16 Saturday Sep 2017
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Going through some unpublished photos I took over the last few months, I am struck by the many different kinds of birds that live in our small part of New Jersey. Here’s how diversity looks among birds.
Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird.
Black Skimmer.
Snow Geese. They are not all white.
Peacock.
Snowy Egret.
06 Wednesday Sep 2017
Posted in Photography
The link for this challenge is: https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/waiting-2017/
Blue Jay waiting.
Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird waiting.
24 Wednesday May 2017
Posted in Photography
Daddy Red-winged Blackbird: “Sonny, here’s how you begin. Lift your wings and start flapping them.”
Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird: “No, I won’t do that! I just want food!”
05 Friday May 2017
Posted in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Photography
The male Red-winged Blackbird is easily recognized by his red and yellow shoulder patches and his propensity to sing for any reason from the top of reeds or bushes. I saw the one pictured below at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland more than a week ago. He was not shy, stood his ground, and continued serenading even as my car came nearer to him.
Red-winged Blackbird.
Red-winged Blackbird.
Red-winged Blackbird.
Red-winged Blackbird.
27 Tuesday Dec 2016
Posted in Ocean City Welcome Center, Photography
Going through my files from this past June, I found the following series showing a Red-winged Blackbird dive-bombing a Black-crowned Night Heron that had strayed too close to its nest. This all happened in less than a minute near the Ocean City Welcome Center in New Jersey.
Red-winged Blackbird dive-bombing Black-crowned Night Heron.
Red-winged Blackbird lifting up for another dive!
Red-winged Blackbird chasing Black-crowned Night Heron.
Black-crowned Night Heron landing. Note gap on its back.
Black-crowned Night Heron: “OMG, what was that?!”
21 Thursday May 2015
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
The Red-winged Blackbird, an ubiquitous bird in North America, likes to sing. The other day I saw and heard one belting out a famous aria.
Red-winged Blackbird tenor coming on stage. He looked right.
He looked left. Female blackbirds were getting their handkerchiefs ready.
He started the aria: “E lucevan le stelle …”
He paused briefly. Female blackbirds were sobbing.
He then sang the most beautiful notes: “O! dolci baci, o languide carezze, mentr’io fremente le belle forme disciogliea dai veli!”
My apologies to Puccini and any opera lover that I may have offended. If you want to hear a human tenor sing E lucevan le stelle from Tosca, here’s the best:
18 Thursday Dec 2014
Posted in Photography
Last September, flocks of red-winged blackbirds were swooping up and down around me at the Abbott Marshlands. A few landed close by and I took the following shot of a juvenile blackbird. Note the more mature bird with more brilliant coloring beyond it.
Juvenile red-winged blackbird
Many mourning doves live in our area, and here are two examples.
Mourning dove
Mourning dove gathering materials for nest
In early October, I was hiking at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge when a skunk crossed the road and scurried toward me, coming as close as 30 ft. Uh, oh! I stopped and squeezed a few shots, including the one below. Fortunately, the skunk went back into the bushes and did not spray anything. However, it was an omen. The following day, I was told that my job had been eliminated.
Skunk
