was in the outer bands of the storm he was flying at 30 miles per hour." Mr. Watts was duly impressed, and so am I!

I don't know about you, but I am terribly impressed by this little shorebird's amazing flight through this hurricane. Did you know that Whimbrels can fly up to 3,200 miles non-stop?  SeEtta (originally posted to Birds and Blooms magazine online blog @http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/2011/08/28/shorebird-survives-flight-through-hurricane-irene/

The world is a dangerous place for nestling birds

A recently published study in The Condor--'Influence of condition and habitat use on survival of post-fledgling songbirds' found that life after fledging for Overbirds and Worm-eating Warblers is fraught with perils, especially the predator king. Between 2004 and 2007 they radio-tagged just over a hundred fledglings of these species in Ohio. Their calculations indicated that "post-fledging survival to be 65% for Overbirds (51 days after fledging) and 67% for Worm-eating Warblers (31 days after fledging)." They also found that those fledglings that spent the most time in dense growth had the highest survival percentage which highlights the importance of providing high quality habitat to birds after they fledge as well as other times in their life cycle.

There is previous research on other bird species showing similar issues. A 1967 article "POSTFLEDGING SURVIVAL AND MOVEMENT IN DICKCISSELS (SPIZA AMERICANA): IMPLICATIONS FOR HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION"
, also published in The Condor found the following: "Mortality rates were highest during the first week aft er leaving the nest, and only 33% of the fledglings survived the first four weeks aft er leaving the nest." Again habitat quality was a factor: "fledgling survival was positively associated with dense vertical and horizontal structure of forbs at nests." SeEtta

Least Bittern: hunting at Holcim Wetlands-CO

I returned 4 days ago to Holcim Wetlands before 7 am to try to refind the rare Least Bittern and hopefully get some pics in good light. Though I succeeded, the bittern was much more distant than when I photographed it last week in the evening (at least a hundred feet out). However, I was able to get postable pics of it engaged in classic bittern hunting as is shown in the two pics. Note that it is 'perched' by straddling cattail shoots, a feet made possible by their small size, allowing it to strike downward at prey in the water below. Gee-these pics are almost identical though the sun was out in the bottom pic but not in the top pic (the top pic was taken at F10 while the bottom pic at F8 as a result). Actually these show a progression, a very, very slow progression of the hunt--look closely and you will see that the bird's bill in the 2ndh pic is a few inches forward of and below the position in the 1st pic. So what? The 2nd pic was taken 3 minutes after the 1st pic, demonstrating the extreme patience these bitterns take in their hunting behavior, stalking their prey for clearly long periods before striking downward to grab some tasty insect, small fish, or frog. SeEtta

American Kestrel: chowing down

It didn't take this female bird long to start eating her grasshopper prey, a frequent meal item for this species. It's interesting how she holds her prey in one 'hand' while she eats it. SeEtta

American Kestrel: only a few yards above

Here is another a in series of close-up encounters I have experienced in the past few weeks--this time this American Kestrel flew onto a tree branch less than 25 feet above me earlier this week. This is especially surprising as I have found this species to be pretty wary of people. If you super-enlarge this pic (by double clicking on it then clicking on it again) you can see that the prize it is clutching in it's foot is a grasshopper. With her mouth open, she seems to be ready to devour her catch. More to come. SeEtta

Bullock's Oriole: more close ups

I was very surprised to see the gleam in this bird's eye which is shown so well in the top pic. So commonly this is the result of photographer's using flash, something I rarely use and did not use in these pics. This is all natural, likely from the sunlight, no artificial gleam in the eye.

I mentioned in the previous post that this bird was part of the landbird migration along the river corridor. So how do I know it's a migrant and not a bird that was here this summer? There were few Bullock's Orioles in this area this summer and those in the closest nests (1/4 mile away) had already moved on weeks ago.

In all the pics this bird has it's bill open--it was pretty hot and this is how birds cool off. SeEtta

Bullock's Oriole up very close and personal

Landbird migration has been in full swing this week in riparian areas in the Canon City, CO area. I have apparently been living right as this oriole flew in less than 15 feet above me providing a wonderful opportunity for close-up photos.

From the plumage characteristics this bird is a female or immature. The mostly flesh/pinkish colored lower mandible (with rustyish markings) makes me think this may be a juvenile. Birds of North America online calls the lower mandible "bluish gray, dull white at tip and doesn't mention anything about juvenile birds nor could I find anything online or in my books about it. Note: I didn't do any color modification or other editing of these pics with the exception of some cropping to preserve color and shading. SeEtta

Lewis'sWoodpeckers: view of adult from below and a juvenile

As I noted in last post the Lewis's Woodpeckers landed in a snag almost directly above me and that produced the top pic, a view from right underneath this adult bird. This provides a very nice view of the undertail coverts as well as the underparts and the tail feathers from below.

