October 12 2009

Thought I'd ask if you have seen the kettling of hawks over our White Rock area. I live south of the lake and yesterday counted 22 broadwing hawks "kettling" almost over my house! Thrilling sight and seems to happen each Sept. when they are migrating South.

I enjoy your bird watching photos so much. Stunning pictures! Thank you for doing all of that and putting it where people like myself who are limited in what they can do somewhat can see.
Regards,
Jeanette Crumpler

I asked what part of the lake she'd seen the hawks over.

It was not over the lake but over my house on LaVista Drive which is south of the spillway about 10 blocks. But the pathways they seem to take this year was on the west side of the lake then when they were kettling they would swoop up and form almost a funnel, fly a few dozen yards then kettle again, seemingly to gather more together. I think these are broadwing hawks not the red-tailed ones that usually stay in our Dallas area all year. They definitely weren't buzzards or larger hawks. My friend who had a farm near Quinlan said owls also did this. And she had also seen hawks do this.

I've only seen this twice but I'm thinking it goes on all of this time of year but we just don't see them.
I went on Google and put in "kettling hawks" then also clicked on images and they were pictured and written about. Just fascinating. Wish I had been quick enough to photograph them even with my phone!

Hope you can someday capture that. Thanks again so very much for your excellent photos of the birds & critters at White Rock. I've told everyone I know about your web site.
Regards,
Jeanette Crumpler
 

We are spending a month in Key West, Florida and have wondered what we were seeing as we tool around the canals and shallow areas. Your website is so helpful to our understanding – most notably, that we are unlikely to ever understand but that is ok.

Thank you so much for putting so much information about the different varieties in one place.
Warm regards,
Jan Edelstein and Bruce Reed

April 5 2009

I really enjoy your photos of WRL a lot. I go to the Hatchery a lot to bird watch (snakes,coyotes, raccoons, beaver and so on) and appreciated the YCNH you snapped recently. He has been in that pond (I can tell which pond it is by the water vegetation) along with a Little Blue Heron for over a week. I got the same type photos of him yesterday. I got him fishing, going in and pulling out a crayfish and gulping it down. If only I had your lens. I have a Nikon 70-300mm and it's just not quite long enough.

I was glad to see you post Stumpy. a couple of weeks before that, I picked him up. I couldn't figure what he wanted. He seemed to really like me and I screwed up my courage and picked him up. What a great goose!

April 1 2009

I am a teacher, and we are working with a kindergarten class on an owl inquiry project. I would like to use your owl pictures and experiences for the kids to read and analyze. We would keep your name attached, and not post the pictures anywhere. However, I would like to put part of your blog in a word document because the rest of it would confuse the kids with their fledgling attempts to research. The picture you have of the owl’s wing is perfect for an experiment the kids could do with combs to recreate the silent wings. Would this use be acceptable to you?

Thanks,
Lynne Ursenbach
AISI Learning Leader
Calgary Board of Education
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Permission granted immediately. I like the idea.

February 20 2009

Just happened on your website while looking up Egrets What a beautiful site and sight! Thanks so much for it. I too am an amateur bird watcher, feeder and obsessed bird person. I live in W. Covina, Ca. in a hilly area with a big pond/reservoir below me. Through the years I've been privileged to observe so many migrating duck, beautiful Great White Egret, Great blue Herons, turtles and my regulars that seem to sort-of live there. This year I was lucky enough to get a small flock of escapees at my feeder. After much investigation, I found out they were beautiful Spice Finches!!! Lucky me!

Sorry to ramble, but I get excited about this stuff. Thank you again for a pleasant visit to your lovely website. Great job and beautiful photographs.

Pat Scurti

February 19 2009

This morning around 7:45, I was walking down by White Rock Creek, about a half mile down from the Spillway. I live at the Enclave. Anyways, there were a lot of birds feeding in the creek. I spied a large black bird gliding in from the east. At first, I thought it was a vulture, but then noticed it had a white head and yellow beak. I thought I was seeing things, but when I got to work I looked up the NCTexas Birds web page and saw your pictures.

