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All Contents © 2008 by J R Compton. All Rights Reserved. When I get it wrong, unamateur Betsy Baker helps
get it right in gold text © 2008 by Betsy Baker. A few days a week, Tue–Friday, catching up some missed days.

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The images on this site are copyright 2008 and before by J R Compton. All Rights Reserved. DO NOT
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Added corrections and updates from unAmateur Betsy Baker to last month's journal.

May 8

Distant Ruckus

My initial view of something apparently writhing on the ground. When I see something like that that looks like it might have feathers, I shoot from that distance, click-click. Then take ten steps closer. I included this just to show how little they were in the whole frame..

Fuzzy, But Definitely Birds

Then shoot at that distance a couple more times and take ten more strides, stop and shoot. This is still a long way away. Long enough my camera's not even sure what I want to focus on, so it doesn't.

Starlings Wrestling in the Grass

Ten more steps and I begin to get details and an approximation of focus. This close (far) I'm pretty sure we're dealing with Starlings. And that their either fighting or having mad passionate sex.

One Foot Abstraction

Probably the former, because their positions change.

Either Small Site-specific Art or Birds Fighting

But it could still be either or something else entirely. Interesting that the head at the left seems separate from all the feathers in the cairn on the right.

Faces

Finally we see faces, beaks, necks and get a better idea of what's happening. Maybe. They're moving too fast for my shutter speed. I keep thinking of wrestling on TV when I was a early teen.

Headlock

Wish I remembered more wrestling move names.

Flying Leap

But maybe "flying leap" is more descriptive. I photographed starlings fighting only once before, long ago, early in this journal's history. That time they were definitely arguing about food, although even with food in their beaks they may have intensely disliked each other.

Chase

They wrestled a few more seconds down and dirty on the ground, then with me taking another ten paces or so closer, they are about to notice their shenanigans are being noticed and first one escaped, and then then the other, racing across the meadow.

Flying Free

But not without further comment.

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May 7

Redwinged Blackbird Flying with Black Vulture Over White Rock Lake

When I first sighted these two flying around well above me, I assumed the big one was chasing the littler one. I knew the larger was a Black Vulture. I've seen them there before, and even had direct contact (!) with one at Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center couple weeks ago.

Chasing? Having Fun?

I did not notice the color on the forewings of the littler one till I got these shots on my monitor. I'd seen before and photographed to some little success crows chasing hawks. That's what I assumed at first. But there was only one little bird.

Chasing

While I was shooting, however, I didn't think about much but maybe getting something of what was unfolding high above me — in great gyring but irregular circles — in focus. Composition was for later when I'd have to crop the larger frames. I spent a lot of time finding the right place to stand where I could see these guys as close as possible while tracking them when I couldn't see them — an obvious intersection of unlikelihoods. I still don't know what they were doing or why.

Redwing Flashing Red

Later, a little closer to my level and at a much worse action-stopping shutter speed and focus, I saw a redwing flashing across a nearby meadow. Of course, I photographed it — in a series of blurs. Sometimes I know what shutter speed I'm shooting. Sometimes I can figure out if there's animosity going on or Jonathan Livingston Black Vulture Games while I'm rapid-succession picture taking. Usually I just shoot.

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May 6

Brave Red-winged Blackbird Prancing on the Pier

Had about 45 minutes to spare, so despite cloudy skies and clinging clammy heat, I drove to the lake, which happened to be close to my last errand. Stood most of my time on the cloudy-bright pier trying to catch one of the speedy Barn Swallows swallowing bugs up, down and all around the bay. Without much luck. However, this brave bird flew out to the pier, landed, walked around, almost too close to me and within a few feet of someone on the end of the pier.

I assumed it were a particularly bold female with all those stripes, thinking this was the closest I've been to a fem red-wing in a long time. So close I can see her little red-wing coverlet I didn't even know she had. So I looked "her" up in Sibley's, who calls him a "First-summer variation." Just when I thought I had this bird, at least's identification patterns down.

Spooky Looking Grackle Flies By Low

Not always, but usually when a Grack flies this close, I photograph panning along, or trying to. The first shot's a little spooky.

