David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
December 31, 2008
Bulletin #62 – 2008 in review
Hello friends,
2008 has been an exciting year for me in the field of photography. I have had the first show of my bird photos at the Houston Arboretum and 3 of the prints were selected to be included in their fundraising auction last April.
At the suggestion of the webmaster for the Houston Audubon Society, I got a Pbase website. I post the photos from the bulletins as well as other bird photos that I describe on Texbirds. This web site has generated over 80,000 hits this year! The power of the Internet is astounding. This web site provides daily totals of hits, and my maximum was over 5000 last July after I posted the photos from the South Padre Island pelagic trip that I went on.
Thanks to all of you who receive my reports and photos. I receive several comments after each bulletin is emailed and I appreciate that you take the time to comment.
Special thanks to the superb guides I used this year who found lots of birds for me and were very patient, as I tried to get the right picture. I highly recommend them all.
· Rick Fournier in Monterey, California. His email is RimBirding@aol.com
· Darrell Vollert in Chappell Hill, TX. His email is dvollert1967@yahoo.com
· Matt Brown in Patagonia AZ. His email is mattbrownbirds@gmail.com
I have now seen 1328 world species of birds with 35 lifers in 2008. I have photos of 460 species, an increase of just over 100 in 2008. It required 3 California trips, trips to Arizona, Austin Texas and the Rio Grande valley of Texas and 2 pelagic (offshore) seabird trips as well as many local excursions. There are another 200 or so birds to photograph just in the USA and Canada, but they will require trips further afield. I will be busy in 2009 and hopefully will have many more photos to send along.
So for a summary of 2008, I’ll present my 10 favorite bird photos, and some others. Some of these have been in previous bulletins, and some are shown for the first time. But, they all are special to me.
There are several reasons a photo might be special for me. The first is that rare time when a photo may transcend the snapshot and become a work of art. As these are all shot in the field and not staged, it doesn’t happen often. They all have uncluttered backgrounds that would detract from the subject.
The first is a male Wood Duck. This was taken in Hermann Park in downtown Houston. This city park has a large pond that attracts wintering ducks. Because of the people around constantly, one can get close to the birds and get good photos.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/92627965
The second is another photo from the park, the Ring-necked Duck.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/92928564
The last is a Western Grebe. This bird was photographed at Moss Landing harbor in California. This elegant looking black and white bird with a bright red eye against the dark blue makes it interesting for me.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/98312759
The second reason a photo is special for me is just a beautiful bird, or a rare bird that I discovered and was just excited to find the bird. The next photos are in this category.
The famous endangered Spotted Owl is one of those rare birds that it is a pleasure to find and be able to photograph. Matt Brown, my guide in SE AZ had found where a pair of these birds were roosting in the mountains and we hiked up to the location. The birds were perhaps 50-60 feet away and filled the picture. I had to turn the camera vertically for this photo to get the whole bird in the frame. This was a life bird.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787857
The next is a Blackburnian Warbler. The male of this species with his orange, black and white coloration is one of my favorite warblers. They are relatively uncommon in spring migration here compared to other warbler species. This was my third spring to attempt to get a good close-up and I succeeded at High Island TX. This photo was chosen to be on the cover of Houston Audubon Society 2008 annual report.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/96821649
I came across this majestic Sandhill Crane in Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. He was perhaps 50 feet away when I saw him from the car. I stopped and got my camera out. Instead of flying off, he just started walking casually away from me, allowing the opportunity for this photo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/92929019
This Great Crested Flycatcher was photographed at High Island TX during spring migration. I like these interesting photos with some action such as eating a berry or bug. This bird had just plucked a large red mulberry to eat, when I saw him.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/97355693
Next is another flycatcher. The Black Phoebe is a western USA bird that is another favorite of mine. It is simply elegant with its black and white coloration. I found this bird along the shore at Monterey California. He was darting of this perch to catch bugs. He was 15’ away at eye level, the ideal height for a ‘professional’ wildlife photo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/94434845
The Least Bittern is the smallest and most secretive of all the heron family of birds in the USA. They nest in Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge outside of Houston, but even then are hard to see in the dense reeds, unless they venture to the edge of the vegetation. This bird was one of my targets birds last summer, so I spent 3 days at the refuge waiting and hoping. Finally I was rewarded when this bird actually flew up to the top of the reeds about 15 feet from me and allowed multiple pictures. This is my favorite. He is a beautiful bird, but even most birders have not seen him this well.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101423478
The last bird is the Nashville Warbler. This bird is quite uncommon on the Upper Texas coast, but is seen more commonly during fall migration. I had a poor photo from 2007, and was hoping to improve on it in 2008. During my trip to the Sierra Mountains in northern California, I spent about 2 hours trying to get a close-up photo of this bird without success. Then during fall migration, while having supper on our screened porch, I saw a pair of them land in the bird bath. I got my photo, and was rewarded when this photo was featured on the Houston Audubon Society web site as bird of the week.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103791682
Another nature photo that I liked from 2008 were these hibernating Monarch Butterflies in Pacific Grove CA.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/95354753
The 2nd is this head on photo of a Virginia Opossum. I like his pink nose and Mickey Mouse like black ears.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101742577
I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy Birding,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2008 David McDonald
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Bulletin #61 – House Birds and a Mammal
David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
December 22, 2008
Bulletin #61 – House Birds and a Mammal
Hello friends,
With the clean-up from hurricane Ike, I have had little opportunity to get into the field for the past 3 months and both my favorite places, LaFitte’s Cove in Galveston and Anahuac NWR sustained considerable damage. Anahuac just reopened 2 weeks ago. However, one can always check around in your own yard.