The bird in the bottom pic is one of this year's hatch evident as it is in juvenal plumage and it is late summer. Though not real apparent, it does have some reddish feathering on it's breast and belly.   It should begin moulting into Basic I plumage this fall. SeEtta

Lewis's Woodpeckers: return to nest site area

It is my experience that after the Lewis's Woodpecker young fledge the parents move them quickly away from the nest site as soon as their flight skills allow, likely to reduce predation which is reported to be heavy by American Kestrels (per Birds of North America online). So I haven't seen these birds for two weeks since they were still in the nest until this morning when the parents brought them back while foraging. I got some close views (30-40 feet from me, close for this species) as they landed in a snag almost directly above me. In order not to flush them I stayed in my car and took these photos out the car window-which required uncomfortable positioning that would have been easier to do when I was in my 20's. SeEtta

Rock Wren at wetlands??

As I sat quietly waiting for the Least Bittern at Holcim Wetlands this rather disheveled Rock Wren 'appeared' by a log less than 10 feet away. It seemed curious about me and kept hopping out from the safety of the log coming within only about 5 feet. My little dog was lying beside me but the bird seemed indifferent to him,maybe because he was lying still also. From the looks of this wren it is molting. After hopping around for several minutes it flew off away from the wetlands and towards the RR tracks--the only location nearby with rocks is around the RR tracks. Maybe the wren had gone down to the wetlands for a bath. I cropped the top pic in order to produce the super close-up in the bottom pic (very fine details can be seen by clicking on the bottom pic then clicking on it again). SeEtta

Least Bittern: the last pics

The sun was out from behind some clouds providing better lighting for these pics. I really like this top pic as it shows the neck plumage well and I think this is very cool looking. I also like the bottom pic for showing off the interesting wing plumage with the buff colored wing patches surrounded with chestnut and then white feathers. Shortly after I took this pic the bittern retreated back into the thick cattails. SeEtta

Oops, Least Bittern is looking at me

In the top pic the Least Bittern is looking directly in my direction and I suspect it has heard the mechanical clicks of my Canon dslr camera (yes, the bells are all turned off but all cameras make some amount of mechanical noise when the shutter is depressed and I have found other birds disturbed by it). I stayed very still and quiet so the bittern did not flush but instead stayed for another couple of minutes. The bottom pic, next in the sequence, shoes it went back to it's hunting position with beak jutted out in front with head and body pretty parallel to the ground. SeEtta

Rare Least Bittern at Holcim Wetlands in Colorado

This Least Bittern was found this week by a local birder, Rich, at the Holcim Wetlands east of Florence,CO. This is a rare bird in any part of Colorado and the first seen in this county. I took the top pic as the bird poked it's head out from behind the cattails. In the bottom pic the bird had stepped all the way out and had assumed the hunting position. More pics in next posts. SeEtta

More Red-headed Woodpecker pics

In the top pick the bird's nictitating membrane is almost covering it's eye. In the bottom pic the bird is just lookin good. SeEtta

Handsome Red-headed Woodpecker

I found this Red-headed Woodpecker on a telephone pole not far from the Ft Lyon Canal in Otero County, CO yesterday. I think that this is such a gorgeous bird with it's brilliant red head with black and white body and wings. I also found an adult bird attending a likely nest cavity in an old cottonwood right next to the canal. SeEtta

Lark Buntings, time to migrate

I found these Lark Buntings that were part of a larger flock of close to 50 birds yesterday in Crowley County. Like in this group composed of males with 1 female, most of the Lark Buntings I saw were males with a few females. These are either gathering for migration or may have started migration. SeEtta

Migrating Sanderlings stopping over to fuel up

I found these two migrating Sanderlings working the small shoreline at Lake Meredith yesterday. These two must have left their breeding grounds early to arrive here on the second day of August.

I believe these are both in the process of molting from breeding plumage. I have tried to keep the coloration exactly the same but they seemed to have more orangish coloration in person than on my photos. SeEtta

Cormorant take off: hop, lunge, hop .... then lift off

I got these pics of a Double-crested Cormorant as it started to take off, an effort that involves 'hopping' (with both feet) across the water for some ways before the lift off. I think it kinda looks like it was actually doing a swan dive not a take-off. SeEtta

Cute young racoons (but oh, so destructive)

When I got out of my car the other night I spotted two young racoons running by my drive-way. When they saw me they climbed a tree in my front yard where I got these pics (in the top pic one of the ears of a second racoon is visible as it is located right behind the left ear of the racoon pictured). Unfortunately they can be most destructive--they destroy my neighbors' vegetable and fruit crops and tore up a neighbor dog some year's ago. So as cute as they look, I would prefer they stick to natural areas. SeEtta

Uncommon hawk in Fremont County, CO: a Swainson's

I found this adult Swainson's Hawk south of Florence, CO and still within Fremont County tonight. They are uncommon in my county though usually found in the small amount of remaining grasslands either south or east of Florence. I found it not long after I spotted a wildfire that had just begun in the Wet Mountains just west of this area. My long telephoto lens combo on my dslr camera came in handy as I was able to show a photo of the wildfire location to the fire fighters (by the time they arrived the smoke had gone down and it is difficult to point out a location on top of distant mountains). The wildfire was likely started by lightening as there were thunder storms all around and the fire fighters thought the rain may put out the fire. SeEtta