Bird Crazy

 

May means it's spring migration time so we are seeing bonus birds! Here's a Snowy Egret flying over a ranch pond. With the longer days, I'm not getting as much sleep, as I want to see birds, and the best times to photograph them are early morning and evening. It's worth it, though, because each time I see a pretty bird or listen to a beautiful bird song, my heart does a little pitter patter. 

Today I went out on the Osceola Ditch Trail in Great Basin National Park to do some birding. I only see about 20% of the birds that I hear, which means I have to learn their bird songs well. One bird that has a distinctive high-pitched song is the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. I actually saw it today, including the ruby crown!

Birding is something I continue to learn. I saw this little flycatcher, but am not entirely sure which one it is. It was singing "Sweet-pea." My best guess is a Hammond's Flycatcher. (If you know, please comment!)

This Western Tanager sat still long enough for me to snap a photo.

Closer to home, the owlets have left the nest, but are still in the neighborhood. They're so fluffy!

I do take photos of more than birds! Here are some deer that like the easy life, hanging out in the alfalfa fields.

Here's a fun bird, the Long-billed Curlew. I thought it was extra fun to get it with the bill open.

I found a Burrowing Owl in the same location as last summer. 

The sleepy owlet look.

Here's another migratory bird, an Osprey, in our backyard. That makes Backyard Bird #42 for the year for us.

It's not easy to get a Northern Rough-Winged Swallow sitting still! They are usually up in the air, flying acrobatically.

At a nearby reservoir, I enjoyed watching how the adult Canada Geese kept their necks low to reduce their profile as they shepherded their goslings across the water. They popped them up to take a look around, and I pressed the shutter.

At my niece's house I marveled at three types of grosbeaks. Here's an Evening Grosbeak.

A female Black-Headed Grosbeak.

And the biggest surprise, a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Her feeder is a big attractant!

This Red-Tailed Hawk looks beautiful and ferocious at the same time.

Another surprise bird that's been hanging around for a couple weeks is this Great-Tailed Grackle. It's kind of noisy. 

The melodious Bewick's Wren paused long enough for me to get a photo.

I didn't even identify this White-Throated Sparrow until I got a closer look with a cropped photo.

And to close, back to the Great Horned Owlets, definitely a high point of the spring birding season!

What birds have you been enjoying?