More Definitive

A little more definitive a shot, better focus, so many feathers.

Wings-out Grack

I like the one one up better, but this shows actual feathers, still a little blurred by fast flapping and low swooping. What I keep hoping to get is a definitive shot of that tail gone vertical, as here nearly invisible, as it swoops. Then when I went to upload today's entry, as usual, somewhere after Midnight, Time-Warner's RoadRunner Cable was down "for scheculed maintenance," so with no internet or email for the last six-and-a-half hours ("Zero Down Time" my butt), I'm going back to sleep.

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From Before

Great Blue Heron

Just in case we might have forgot, here's a real GBH prancing down to shore to do some fishing at White Rock Lake. Please note that despite its colorful name, in this light anyway, this Great Blue Heron is anything but blue. Compare this with what I at first thought might be a GBH at the Rookery last weekend to see why I was confused.

GBH Flying Away

At least that was the plan before the evil photographer shot a long series of loud kerplunks at it, and it flew away off toward the dam.

Fluffy White on Wire

What it is ain't exactly clear, but I suspect it's one of several flycatchers, it being big-time fly season just now.

Fluffy White At Angle

It doesn't seem to have "a narrowish yellow eye ring," so it's not an Acadian Flycatcher. I guess it could be a Yellow-beallied Flycatcher, exept in the upper of these shots, it doesn't look at all yellow. I guess it could be a Western Wood-Peewee. They're all so close, I just don't know. I'm pretty sure it's not a Mockingbird, another of those birds I alwlays think is something else till I hear it belt out everybody else's tunes, but I don't remember any tunes (not just this time).

Fluffy White Looks Right

My largely uneducated guess (the operative word here) is a Yellow-bellied Flycatcjer, but mostly because I like the rhythm of the name. I liked it best when it was all puffed up. Frankly, I have only clues.

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May 3

Breeding Little Blue Heron

Bird of the Day is the Little Blue Heron, which this, despite these obvious colors to the contrary, is one. Others of its various color and plumage disguises follow down today's entry.

Red Little Blue in Green

Reddish Egrets have similarly reddish heads, and earlier in my apprenticeship (which continues), I often thought I was looking at those when I was really looking at these. Till Betsy told me Reddish Egrets are mostly seen on The Coast, not this far inland. Note what appears to be the usually mostly black body sporting an extra especially bright red occipital plumes. Dashing.

Nesting Little Blue Heron

I like using words like "breeding" and "nesting" in captions. Makes it official. How I know this is a nesting Little Blue Heron is that it's in a nest. There's probably eggs in there, too. Just as the way I know the birds I describe as "breeding" is because they are in a rookery, where birds go to breed. Although it could be that some have dropped by just to check on their growing family. With birds, "breeding" usually describes some change from their usual look, usually a configuration of feathers or colors or visually interesting behaviors having to do with attracting a mate.

Two Little Blue Herons

Likewise, I have no idea if these two are actually a pair. They are two. That's the extent of my certain knowledge. As much as I am honored to photograph them, they are among my most easily misidentified species. These may be the kin I typed about above. The Blue on the right has just congratulated its fuzzed up and fritzed out cousin on the left about their growing family.

Little Blue Heron Transformation - Step One

Little Blue Herons appear as different colors in differing light — dark, iridescent blue, almost black in sunlight; a rich, medium blue in open shade; dead black like this away from the sun — and their feather configurations can alter from moment to moment. This one in the deep shade of the rookery against bright sunlit trees looks black with a subtly reddish head. Then, like Dr. Jeckle transforming into Mr. Hyde (beginning at 25:23) as I watched and photographed:

Little Blue Heron Transformation - Step B

The same bird transforms itself into a showier, more attractive (if you're a Little Blue Heron), poofed out and coifed up dandy in a few seconds.

Tricolored Heron

I had typed that "I'd only got one decent shot of a Great Blue Heron (GBH) while we were at the rookery today," but while spell-checking this page, I did a double-take, recognizing this is not a GBH or another Little Blue Heron looking more magnificent than usual. That white fluffy body and underwing threw me. The blue beak looks Little Blue-iish but neither GBH's nor Little Blues have white plumes.

