Saturday, April 21, 2012

Picking a Spot and Getting the Shot

I fit a pleasant hour of birding in at the DBG after work on Wednesday. The wildflower garden there is bursting with color, and as such is one of the few places where there is still substantial bird activity, even when it's 94 degrees outside.

Overbearing sunlight and a bit of laziness compelled me to just pick a spot and plop down for my time at the DBG. It worked out pretty well though. The birds soon felt comfortable and were pretty close. There was a lot of stuff in the way, but I had obscured views of Green-Tailed Towhees, Gilded Flickers, and a lovely MacGillivray's Warbler. I also had some nice, clear views of many birds, and the added bonus of pleasing scener made it a very nice session of photography.

This Curve-Billed Thrasher was foraging underneath an ironwood tree (my beloved source of shade). The dry, yellow leaf littler all around reminds me of cornflakes...wouldn't he love to be standing on a big pile of those!

I've often thought that Cruve-Billed Thrasher beaks are superfluously insidious-looking. They're very functional, of course, and help the birds dig into top soil and pry under the leaf littler in search of food. But lots of other birds accomplish this too, and without looking so dangerous. I bet the Thrashers are hiding something, like they are, in fact, raptors in disguise.


The Gardens are still buzzing (quite literally) with Hummingbird activity. There are Anna's Hummingbirds at all different stages of molt and maturity, constantly bickering and chasing each other away from the flowers, never having enough time to actually enjoy the prize themselves.


This young male was a bit more subdued. He had a nice shady perch and was content to let the other hummers fight to the death, perhaps planning to claim the whole Gardens as his domain once the competition had eliminated itself. Whatever his plan, part of it seemed to entail sitting right next to me. I actually had to zoom out to fit him in the frame. How often does someone get to say that about a hummingbird? I would've liked a tiny bit more light, but I was still  very pleased.


The Thrasher was on the ground, and the Anna's sat near the top of the shrubs. This female Phainopepla seemed to like life right in the middle. She was often obscured from view, and didn't seem to be too comfortable squirming in between the brush. I suspect she had a nest nearby, but I could not find it.


She lowered her crest and she is about to take flight--always good to maximize aerodynamics.


I returned to the same spot in the Gardens on Friday evening, this time with Maria and my family, as we all set out to enjoy the blooming gardens in the cooler evening temperatures. We toured the whole facility, and also made a specific stop in the same place, and again I was rewarded with some nice photographic settings. The sun was on the wrong-side of this House Finch, but his red body surrounded by yellow palo verde blooms still made for a nice composition:


He made it look pretty good. I wish I could eat flowers.


This grumpy Curve-Billed thrasher was one of the few birds tolerating the direct sunlight. He seemed to be guarding this net-covered yucca plant, and was determined that it remain concealed until its grand unveiling, whenever that may be.


But even the most stalwart sentries still need to blink, and this Thrasher was no exception. In this photo, the nictitating membrane is still visible, as only half of the eye is fully exposed.


It's nice to just sit and bird in one spot. I'm often too impatient and end up roving all over a site. I know I probably see less birds that way, and definitely get less photos, but it has the psychological bonus of making me feel like I'm doing something, like the number of birds I may see is actively within my control, even if that's not the case. Nonetheless, every time I just pick a place and wait, it's just as rewarding.

16 comments:

  1. I've thought about that before...sitting in one place. But I get antsy and want to track sounds etc. Strange I know. But look at the shots you got of the hummers and thrasher....excellent closeup....especially on the thrashers. Those should be framed.

    Read your previous post and had a good laugh. When I saw that rookery awhile back from another blogger, I thought the same thing...except Avatar:) I LOVE Star Trek. I am going to meet the NextGen and The Shat next month at the Phoenix Comicon....can't wait for that event.

    And are you sure it was 94 today? It felt more like 100 down here! I kept drinking a lot....did for birding for an hour and half.....but discovered my place was really the best for birding. We had an HOA meeting and I was amazed at all the birds flying around the garden. I must be doing something right because I saw two more birds that didn't know lived on our property AND found another hummer's nest.

    Hope you have another fun day tomorrow. I'm going to cooler climates....maybe Mt. Lemmon. It's been a year since I've been up there:)

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    1. Thanks Chris. I always look forward to your comments.

      It's a tough call with the sedentary/mobile birding. I too am prone to wandering, and overall I think that's the way I'll stay, because I also like seeing the different scenery, getting exercise, etc. But, all the same, staying put does often yield better photographs, if not better birding, because you're guaranteed that what you do see will be comfortable with you and likely closer. It also allows you to observe bird behavior, like feeding, preening, etc, that you don't get to see in the bird is on the defensive and just sitting still because you're moving around.

