Watching for Lunch
Sep 7, 2020 03:39:40 #
Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans
This little guy was perched on a low branch watching for insects over the water at the park pond. It never stayed still for long, branch to sprinkler head to rock by the water in a circuit with occasional dives to snatch a snack mid-air or off the water.
They are usually near small streams, or lakes and ponds, even your Koi Pond. I have seen them perch around my pool and "rescue" insects from drowning or snatch them out of mid air over the pool. They will also hunt in tide pools by the beach and salt water marshes. They do not come to feeders unless you are offering meal worms and they happen to see them while hunting insects in your yard.
One article I read called them the "Tuxedo Bird". My thought was they look like the head waiter at a fancy eatery as they perch and watch for a meal.
7DII, 100-400L mk1 @ 400, 1/1250 @ f/8, ISO-320 hand held just before noon on a February day.
Someone on another site got after me for posting old pictures and not new ones. Well I will be 75 next month, have health related vulnerabilities and Covid keeps me home. I have only gone off our property eight times since Feb, six of those to medical appointments. And it is hotter than 😈 here so I am not in the yard taking pictures (118 yesterday, 116 today). So I am searching my archives and then going to the OOC version in LR and re=editing using new apps.
This little guy was perched on a low branch watching for insects over the water at the park pond. It never stayed still for long, branch to sprinkler head to rock by the water in a circuit with occasional dives to snatch a snack mid-air or off the water.
They are usually near small streams, or lakes and ponds, even your Koi Pond. I have seen them perch around my pool and "rescue" insects from drowning or snatch them out of mid air over the pool. They will also hunt in tide pools by the beach and salt water marshes. They do not come to feeders unless you are offering meal worms and they happen to see them while hunting insects in your yard.
One article I read called them the "Tuxedo Bird". My thought was they look like the head waiter at a fancy eatery as they perch and watch for a meal.
7DII, 100-400L mk1 @ 400, 1/1250 @ f/8, ISO-320 hand held just before noon on a February day.
Someone on another site got after me for posting old pictures and not new ones. Well I will be 75 next month, have health related vulnerabilities and Covid keeps me home. I have only gone off our property eight times since Feb, six of those to medical appointments. And it is hotter than 😈 here so I am not in the yard taking pictures (118 yesterday, 116 today). So I am searching my archives and then going to the OOC version in LR and re=editing using new apps.
Sep 7, 2020 04:56:08 #
Nice one. I'm glad that all I have to do is walk into the kitchen to get a snack.
Sep 7, 2020 05:40:09 #
I luv your pics - and the casually informative narratives - when you shot the pics has nothing to do with what I am looking at and enjoying almost daily. Thanks for the entertainment. I have not seen one of today's birds before. Smart little bird. 
Sep 7, 2020 05:58:17 #
buckbrush
Loc: Texas then Southwest Oregon
Delderby wrote:
I luv your pics - and the casually informative narratives - when you shot the pics has nothing to do with what I am looking at and enjoying almost daily. Thanks for the entertainment. I have not seen one of today's birds before. Smart little bird.
Delderby said exactly what needed to be said. I too have never seen a Black Phoebe. Nice to be educated so pleasantly.
Your narratives are spot on, and as for the slugs who would think it's OK to snip about new or old photos your can relegate their comments to the attic.
Keep doing what many of us find educational and enjoyable!
Thanks again for your posts.
Alex
PS This years first batch of snap beans were enjoyed yesterday.
Sep 7, 2020 06:28:36 #
Sep 7, 2020 07:04:32 #
Nice work Rob.
I enjoyed viewing your great shot of a wonderful chordate... that has about 70%
of its genes in common with us... thanks for posting.
If you've got any more like that in your "archives", I'd be pleased to view them.
I enjoyed viewing your great shot of a wonderful chordate... that has about 70%
of its genes in common with us... thanks for posting.
If you've got any more like that in your "archives", I'd be pleased to view them.
Sep 7, 2020 07:18:01 #
Sep 7, 2020 07:35:57 #
Robert,
I don't care when you took these photos. You took them and are sharing them, so comments such as what you referred to are inane, to say the least. I and many others truly appreciate your sharing the data of how you shot the photos also, so that we can improve our own practices. Thanks again for posting ageless photos.
NMY
I don't care when you took these photos. You took them and are sharing them, so comments such as what you referred to are inane, to say the least. I and many others truly appreciate your sharing the data of how you shot the photos also, so that we can improve our own practices. Thanks again for posting ageless photos.
NMY
Sep 7, 2020 07:45:38 #
robertjerl wrote:
Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans br br This litt... (show quote)
Nice shot and like the way you discretely put your name in a corner so as to not distract.
Sep 7, 2020 08:00:48 #
robertjerl wrote:
Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans
One article I read called them the "Tuxedo Bird". My thought was they look like the head waiter at a fancy eatery as they perch and watch for a meal.
One article I read called them the "Tuxedo Bird". My thought was they look like the head waiter at a fancy eatery as they perch and watch for a meal.
Fine image and story to go along with it. Thanks!
We've got the Eastern Phoebe version here in Ky. They are very similar, but not quite as strikingly pretty as yours. Same habits; very fun to watch. Nearly every year we have a pair nest here, usually under our side porch roof!
Very good idea to go back and re-edit old files using new tools and techniques...that's something I want to try also.
Marshall
Sep 7, 2020 08:04:07 #
Sep 7, 2020 11:19:41 #
Beautiful bird, beautiful photo. Tell them to go suck an egg.
Sep 7, 2020 14:15:09 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Nice one. I'm glad that all I have to do is walk into the kitchen to get a snack.
Thanks, "snacks" I take it you do not mean "rabbit food", but real snacks?
Sep 7, 2020 14:16:27 #
Delderby wrote:
I luv your pics - and the casually informative narratives - when you shot the pics has nothing to do with what I am looking at and enjoying almost daily. Thanks for the entertainment. I have not seen one of today's birds before. Smart little bird.
Thank you very much. I will keep searching though my archives for candidates for re-editing.
Sep 7, 2020 14:20:28 #
buckbrush wrote:
Delderby said exactly what needed to be said. I too have never seen a Black Phoebe. Nice to be educated so pleasantly.
Your narratives are spot on, and as for the slugs who would think it's OK to snip about new or old photos your can relegate their comments to the attic.
Keep doing what many of us find educational and enjoyable!
Thanks again for your posts.
Alex
PS This years first batch of snap beans were enjoyed yesterday.
Your narratives are spot on, and as for the slugs who would think it's OK to snip about new or old photos your can relegate their comments to the attic.
Keep doing what many of us find educational and enjoyable!
Thanks again for your posts.
Alex
PS This years first batch of snap beans were enjoyed yesterday.
Thank you so much. You are welcome, I plan to keep it up. That other site, I told the admin who complained that they needed members (they are small) but I didn't need them. I also reminded the admin that their policy stated that they preferred new images but old ones were OK if re-edited and updated.
Snap beans, I remember being drafted to sit on the front porch of the farm house and snapping/shelling green peas and beans for my Grandmother to cook or can. Boring as hell for an elementary age kid. but I went along with it because her home canned (later frozen when they got a chest freezer) veggies were delicious - at least cooked by her or anyone she taught to cook them.
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