It's got gray legs like Little and Great Blue Herons and Reddish Egrets; an orange throat and white occipital plume (the dashing feathers off the back of its head) like an adult Tricolored Heron (who — in the books — has orange or brown legs); reddish shoulders like a Tri-colored or Little Blue Heron; and white undersides like only the Tri-colored Heron. Of all the look-alikes, only the Tricolor has bulging amber eyes. So color me confused, but my best guess is a Tricolored Heron.

If so, it's my first, and I only saw it long enough to land in this tree, then fly away. Six shots in seven seconds.

The tangle is visual only, and entirely my problem but not really my fault, since the bird in question chose to land there, nearly filling my digital frame. Still, once we visually separate tree from bird, it looks magnificent and in focus. Always a startlement through that many trees, though it is in bright sunlight. At least fifty times today my camera chose to focus on leaves and branches instead of birds.

Red-tipped Anhinga

I had especially hoped to get good photographs of Anhingas. I got this. It's wingtips are not red. They and the white riming tail feathers are the only parts of this stately bird that lets the light shine through. I'm happy I got one out of about a hundred tries. I was hoping for something a little more detailed.

I shot 699 photographs today. After the rookery, we visited the Bird Squad at Sunset Bay to catch up on friends of both human and avian varieties, so those shots count into that total, too. Nonetheless, I was able to eliminate all but 293 within the first few minutes of culling, and there's another hundred resisting culling now. For awhile I didn't think I'd have enough good shots to make this entry worthwhile.

Cattle Egret Before

Another attraction transformation. First, a Cattle Egret, the carefully-brushed but normal look.

Cattle Egret After

Then a whole 'nother bird with poofed-out finery designed to catch a mate.

Breeding Great Egret

I got plenty of the usual magnificent Great Egret flyovers. I always want to call these big birds Great White Egrets, paralleling the Great Blue Herons I so like to photograph. Although I did not, for a change, shoot every single egret that flew into in my telephoto sight. This one is especially interesting because of its thick upper throat/neck and the flaming red tail feathers waving in the breeze.

Unsub with Great Shadow

And this, well I had to have at least one unsub among so many old friends. I photographed a quick succession of shots of this bird from the fifth floor of the Rookery's friendly neighborhood drive-around parking garage, handily nearly empty on a Saturday afternoon. Of course, what I especially like about this shot — besides the fact that it's in focus — is that its shadow is so full. Might it be a Western Kingbird?

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May 2

Eastern Kingbird in The Winfrey Meadow

The meadow that that aprons to the water in several directions down from the Winfrey building is not always kept wild but is now, weeks already, unmown and, starting today, wild with birds we have not seen in recent days nor weeks. I'm there every day this week, and often before, wondering when it was going to pop.

Eastern Kingbird Flying Low Over the Meadow

Today, it popped. I saw Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Red-wing Blackbirds, Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Scissor-tail Flycatchers, Mockingbirds in almost every tree along the roads up and down, Killdeer, a Great Blue Heron and a fluffy white bird I did not recognize. I photographed all of them today. 327 frames (hardly a record) and getting a remarkable percentage right.

E. Kingbird Flying Flaps Down

Starting with the baby mockingbird on top of last month's journal, I'm sticking with one or two stories a day. Not so many birds, perhaps more organized. I'm curating an art show for July this month, so I'm making it easy by shooting lots of different birds when there are lots of different birds, then framing them up into more specialized stories.

Eastern Kingbird Flying with Bug

By now you've probably twigged that today's bird is the Eastern Kingbird. Most bird books are arranged by species, so that close cousins are on nearby pages. The Eastern Kingbird is sandwiched by the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and the Western Kingbird. So they're kissing cousins. And not surprising they're all here together now. I've seen a few Western Kingbirds in the last week or so. Scissor-tails have been here awhile. But these are the first Eastern Kingbirds I've noticed. I am, of course, no expert. Yet.