      I'm glad you like the Star Trek allusion. What might be really fun is to go through those motions while out in the field, instead of just while retelling the expedition. Alas, I don't know if I have the energy or imagination for such an enterprise (pun intended).

      It was 94 on Wednesday/Friday. Today it hit 104 here in Phoenix, which is just disgusting. In April? Come on!!! I wish there were more birds near Maria's and my apartment because this really dampens the birding spirit (rather ironic isn't it?).

      I've never been to Mt. Lemmon but have heard it's excellent--looking forward to your see and read your findings.

      Thanks for stopping by Chris.

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    2. I am laughing right now....cosplay while birding....lol!!! That is great and I think it would be a first for the Phoenix comicon....but I'm pretty sure that there would be a group who'd totally do it. Star Trek uniforms. The team leader wears red for the USS Cardinal, Medical, blue, Security yellow or red depending on whatever genre it is....the Communications officer is responsible for speaking "bird". However we can't use Universal translators because Arizona game and fish would come after us....I think there are places where playing a recorded owl's voice is taboo to attract one to your area is a no no. LOL!!!! But doesn't it make you think.....how many birders are Star Trek fans? And are we just really away teams discovering new lifeforms? It is pretty cool....just as long as the Gorn don't appear on the trails! DID NOT bird today. Stayed in the garden, FED the birds and got their bath ready so that they had some water in this heat.....yikes...I don't even like leaving the house this time of day. Have a good week.

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    3. Yes indeedy. You might say it's 'the final frontier'. But, at least we know that lots of birders are nerds (myself included of course), so I bet there are more Trekkies out there than we know...

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  2. Wow, 94 is even hotter than its been here! You captured a great variety of beautiful birds! I particularly like the young male Anna's Hummingbird, such a beauty. I love the expression on that grumpy Thrasher too!

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    1. Thanks Tammy. Alas, it's only getting hotter. It broke 100 this weekend, and doesn't seem to be abating. Ugh. At least we've got the beach...oh wait...darn.

      Well, it's all part of the desert charm I guess : )

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  3. I wander far more than I stay put btu I really enjoy just sitting when I know that birds will be nearby. I love the finch image in the yellow blossoms of the Palo Verde, that is just yummy! The Curve-billed Thrashers and Loggerhead Shrikes just might be, in fact, raptors! (just kidding!)

    94 is awfully warm for this early in the year.

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    1. I should have added that, with the weather only getting warmer (it hit 104 today, come on!?), I'll probably be doing more and more sitting and waiting, lest I be sunburnt into an unrecognizable oblivion.

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  4. Wonderful photos! Gotta love the thrasher.

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    1. Thanks Scott. They don't have a lot of color, but they're busy birds and are pretty photogenic.

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  5. So many cool birds! I hope to see them all next week... That heat is terrifying though. More terrifying than death by thrasher.

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    1. Next weekend shouldn't be so high--mid 80s probably. I guess we've gotta take the good with the bad as far as desert birding goes. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing about your expeditions.

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  6. Great post! Well said about sitting in one spot rather than roaming, it can be very different and rewarding! I think I would whither in that kind of heat right now, it's been really chilly here in Maine (which means I'm still waiting for warblers and hummers are still a thing of the very distant future!). Love the expression on that grumpy thrasher and the composition of all your shots. What a treat to get such face-melting photos of hummingbirds! Nice work!

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    1. Thanks a lot Lauren. What I wouldn't give for a little chilly weather now...

      I must admit, since Thrashers are mimids and imitate other bird's calls, that Thrasher may well have been imitating my visage, sweltering as I was.

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Awesome shots! I especially like that your grumpy Curve-billed Thrasher looks like a Dr. Seuss antagonist. I don't think you could get better hummingbird pictures if you sprouted blooming flowers all over your body.

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    1. Good point about the Thrasher Nicholas. Now you've got me pondering what sorts of heinous transgressions he would perpetrate, in a true Seussian fashion. Perhaps he insists on keeping all the plants covered, so that they stay safe and secure, but no one ever gets to enjoy their blooming beauty. That sounds like a Dr. Seuss antagonist no?

      In regards to your second observation...do you think it'd be ok then for me to still sprout flowers anyway? I just think that'd be kinda marvelous. Maybe I'd also attract bees, and with time I could get them to do my bidding, attack my enemies, etc.

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