Camera Critter #83

Most days when I open my door and go outside, I scare up a number of birds. They hang around the feeders hanging in the Apple Tree in the back yard.

And everyday I think, I should photograph some of these birds if I can get them to come around while I am waiting for them.

Friday afternoon, after the rain cleared the area and the sun came out, I grabbed my camera and did what I have been doing for an hour a day for the past five days...I sat down on the bench and waited.

Birds would fly to the tree, see me and zip off somewhere else...until Friday. Instead, they landed in the tree, slowly drifted down to the feeders and began feeding. Some dropped to the ground. But none of the birds spooked when I would lift my camera.

Though the light wasn't great, I was able to get a few shots of some of the birds. There were a nice variety of birds, from jays to a towhee to sparrows. And then there were the finches. The most common finch I see at the feeders is the Lesser Goldfinch. There are American Goldfinches which stop by, but by far the most common is the Lesser Goldfinch.

The finch below is a first year male, sometimes referred to as a "green-back." Males of this species have a green back. However, there are black backed finches which occur in south Texas for the most part.


Another first year bird visiting the feeders was a first year White-crowned Sparrow. This species winters in my area, and spends its summers in the higher elevations. I'll see these birds throughout the winter and then in late spring, they will disappear until late October.

Along with sparrows, the Dark-eyed Juncos also arrive. Known as "Snow birds," they too spend their summers in the higher elevations. However, I wasn't able to get a shot of one of them. They may take a little longer to get used to me.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters of all types. Go to the Meme homepage here and check out more entries. Then join the fun and let the world see your critters!

Camera Critter #45

A couple of days ago, our wonderful owner of this meme, tagged me for something someone tagged her for. It was a Photo Meme and my entry can be seen here.

In the post, I mentioned it wasn't the best image of that series, so I decided I would post the best one from that particular series and the best shots of that day's shoot. The images were all shot on April 17, 2008 at one of my favorite areas in Redmond, Oregon -- Fireman's Pond. So, here they are.

This first image was the best one from that series which provided the photo I was tagged for. I managed to get the warbler in a good pose.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The next shot was taken about 100 feet from the shot above, off the side of a small man-made peninsula at the pond.

Song Sparrow

Another tree near the parking lot at the pond, was the site where the warbler image below was taken. In my opinion, a much better shot than the first image, what with fewer distraction of tree branches.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

In a tree in the picnic area of the pond, I located the sparrow below. There were also some Dark-eyed Juncos in the area, but I wasn't able to get any decent images of them.

White-crowned Sparrow

The sparrow below was an exciting find for me, as it was the first time I had seen one of these sparrows in the area. It was also found near the picnic area.

Savannah Sparrow

Although there were a lot of birds in the area, the major species are (except as noted) seen here. It was a good day of shooting for me, and I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I enjoyed shooting the photos.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is family fun for everyone. If you're interested in more fun, go there and check out the rest of the players. And then, join the fun!

Camera Critter Meme #38

Shortly after a heavy rain storm hit the high desert area of central Oregon, I grabbed my camera to go on a photo safari. I didn't have far to go for my first subject. As I approach a nearby alleyway, I noticed a White-crowned Sparrow land near a water puddle. I picked up the camera and shot the photo below.


I watched the critter for a moment as he looked around, checking out the area. Then he quickly hopped to the edge of the water and stepped in.

He looked around again and for a moment, locked his gaze on me.

Then he dipped his head into the water, shook his wings while spraying droplets all over his body.

This quick bath was over in seconds and I thought when he stood up and looked, once again, directly at me, he would fly off.

The sparrow once again checked out the surrounding area, making sure the area was safe.

And then dove back in again. This bath was even more vigorous than the first, as spray was going everywhere.

However, before my camera could finish writing the images to the CF card, the sparrow took wing and disappeared into nearby bushes. Either his bath was finished, or he knew that in seconds, the sky would open up and another drenching rain shower would spew forth.

Luckily for me, I heard the rain coming before it hit and was able to get under cover before the worst started falling.

If you liked my critter photos, head to Misty Dawn's Camera Critter page and check out some of the other entries. And if you have the time, join in on the fun!