In late September, I found a pair of Nashville Warblers (Vermivora ruficapilla). I first noticed them in the bird bath, refound them in a tree and I waited patiently for them to return to the bird bath and was rewarded with my best photos ever of this species from 16 feet away. In California last June, I spent at least 2 hours trying, without success, for a good photo.
This bird is IDed by the gray head, eye-ring, and yellow throat. The male also has a rufous cap (as the scientific name suggests), although I am sure most birders never see it. In fact, most birds of the genus, vermivora, also have a similar orange or rufous cap. The second photo shows the bird leaning forward and the rufous feathers can be seen. The first photo was the bird-of-the-week on the Houston Audubon web site in October.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103791682
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103791522
The Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) is a common migrant spring and fall and it winters in the Houston area. The blue-gray head with white spectacles, hooked vireo beak, and wing bars ID this bird. Because of the yellow underparts and green back, vireos are often confused with warblers. Look at the beak. It is thicker and the upper has a hooked tip.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/104723222 click ‘next’ once
You may remember some photos of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi) that was on my driveway in August and shown in Bulletin #52. Here is the link to the photo.
http://www.pbase.com/image/102077339
Well as luck would have it, in late October, I looked out my kitchen window one morning, and there was an adult Cooper’s Hawk in my birdbath. I took the photos through the window to prevent disturbing the bird. How cool is that to have such a big bird drinking from the birdbath. The adult has a black cap, gray back and rusty striped belly.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105201977 click ‘next’ once
The last bird is in my yard now, a Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis). This hummingbird is normally a resident in northern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Occasionally in winter, some of these birds are vagrants to the upper Texas coast. I had one in my yard for 20 weeks over the winter of 1995-6. It is worth while to persist in keeping your hummingbird feeder filled after fall migration in the Houston area, as you might get lucky and have this bird or a western USA hummingbird spend the winter with you. I first saw this bird on December 11. I finally IDed him on the 13th and he has been here daily since. What a nice winter treat. The field marks on this bird are the green throat, red bill, buffy belly and rufous tail.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/107059536 click ‘next’ once
I have also had a number of mammals at my house over the last 10 years. I live in a wooded area on an 1.5 acre lot. Mammals I have seen in my yard include Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Fox Squirrel, Nine-banded Armadillo, Raccoon, Coyote, Virginia Opossum, and Eastern Cottontail Rabbit. There are also some bats in the summer and of course mice etc, but I don’t know the species.
Recently my dog caught a Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and brought it to the back door. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these marsupials, one form of defense is to play dead (playing possum). The opossum curls into a ball. The dog can then pick it up and carry it. It doesn’t hurt the possum. Well I took some pictures of the opossum, before I took it to the back to let it go. Here are 2 photos. The second is a close up showing the large teeth. With these teeth, it is a wonder it needs to play possum.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/107355926 click ‘next’ once
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy birding and photography,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
Friendswood Texas
December 22, 2008
Bulletin #61 – House Birds and a Mammal
Hello friends,
With the clean-up from hurricane Ike, I have had little opportunity to get into the field for the past 3 months and both my favorite places, LaFitte’s Cove in Galveston and Anahuac NWR sustained considerable damage. Anahuac just reopened 2 weeks ago. However, one can always check around in your own yard.
In late September, I found a pair of Nashville Warblers (Vermivora ruficapilla). I first noticed them in the bird bath, refound them in a tree and I waited patiently for them to return to the bird bath and was rewarded with my best photos ever of this species from 16 feet away. In California last June, I spent at least 2 hours trying, without success, for a good photo.