There was no way to contact anyone on that page, so I came over here. On the Dallas Audubon chat page, I noticed someone else had sighted a Bald Eagle at the Spillway around the end of January, so maybe I am not losing my mind

Gary Sommerfelt

I walked up and down the creek there several times, but never saw that eagle again. Sometimes when the weather is fog soup, I think maybe I'll come upon it again, and this time I'll get to see its face. But not yet.

February 16 2009

For my money, anyone who photographs birds and keeps an online journal qualifies for birder status. But then, I'm just a casual observer and probably don't even qualify for birdwatcher status. So my vote may not count. Thanks for doing this, though. I check your page everyday and really enjoy it.

Imagine Possibilities
Gretchen K. Riehl, Ph.D.

December 28 2008

Thanks for your excellent website. I stumbled on it when I was trying to explain to my wife the difference between egrets and herons.

I wanted to share with you my favorite bird pictures. Yours are excellent, mine are OK.....Mine were taken with my Sigma 150 macro.

I too love taking pictures of birds, and luckily here in Florida, we have no shortage of subjects. I just have a shortage of time since I'm a busy pediatrician. We've gone on several trips this year including a cruise to South America where we stopped in the Falkland Islands. That day of observing penguins was the best! I'm sending you a few of my favorites from the Falklands.

I always say, however, that even though we've traveled thousands of miles away to some interesting places, some of my favorite pictures are from right down the street from where we live in Palm Beach County, Florida. I'm sending you a few of my favorites of a young green heron and a few others. (They're coming my gmail.com.)

If you're ever in Florida, let me know. I'll show you some good places.

Dan Kraft

December 16 2008

Good morning,

I stumbled upon your website while researching what chicken legs look like and got tripped off on your birds. Now, about half an hour in, I am filled with a strange peace. Endorphins flood my system. Visions of soaring wings, curved necked egrets, adjutants in still water - the parade is endless. Sigh of pleasure knowing I can look forward to spending more of my mornings with these wonderful images. Thank you for generosity in posting these for everyone to see and enjoy.

I will now continue on my day's work. I am building a Baba Yaga's hut in the form of a giant lantern for Sunday's solstice and now full of bird, I shall sail through it with ease.

Thank you again for a wonderful journey.

Memi

December 12 2008

I wrote you many months ago, saying that your site is the best free entertainment on the web. Well, thank you again. The wood duck jumped out at me while my son was in the room, and all I could say was: "That's why I watch what he is doing." He was stunned.

I absolutely love the idea that you put up a lot of everything; in focus, out of focus, with light failing, etc. Your comment on the focal length was very useful too. I think you really do a nice job of never forgetting that the birds are the important part of the equation. You site has me asking for a camera for Christmas (thank you Jesus!). I used to voraciously use my Canon A-1, but have needed to move on into the digital format. Not sure yet where I will put it into use, but I know interesting subject matter is never far away-just got to look for it.

You have a great holiday, and thanks again

November 17 2008

Greetings!
I just found your page on egrets through googling images and would like to thank you for such exquisite shots of these amazing birds. Keep up the great work!

God bless!
Kathleen
(I'm with you on answering the phone ~ it's highly overrated!)

November 10 2008

J. R. Compton, found you tonight on google, lost two hours reviewing your bird work and then found your trees in the mist. My God! You are astonishing! Don't ever stop!

Ferol Humphrey

October 9 2008

Hi
What a wonderful life you lead.... with those birds amd stuff... Loved your photos. I made a few wildlife films but am too ill thse days... So I was trying to imagine how lovely to spend a life with the birds in the wild....

Shubhadarshini in New Delhi, India

August 5 2005

Dear JR

I found your web site whilst I was looking for pictures of blackbirds and starlings to try and differentiate between the two. You have taken some really fab photos of birds – thank you – what started out as a 10 min quick search, turned into about half an hour of wonder as I looked through your other photos.

