jak86094

Autumn is one of the best time to watch for birds here in Southern California. The Pacific Flyway brings migrants through to winter or on their way to more Southern climes and the colder weather in the Rockies and Sierras coax species down into warmer locations. That gets me outdoors frequently and as a result I get to see lots of interesting bird life. Here are a few of the photos I have captured in the past week...all using a Nikon D500 and Nikkor 200-500 telezoom, handheld, on fairly sunny days.

The Black and White Warbler is not real common in Orange County, but I have been lucky to see it several times already this Fall. This is an immature male based on the heavy black striping. I've seen more this year than any other year in the past...not that there are more, just that I've seen them.

Nuttall's Woodpeckers are year-round residents, frequently flashing from tree to tree in search of insects.

The attached series of Osprey photos show the same bird hunting over Talbert Lake at Huntington Central Park. Unfortunately, my photos of the bird diving with talons extended then splashing into the lake didn't turn out, but I have before and after as it kited above the water, dove, and on a second dive lifted with a fish in its talons.

One of my favorite birds to photograph, this American Kestrel was perched in a tree on the edge of Talbert Lake just before I spotted the Osprey. It then flew from tree to tree, allowing me to capture some shots in flight. The blue-gray wings of this bird mark it as a male.

Hutton's Vireos return to the coastal lowlands in Winter, lurking in heavy foliage of trees and shrubs. The two white stripes around a black bar distinguish this small bird from the smaller, very active Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Since both species may be seen in the same place and time, it takes a keen eye and perhaps some luck to see them well enough to make a definite ID.

Finally, I felt I captured the energy and liveliness of this Song Sparrow. Some people think of Song Sparrows as just another LBB (Little Brown Bird), but they have an active personality, beautiful songs, and nice markings in their plumage. The variety of LBBs justifies a careful look and appreciation of this and other sparrows.

Black and White Warbler

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Nuttall's Woodpecker

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Osprey on the hunt

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Osprey after missing on its first dive.

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Osprey carries its prey away for a meal.

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American Kestrel beside Talbert Lake

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American Kestrel

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American Kestrel

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Hutton's Vireo

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Song Sparrow

(Download)

Horseart Loc: Alabama

All great shots. Beautiful birds.

alphadog

Nice images, I don't think that nikon zoom is very sharp ... I owned one and it was not nearly as sharp as a prime...

If they are good enough for you then great... after years of NOT sharp enough, looked to see what the pros and serious amateurs utilize ... no offense intended, and am NOT looking for the peanut gallery views... which are often here... my point being PRIME kills ZOOM when head on head and EVEN the pros who "use" zooms USE PRIMES for the real work

Amator21 Loc: California

I agree with Horseart

Poul.

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

very nice set. Great captures.

jack

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Great captures.

jak86094

Thanks for viewing. I enjoy myself even without a prime. You're probably right, but I'm fine for now. jak

jak86094

Many thanks, Horseart. Have a great day. jak

jak86094

That's very kind, Paul. I hope I brought some pleasure to your day. Have a nice one. jak

jak86094

Jack, thanks for viewing the pictures and taking the time to comment. I appreciate your kind words and hope you have a very nice week. jak

jak86094

NMGal, nice to hear from you. I appreciate the kind words. Enjoy your week and have a nice Fall. jak

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

jak86094

Thank you, Robert. How are things out in Corona? I would guess you are seeing some seasonal birds in the area. Hope you are getting some opportunity to get out and see what's there. Take good care of yourself and have a great week. jak

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The night before last we had light rain all night with chilly temps. And with the first real cold weather and snow up in the mountains right now, birds are starting to come down and migrants are passing through. The ones that hang around for the summer pulled out almost a month ago, so my backyard bird count and variety is way down the last few weeks. I do have a good crop of young squirrels. A mated pair lives in a large tree in the backyard of a house on the other side of the block, and it appears that their whole litter survived this year. Right now I can see two, a bit ago it was three, and a couple of days ago I counted five raiding my bird feeders at once. Two of those were bigger than the others, so I am assuming the big ones were Mom and Dad.

ricardo00

Some very nice pictures of your local birds! We are also getting migrants in Northern California. I try for the more colorful ones. My favorite of the ones you posted above is the head on kestrel in flight (one of my favorite birds to photograph too). Plenty sharp enough in my view. If you are looking to challenge yourself and the equipment, try to slow the shutter speed to get wing blur while keeping the head in focus to make a bit more interesting pic.
Also, just curious, what happened when the osprey hit the water? Did the focus jump to the splash?
ricardo
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