This bird is IDed by the gray head, eye-ring, and yellow throat. The male also has a rufous cap (as the scientific name suggests), although I am sure most birders never see it. In fact, most birds of the genus, vermivora, also have a similar orange or rufous cap. The second photo shows the bird leaning forward and the rufous feathers can be seen. The first photo was the bird-of-the-week on the Houston Audubon web site in October.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103791682
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103791522
The Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) is a common migrant spring and fall and it winters in the Houston area. The blue-gray head with white spectacles, hooked vireo beak, and wing bars ID this bird. Because of the yellow underparts and green back, vireos are often confused with warblers. Look at the beak. It is thicker and the upper has a hooked tip.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/104723222 click ‘next’ once
You may remember some photos of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi) that was on my driveway in August and shown in Bulletin #52. Here is the link to the photo.
http://www.pbase.com/image/102077339
Well as luck would have it, in late October, I looked out my kitchen window one morning, and there was an adult Cooper’s Hawk in my birdbath. I took the photos through the window to prevent disturbing the bird. How cool is that to have such a big bird drinking from the birdbath. The adult has a black cap, gray back and rusty striped belly.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105201977 click ‘next’ once
The last bird is in my yard now, a Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis). This hummingbird is normally a resident in northern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Occasionally in winter, some of these birds are vagrants to the upper Texas coast. I had one in my yard for 20 weeks over the winter of 1995-6. It is worth while to persist in keeping your hummingbird feeder filled after fall migration in the Houston area, as you might get lucky and have this bird or a western USA hummingbird spend the winter with you. I first saw this bird on December 11. I finally IDed him on the 13th and he has been here daily since. What a nice winter treat. The field marks on this bird are the green throat, red bill, buffy belly and rufous tail.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/107059536 click ‘next’ once
I have also had a number of mammals at my house over the last 10 years. I live in a wooded area on an 1.5 acre lot. Mammals I have seen in my yard include Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Fox Squirrel, Nine-banded Armadillo, Raccoon, Coyote, Virginia Opossum, and Eastern Cottontail Rabbit. There are also some bats in the summer and of course mice etc, but I don’t know the species.
Recently my dog caught a Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and brought it to the back door. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these marsupials, one form of defense is to play dead (playing possum). The opossum curls into a ball. The dog can then pick it up and carry it. It doesn’t hurt the possum. Well I took some pictures of the opossum, before I took it to the back to let it go. Here are 2 photos. The second is a close up showing the large teeth. With these teeth, it is a wonder it needs to play possum.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/107355926 click ‘next’ once
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy birding and photography,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Bulletin #60 – Austin TX #2
David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
December 16, 2008
Bulletin #60 – Austin Texas area #2
Hello friends,
Some of these photos were taken in the Dripping Springs area west of Austin and some at Pedernales Falls State Park. The park is a great place for birders and bird photographers, as they have a nice blind and feed the birds up close to the blind. There are a couple of volunteers (Don and Joan Felch) who keep the feeders stocked and can ID the birds for those who have trouble.
Here is a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) that landed on a branch just below me. The field marks are a brown spotted thrush with reddish tail.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868718
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is also a member of the thrush family.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868721
The Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculates) is a member of the sparrow family. It is unmistakable. The male has a black hood and spread his tail showing the white spots on the tail. The female in the second photo is similar except her hood is gray.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948173 click ‘next’ once
This beautiful White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) has a black and white striped head, yellow eyebrow spots and a bright white throat - an unmistakable sparrow.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948169
Another sparrow family member that isn’t called a sparrow is the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). This bird has several color variations. The slate-colored form occurs in the eastern half of North America. Here is a female. The male is darker gray.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948171
An interesting bird at the blind, in the park, was this female Northern Cardinal with a partially white face. This phenomenon is called leucistic. This is the first bird I have seen like this, although it is not uncommon as 1 or 2 reports of such birds are posted to Texbirds each year.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948200
Lastly, a life mammal came to eat sunflower seeds at the blind in Pedernales Falls State Park. This 6” fat little rodent is a Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Thanks to the volunteers Joan and Don Felch for identifying it for me.
http://www.pbase.com/image/107162494
Happy birding and photography,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald
Friendswood Texas
December 16, 2008
Bulletin #60 – Austin Texas area #2
Hello friends,
Some of these photos were taken in the Dripping Springs area west of Austin and some at Pedernales Falls State Park. The park is a great place for birders and bird photographers, as they have a nice blind and feed the birds up close to the blind. There are a couple of volunteers (Don and Joan Felch) who keep the feeders stocked and can ID the birds for those who have trouble.
