Blog – Page 151 – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

Not Quite Father’s Day

It had been a couple of weeks so it was time to head out and check on the Osprey nest. The weather and light were not great, but it should be getting close for new arrivals.

The female was on the nest, but it was not long before the male arrived with a fish.

What happens next is the female takes the fish,

… and flies off to a nearby tree to eat it. At least this is what normally happens while they are still incubating eggs. So no chicks to feed in the nest yet.

Both adults left the nest several times chasing Bald Eagles out of the area. Here the female is returning to the nest after one such foray.

All that buzzing around has got to make one hungry,

… and the male obliges once again.

So for this male Osprey it was not quite father’s day, but it should not be long now.

Not long into my walk after the rain there was the familiar “fitz-bew” I had not yet heard this year. After moving to the area of the call, scanning the bush and tree tops, I found the source of the call.

My first Willow Flycatcher of the season. A rather distant shot, so I decided to spend some time in the area. While waiting for the Willow Flycatcher to cooperate,

… this Common Yellowthroat was foraging for bugs in the bushes.

The Lazuli Buntings were still in the area,

… and would routinely stop by and sing.

Also paying a visit was this Bewick’s Wren. It seemed everything but the Willow was going to provide photo ops. Obviously it is going to take a return trip or two to try for some better shots now that they are back.

Bewicks’s & Great Horned

Well it has been about a week since my last post. Unusual for me, although I had managed one outing, no pictures or news to speak of. Plans changed a couple of times this morning, but once all was said and done, there was a chance for an afternoon stroll.

I headed out to Reifel as there were still a couple of birds around on my list to see and hopefully photograph. Along the east dyke trail there were some Yellow Warblers singing and moving between the trees. I spent some time listening, watching and waiting to see if they would move to an area where I could at least attempt some photos. While it was fun to see them again, they were not going to cooperate for any shots.

Then a noisy Bewick’s Wren caught my attention.

With a little coaxing,

… it did pop up a couple of times and provide some photo ops.

I continued checking the east dyke and inside trails, but to no avail for the other birds I was wanting to see. The stand-by to fall back on this afternoon was a Great Horned Owl. It was roosting in the trees at the junction of the east and north dyke trails. I had stopped by earlier but did not like the light at the time. Given where the bird was, it was still on the harsh side.

After preening it took time to strech its wings.

It kept them fanned out like this for a few minutes.

It then took up a more familiar posture. The sanctuary was closing in a few minutes and I had to leave. Too bad, as the light would have been a lot better in an hour or so.