Hummingbird!

I have a hummingbird feeder in the backyard and have seen them come and go. Yesterday, I sat and waited. The following set of pictures is of one female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. The red you see is the reflection of the feeder itself.

I've been asked about my post-processing process. I'll post something about it in a bit.

From the night before. Dusk on the cusp of night.

Same as above.

The following are all cropped from this distance.

Checking the feeder out. So many feeder spots to choose from!

I think we've picked one.

Yep, this is the spot!

Tongue out in anticipation.

Everything is Orange and Black or How I Accidently Had My Best Bird Capture Day So Far.

This morning, I had an errand to run so I went to Norwalk and found that the location of my errand was now closed on Sundays. I know, I should have called but I did look up their hours online and it said they'd be open. Anyway, on my way home, since I was driving right past it anyway, I did a loop around Horseshoe Pond in my car, not a loop as much as a drive to the cul-de-sac, do a 180 and out.

I ran into an old neighbor from our time in the condos nearby and we were talking, her standing in the street and me in my car, when I noticed a flash of orange in the tree behind her. There were two male Baltimore Orioles working a flowering tree rooted between the road and the pond. I excused myself, we were kind of done anyway, and drove off to get my camera. The round trip would take about 40 minutes and I honestly believed that the birds would most likely be gone when I returned.

They weren't and what had started as a day where I wasn't planning on using the camera at all turned into one of my best capture days so far in my short career as a fledgling bird nerd with a cool camera. 

Enjoy.

 

Getting Caught Up: Bird Feeder Edition

I've taken something like 60 photos since I started writing this post so I'm only posting the latest pictures.

These are all from this morning.

I've been working a lot with camera settings as well as my post process. I continue to use Lightroom and have added the Topaz Labs suite of Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, and Gigapixel AI. I'll admit that I have not used GP that much yet but the other two are amazing.

Anyway, here we go.

This is a Goldfinch. I believe that it's a female.

An American Robin. The one who lives in my yard seems oddly fascinated by what I am
doing in the yard.

Black-Capped Chickadee. These are the bravest birds at the feeder. Some land on the feeder
while I am still filling it.

Carolina Wren.

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren.

A pair of House Finches out on the town.

This Mourning Dove sat around and let me shoot a bunch of pictures of him/her.

More Mourning Dove.

My Favorite pic of the Mourning Dove.

Our local Northern Cardinal male. The wife wasn't with him this morning. She usually shows up in the late afternoon.

Here's the Cardinal waiting his turn at the feeder.

Tufted Titmouse with a nut from the bird feeder. He looks willing to fight for it too.

Tufted Titmouse. There were at least three around the feeder this morning.

A White-Breasted Nuthatch. Notice the size of the rear claw. He likes to work/eat head down so
I assume the claw has evolved to be able to support him in that attitude.

Here's the White-Breasted Nuthatch on the tree near the feeder after he got bored
of the birdseed and suet.

Out and About: Hanging at the pond edition.

 

Two Canada Geese working the bottom of a local pond.

Same pond, different Canada Geese Family

Black Crowned Night Heron

Same guy from a week or so ago. Those of you who follow on Facebook have seen this shot already.

At Last!

I've been waiting for years to catch a Pileated Woodpecker. One stopped by and In was so excited that I forgot to zoom in. He left, then he came back!

He flew to the dark side of the tree and then hopped around to the sunny side.

he wasn't pecking as much as scratching and picking.

When he came back, he went to the ground and was picking through the leaves and working the rotten wood in the marsh.

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.

April Break 2021 Edition

 Here at Chez Yardisabi we enjoy the arrival of spring and in 2021 we are enjoying it a lot! We can go outside for extended periods of time without full winter gear. We can breathe the fresh air unfiltered. Oh, and the birds come back.

Eastern Phoebe. There are more shots below.

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe takes off!

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk. "Just what are you looking at exactly?"