I finally managed to get some decent Killdeer flight photos this morning. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 6/16/13.
This morning at the Shawangunk Grasslands, I saw one Grasshopper Sparrow, but had no luck with photos. I took a nice long walk, saw many birds, and took a lot of photos. The trails at the grasslands are really starting to take shape. They were, of course, a little muddy and wet with all the rain we have had lately, but they are MUCH improved from when they were first developed. The mud doesn’t stick in your boots and the walk is much more even and smooth. Thanks Ralph for all the work you do out there – it was nice to see you and catch up a little this morning.
The grasslands have grown in pretty well, so there are many kinds of vegetation and wild flowers which really create a nice backgrounds for taking photos. I did not have any out of the ordinary birds this morning; all birds you would expect for this time of the year. My highlight would have to be the large number of Bobolinks present, which allowed for many photo opportunities.
Bobolinks are certainly messy eaters. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 6/16/13.I was hoping to get a good shot of the beautiful markings on the back of the male Bobolink. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 6/16/13.
I like the blurred flowers in the background of this one. Bobolink at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 6/16/13.
A fluffed up male Bobolink, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 6/16/13.
This Killdeer made several passes, allowing me to get a few good shots.Pretty shot of a Killdeer in flight. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 6/16/13.There were many Eastern Meadowlarks present but I never got very close. I focused more of my attention on the more dramatic looking male Bobolinks, but here is a nice look at a female.
Smith’s Longspur at Shawangunk Grasslands, 4/30/13.
What a spectacular little bird! Huge thanks to everyone (there were many!) involved in locating and re-locating this beautiful rarity, especially Rob Stone, Curt McDermott, John Haas and Ken McDermott. What a great day to be a birder!
Last Friday afternoon at the Shawangunk Grasslands, I had my first real experience trying to photograph American Kestrels for any extended amount of time. I was hidden in the blind closest to the pond where there is a new Kestrel box.
Both birds were perched in a tree near the box when I arrived at the blind. The male left shortly after my arrival and was gone for nearly an hour. During that time the female did not leave her perch, she faced into the strong gusts of wind and preened. When the male came back the two birds took turns going to the box. It is unclear to me what they were doing, maybe they were checking it out to see if it would make a suitable nesting site? I thought maybe they were bringing in nesting materials, but I looked at my photos and I didn’t see either bird carrying any nesting materials. I have since read that American Kestrels do not use any nesting materials.
The male American Kestrel pokes his head out of the nest.And here he is on the box.The female enters the box.
Between visits to the box the male made many visits to a patch of grass very close to the blind. Again, I’m not sure what he was doing; I have discovered in the past that photographing birds makes it much more difficult to observe their behavior. This seemed to be happening a lot on this day.
I was given many good opportunities for flight photos as the male was flying between the tree, the box and the clump of grass right by the blind. I found out quickly that it was much more difficult than tracking Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls, both of which are much bigger birds. I was learning as I went, and did get a few decent flight photos.
Both birds were perched once again in tree nearest to the blind. The male left again and I lost sight of him. He returned a couple of minutes later and I thought that they were mating as I took photos. What actually had happened was a food exchange, which you can see in the photos below. I read on Hawk Mountain’s website that the male American Kestrel will sometimes bring food the female, in an effort to entice her into a nesting site he has chosen. I could be wrong, but it looks to me like he brought her a bat. I have included a heavily cropped image to show the prey. The female took her meal to a shady branch and I watched her enjoy her meal.
This was all very interesting to witness, and I feel like I have some reading up to do regarding American Kestrels. If anyone has any insights, please comment.
The female (above) is taking the prey from the male.Heavy crop showing what I think might be a bat in the female’s bill.The female flew off to find a shady branch where she could eat her meal.
I hit the Shawangunk Grasslands Friday evening and sat in one of the blinds for a few hours. I finally got lucky with the Short-eared Owls. It is always such a rush to shoot these birds, especially when they come up right before sunset and the light is changing very quickly. I was happy to get one more chance to get some SEOW photos this year.
