April Break: "I Take Better Pictures Outside Than In" Edition

Today we had tickets to the Frank Stella exhibition at The Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, CT. If you haven't gone yet, you must. I took a whole bunch of pictures inside for which zero came out. I missed a setting or something. I'll figure it out.

I did get some quick and reasonable shots outside when we returned. Clearly I'm an outside kind of guy.

I believe that this is a Common Grackle.

This is what he does when he doesn't want to continue sitting for a photo session.

And here he is with his neighborhood watch group.

Another neighbor back for the season. A female Downy Woodpecker. 

This lovely couple of Northern Flickers have been surveying different properties in the neighborhood. They seem to have settled on this tree. They may just be here for take-out though.

This little Tufted Titmouse was jumping and flitting his way all over the place.

Bird Shots: No School Today Edition

Big wind and rain storm hit the Northeast today and schools were closed so I was left at home without power and just my camera.

But the winged friends out back kept me busy for awhile. Here are some friends at the feeder today.

This is one of three Chickadees that worked the feeder for over 30 minutes.

"Are you lookin' at me?"

At the feeder but about to go to the tree and try to crack this thing open!

Chickadee and Downy share.

Downy alone.

Titmouse.

Titmouse.

I think this is a Purple Finch.

Here's another shot of him 

He was very cooperative.

He loved the sunny side of the feeder.

One final closeup.

Getting Caught Up With Random Bird Shots

I've been meaning to get caught up here at Yardisabi and life has intervened on multiple occasions. So in the interest of keeping more up to date, here's a quick catch-up with some random bird shots.

First, here a couple of Great Blue Heron shots that it took over a year to take. He fishes the pond next to our new place and whenever he was there and I tried to get into position to take a shot, he'd skoot. So here are, I think anyway, a couple of the best shots I've ever taken. These were taken in Wilton Connecticut during the summer of 2016.

I believe that this is a mature Ring-Billed Gull. The photo was taken in December 2016 on Hilton Head Island South Carolina.

I believe that this is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker. It was taken on Great Sacandaga Lake in Upstate New York during the summer of 2016.

A female Downy Woodpecker also taken around Great Sacandaga Lake New York State.

A father Northern Flicker and his boy. Sacandaga Lake.

I call this one "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice". Four Goldfinches (2 pair) working the bird feeder.

Anyway, that's it for now. More as summer progresses. I have a few in the marsh behind the house I'd like to get some shots of.

Some from our yard and some from the school yard.

First, another woodpecker from our yard.

I believe this is a female Downy Woodpecker [skip]

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And now some shots taken from the back of school during snack time.

Manual focus full optical zoom. [skip]

It was soon after this was taken that the male in the foreground moved behind the female, jumped up putting his front legs on her back and gave her a "back rub". The kids were not watching. [skip]

I was struck the the iridescence of the feathers. [skip]

The colors of the feathers are amazing. [skip]

Three Peckers, Three Minutes

These are from this morning. As the snow melts, more and more layers of birdseed, thrown out during the snow storms that have left us snow on the ground since December 24th, become exposed. The birds are loving it.

These woodpeckers were all at the feeder this morning, taking shifts, over for three or four minutes.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker [skip] 

This is an Adult Female Downy Woodpecker [skip] 

Pretty Sure this is a male Hairy Woodpecker but it is different from the other one above. [skip]