Jo

July 29 2008

Hello,
I'm a researcher in fluid mechanics working at the university of Genova, Italy.
I'm about to publish a work on the aerodynamical properties of birds' feathers and I would like to add one of your photo (in attached file) to a scientific article that will be published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics (http://www.jfm.damtp.cam.ac.uk/).
Could you please tell me if it's possible?
Thanks in advance,

Julien Favier
Post-doc Flubio Marie Curie
University of Genova

Julien sent me a web image of the article but no hard copy. I would so have liked a hard copy.

July 28 2008

Thank you for posting your beautiful photographs. Few people here in VA appreciate the attractiveness of grackles or their behavior, so I am often alone in my admiration for them.

You made reference to people stealing your pics without permission. What would be required to get permission? There is a photograph of a mother duck and ten ducklings that would make a great pattern for a counted cross-stitch. The mother and all the ducklings except one are swimming one direction, while one duckling paddles the other way. I don’t work for a company that makes and sells cross-stitch patterns commercially; I would be asking permission to use the image personally. (At times I have taken photographs and used them as patterns, but my photos are not so striking as yours.)

If it would be unacceptable (or excessively expensive), then that’s OK too. Just an idea I’m tossing around.

Jennifer

I suggested she make a counted cross-stich of the pic for me in payment, but I never saw it.

May 5 2007

J R
You have discovered a hen - a Rhode Island Red in fact - at White Rock. It is a she by the looks of her short red top. She is a beauty too. Your photos of birds are delightful and I was happy to spend some time just slowing down and looking. You are right; I have been busy.  You are a master with the bird shots. Thank you for sharing and thank you for capturing these beautiful feathered forms!

Marty

April 25 2007

I came across your site this morning when Googling South Texas birds. My husband and I were in Edinburg/McAllen area recently and also visited the Quinta Mazatlan in the middle of the day. It was great but I wondered how wonderful it would be in the early morning or late afternoon. It was the first time I had ever seen (or heard of) the Chachalaca.

We have 2 hummingbird feeders and 3 bird feeders in the back yard. I sometimes just stand at the backdoor and watch the wrens, cardinals, grackles, hummers, etc ... and the cats crouching in the shadows. I've thought that someday I might be a "birder."

My husband and I were glad to get the id on the Great Kiskadee. We saw it, even got a fairly decent picture in McAllen but had no idea what it was.

One comment. What you identified as a bird nest — isn't that lichen? A type of fungus. The reason I say that is that it grows on some lines in Lockhart and someone wrote an article for the newspaper a few years ago identifying it. It's kindof like moss.

Keep up the good work or journaling and posting pictures.

the Parsons

I don't call it Amateur for nothing. I may not be able to tell lichen from a bird's nest.

January 24 2007

JR,

I'm no expert, but I think that you have seen a reddish egret.

The little blue mystery bird and the photograph above it are both juvenile reddish egrets. I base this on the straightness of the beak and the high contrast black tip of the beak. Also, the reddish hue on the neck extends over the entire head. Size is also a good clue. If it seems a bit on the big side, it's a reddish.

When I'm not sure, they are pretty easy to identify in the water. The reddish egret is quite clumsy and splashes about, while the great blue is a stealthy stalker. Another giveaway is that the reddish egret is the only one that shade feeds.

Great site, and some stunning photographs, keep up the good work.

Ken

July 5 2006

J.R. It was fun to see you yesterday — and meet Anna.

I looked around your websites, including all the birds. You have some great shots. Were all those herons in one place or did you digitallly multiply them for matting season? You really do have some great bird pictures.

I also enjoyed your movie reviews. You say so much with so little words.

Debora

July 8, 2006

I just brought a Nikon D50 and I have two lenses — a 18-70 lens, and a 70-300 lens. I do not get pictures anywhere as clear as yours and maybe you could give me some tips.

I saw the Black-crowned Night Heron for the first time today on the spillway at White Rock Lake. Took some pictures when I came back near 1/2 hour before sunset. They did not come out very good, maybe it was the light, but your excellent picture did confirm what bird I saw.

You had a great shot. What are your settings?

Great web site.
George Norwood