George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary – Page 39

Swamp Sparrow

Finally getting a photo of a Swamp Sparrow earlier this month does not mean I now put it on the back burner. The photographer in me is always striving for a better shot. There a few spots locally where they continue to be seen and this afternoon I was back at Reiflel. Recently they have been frequenting the reeds right across from the tower. While watching from the base of the tower it was not long before I heard and then saw the Swamp Sparrows. There were two that I could see this afternoon.

While spending a lot of time foraging down low amongst the reeds,

… they would occasionally pop up. When they did so, you just had to hope for an unobstructed view. I lucked out with these shots of one of the Swamp Sparrows.

Swamp Sparrow

As you may have noticed in recent posts, my current nemesis bird is the Swamp Sparrow. While I have managed fleeting glimpses of the bird while foraging amongst the reeds, I have yet to get a photo of this fairly secretive song bird. They are still being seen locally at Brunswick Point and Reifel. Having had no luck at Brunswick yesterday, I tried Reifel again this afternoon. After watching and listening for some time to no avail along the west dyke I was about to give up when I heard the chip I had been waiting for. Better still,

… the Swamp Sparrow popped up briefly on the bulrushes. It was some distance away and this is a healthy crop, but I will take it. I can now add Swamp Sparrow to my life photo list and it’s time for a new nemesis.

Belted Kingfisher

At least the rain let up when I arrived to help out at Reifel this afternoon. The poor weather of late no doubt was a factor in the low number of visitors today. It was just as quiet on the birding front as well. There was one Northern Saw-whet Owl tucked away along the east dyke trail. At the northeast corner,

… I managed this shot of one of the regulars, a Spotted Towhee. At the end of the day I could hear a Kingfisher from the area of the gift shop pond. While they show up regularly here, they can be challenging to get a decent photo of. As luck would have it,

… the Belted Kingfisher was actively fishing the pond when I arrived and I actually managed to get fairly close. Despite the fact it was getting dark, I managed a few shots.