Here is a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) that landed on a branch just below me. The field marks are a brown spotted thrush with reddish tail.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868718
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is also a member of the thrush family.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868721
The Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculates) is a member of the sparrow family. It is unmistakable. The male has a black hood and spread his tail showing the white spots on the tail. The female in the second photo is similar except her hood is gray.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948173 click ‘next’ once
This beautiful White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) has a black and white striped head, yellow eyebrow spots and a bright white throat - an unmistakable sparrow.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948169
Another sparrow family member that isn’t called a sparrow is the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). This bird has several color variations. The slate-colored form occurs in the eastern half of North America. Here is a female. The male is darker gray.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948171
An interesting bird at the blind, in the park, was this female Northern Cardinal with a partially white face. This phenomenon is called leucistic. This is the first bird I have seen like this, although it is not uncommon as 1 or 2 reports of such birds are posted to Texbirds each year.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948200
Lastly, a life mammal came to eat sunflower seeds at the blind in Pedernales Falls State Park. This 6” fat little rodent is a Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Thanks to the volunteers Joan and Don Felch for identifying it for me.
http://www.pbase.com/image/107162494
Happy birding and photography,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Bulletin #59 – Austin TX #1
David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
December 9, 2008
Bulletin #59 – Austin Texas #1
Hello friends,
Some of these photos were taken in the Dripping Springs area west of Austin and some at Pedernales Falls State Park. The park is a great place for birders and bird photographers, as they have a nice blind and feed the birds up close to the blind. There are a couple of volunteers (Don and Joan Felch) who keep the feeders stocked and can ID the birds for those who have trouble.
I always enjoy watching wrens. These little brown active birds are great singers and seem to have the loudest songs relative to size of any of my back yard birds.
Here is my local wren, the Carolina Wren (Thyrothorus ludovicianus). The photo was taken in the park. The ID is the bright white stripe over the eye and rufous underparts.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948193
The Bewicks’s Wren (Thyromanes bewickii) is a duller brown wren of the western USA. The underparts are gray. This photo was also in the park.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948196
The third wren is the Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus). I think that this spotted wren is the prettiest in the USA. Both back and breast are spotted brown.
http://www.pbase.com/image/105868666
2 species of goldfinch were in the area. I had not been able to get any good photos of the Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria). The male is black above with white wing patches and yellow below. Interestingly, they do not molt to a dull plumage in the winter.
Here are 2 photos of the male. Of note, in the western part of their range, the males have a black head and green back.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868703 click ‘next’ once
The female Lesser Goldfinch is mostly greenish above and yellow below.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868707
The Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) is a brown streaked bird with just some yellow on the wings. Here are 2 photos from the park.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948202 click ‘next’ once
Working in the photo blind in the park allows some extreme close-up photos of birds that are easily spooked.
Here are the male and female Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris). The male has white spots on his red head.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948175 click ‘next’ once
This Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) is a dull olive colored warbler with no obvious distinguishing marks. His breast has some faint streaking on it, but this feature isn’t shown in the photo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948154
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy birding and photography,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald
Friendswood Texas
December 9, 2008
Bulletin #59 – Austin Texas #1
Hello friends,
Some of these photos were taken in the Dripping Springs area west of Austin and some at Pedernales Falls State Park. The park is a great place for birders and bird photographers, as they have a nice blind and feed the birds up close to the blind. There are a couple of volunteers (Don and Joan Felch) who keep the feeders stocked and can ID the birds for those who have trouble.
I always enjoy watching wrens. These little brown active birds are great singers and seem to have the loudest songs relative to size of any of my back yard birds.
Here is my local wren, the Carolina Wren (Thyrothorus ludovicianus). The photo was taken in the park. The ID is the bright white stripe over the eye and rufous underparts.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948193
The Bewicks’s Wren (Thyromanes bewickii) is a duller brown wren of the western USA. The underparts are gray. This photo was also in the park.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948196
The third wren is the Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus). I think that this spotted wren is the prettiest in the USA. Both back and breast are spotted brown.
http://www.pbase.com/image/105868666
2 species of goldfinch were in the area. I had not been able to get any good photos of the Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria). The male is black above with white wing patches and yellow below. Interestingly, they do not molt to a dull plumage in the winter.
Here are 2 photos of the male. Of note, in the western part of their range, the males have a black head and green back.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868703 click ‘next’ once
The female Lesser Goldfinch is mostly greenish above and yellow below.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105868707
The Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) is a brown streaked bird with just some yellow on the wings. Here are 2 photos from the park.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948202 click ‘next’ once
Working in the photo blind in the park allows some extreme close-up photos of birds that are easily spooked.
Here are the male and female Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris). The male has white spots on his red head.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948175 click ‘next’ once
This Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) is a dull olive colored warbler with no obvious distinguishing marks. His breast has some faint streaking on it, but this feature isn’t shown in the photo.
http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105948154
All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.
Happy birding and photography,
David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net
photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)