Eastern Kingbird with Bug from Above

All three are flycatchers, and that's pretty much what I saw them doing this afternoon. Catching bugs that fly. When they catch flies, I can't see the flies, because they're too small and too fast. But I can rarely see these bugs, either. I'm photographing flycatchers, and they are catching flies. Sometimes I luck out and when these birds are flying up and down, left and right, over and around, what they are often doing that for, is to catch bugs that fly that way, also.

Eastern Kingbird from the Side with Bug in Beak

The Lone Pine edition of Birds of Texas shines especially with short, pithy descriptions of Texas birds. It usually only shows one bird from one angle, unlike Sibley's more complete volumes, and if there's any subtlety in identifying something, I head for Sibley instead. But the short bird blurbs by Keith A. Arnold and/or Gregory Kennedy are some sort of wonderful.

Eastern Kingbird Looking Up

They say, "This brawler [Tyrannus tyrannus] fearlessly attacks crows, hawks and even  humans that pass through its territory. Intruders are often vigorously pursued, pecked and plucked for some distance until the kingbird is satisfied that they pose no further threat." One more sentence some distance from the last, then you'll have to buy the book. I won't steal whole paragraphs: "Kingbirds rarely walk or hop on the ground — they prefer to fly, even for very short distances."

It goes on, but I should note I never felt anything but "oh, you're there, but so what?" from them today or before. Perhaps they know I'm on their side.

Next time, the Great Blue Heron and the fluffy white unsub. After that others in today's story of spring's sudden budding and bugging that I'll keep writing for awhile, intersticing with today's shots.

May 1

Red-winged Blackbird Flying with Landing Gear Retracting

I suppose there will come a time when I am not so fascinated by every bird flying by that I have to have to have to photograph every one possible. This guy (or these guys) made it easy, by flying into a strong headwind and getting almost nowhere with all their flapping, although I still managed to misfocus them dozens of times. Shoot enough I can cover the odds.

Redwinged Blackbird

Although it would seem this one must have been flying with the wind. Perhaps why it is gliding, not furiously flapping. I've often shot redwings flying and will probably continue the tradition, but I try not to duplicate myself. The series this one is from is the only time I've rendered them brown. They are blackbirds, after all. And one of the few times I've photographed them from above. Usually, they're full, detailess black. Here we can even see spots on his fuselage, yet my camera and I deem the exposure correct.

More Brown

Back the other way — and full flapping. Always the orange showing. Else how could we — and all the female Red-winged Blackbirds in sight — tell it's a redwing?

Tilt-a-Whirl Horizon

Here's a little more traditional shot. Red, a trace of yellow and dead dark black. Sometimes I straighten out horizons. Sometimes it looks too good to.

Four Turtles on a Log

Usually I skip the other animals at the lake, concentrating instead on birds. But it's spring, and this is as close as I've got to several turtles in a long long time. There were more turtles not far away, but these were more interessting, a lot closer and inured to people walking by.

Bunny Wabbit

This was only slightly wary. I walked slowly by, clicking from several angles. I think it was as curious about me as I about it. Big rabbit with big ears. Thunder Thumper. If I knew my wascally wabbits as well as I know my birds, it would remain unidentified. A furry unsub.

Bonnie & Clyde

Anna, who took these two photographs, reports: "Two of the three that were released are alive and doing very well. Named Bonnie and Clyde. Annette and Charles (separately) have been keeping them at night and bringing them back to the Lake for adaptation, and the geese are leaving them alone now. We think they may be Muscovy blends. Will be interesting to watch them grow up."

At first, the much-larger geese mercilessly messed with the fuzzy trio. I remember helping fend off the marauding beasts bent on bullying the newcomers late that evening while sitting and talking with the Bird Squad into the dark.

Then one disappeared. We assumed they'd been Easter Duckies till they got too big to stay cute. Then, like so many other once-cute birds, they were released "into the wild" to live happily ever after, even though ill-equipped to face real life. When I saw them the evening they were released, they were very easy to pick up. Too imprinted by humans.

Baby Grackle?

Anna says, "Annette had a pet carrier with a baby bird in it, that we think is a grackle. A man brought it there earlier to release because he didn't know what else to do with it, When Annette told him to take it to the Vet nearby, he refused, so she kept it. I guess Charles will take it to Rogers."

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