May 30 2014 Grant Narrows Regional Park Sunny
I have always enjoyed visiting Grant Narrows Regional Park. The Osprey diving for fish, the brilliantly coloured Bullock's Oriole, the Yellow Warbler (Canary to my non-birding friends) and the flocks of Cedar Waxwings all fill me with wonderment. On one occasion a Black-throated Sparrow, a rarity, added spice to my growing number of 'Lifers'I have learnt that in birding to expect nothing and expect everything. Basically just go to and enjoy the Nature, meet other birders and on a special day anything could happen. On Friday most of those criteria were met except for a 'Lifer' but who cares, I had a great days birding.
I originally wrongly guessed that the bird on the right is a fledgling but of course it is not but bonding /courting behaviour. Thanks to reader Mellie for pointing that out, I just missed the actual passing of the berry. I am still learning how to use the Tamron 150mm-600mm and sometimes the zooming action can be cumbersome compared with the prime 500mm I am used to. The Tamron is a little slower to focus and on occasion has difficulty holding point of focus but it's early days with the testing and I have to try it out on different bodies. This time it was the Nikon 7100.
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| (Bombycilla garrulus) Two Cedar Waxwing passing a berry between themselves. |
Further down the trail a Flycatcher, which flycatcher I don't know, but it didn't utter a sound which makes an ID very difficult. Perhaps Colin, Rob or Len can help?
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| Flycatcher but which one? Tamron 150-600 handheld at 600mm with D7100. |
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| Same bird from another angle. The Tamron worked well in this well lit situation. |
On the way home I passed by what looked like a Leucistic Canada Goose, I have only seen this in Steller's Jay and North-Western Crows.
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| Leucistic Canada Goose Other Leucistic Canada Geese |
Here are a couple of links for those who have never been.
Hi John that leucistic goose has been there for awhile it actually has goslings with a non leucistic female.
ReplyDeleteThat is not a fledgling but an adult as they court that way. Fledgling cedar waxwings look different with striped brown breast. He is a photo to show you.
http://www.placeforwildbirds.org/cedar7.jpg
Cheers
Mellie
Great job on that first Cedar Waxwing picture, I really like it!
ReplyDeleteYour flycatcher is an Olive-sided Flycatcher. You can tell by the overall bulky appearance, large bill, but primarily the "vest" plumage pattern on its front.
that looks like a western wood peewee note its short legs! nice photos john.
ReplyDeleteOlive-sided Flycatcher. Note the large bill and vested appearance.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots!
Thanks everyone for the feedback. A novice's mistake with the Waxwing as I have photographed the young waxwing many times and should know better. I have changed the copy.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 votes for Western Wood Pee-Wee and one for Olive-sided Flycatcher which just goes to show how difficult it is to identify Empidonax flycatchers without a sound recording.
I have another flycatcher from Creston which I have shown to "expert" birders and they haven't a clue.
John, great images!
ReplyDelete