Stalking the Chat at Oakland Nature Preserve

Posted Posted in Oakland Nature Preserve

After missing the Yellow-breasted Chat on my last visit to Oakland Nature Preserve, I returned determined to stalk the bird and photograph him. I think I caught quick glimpses of him, but no photo. It was fun to see all the other birds who hung out in this particular location…

The Gray Catbirds were active. They chased each out in and out of the brush, completing to be the victors of the sumac berries.

Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird on Sumac Berries

A Northern Mockingbird stood watch from the tallest tree branch. If I were a chat, I think I would have avoided this bully-bird too!

Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird

I heard the White-eyed Vireos several times before I saw one. He flew in, perching briefly in the open. Then he hopped the sumac berries, grabbed one, and flew off quickly. Yay for the high-speed frame rate on my camera!

White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo Steals a Sumac Berry

After a while, I decided to move on and roam the trails. This House Wren told me that he was glad I did. He reminded me that all birds are not camera shy!

House Wren
House Wren

It was a strangely quiet morning. I didn’t even see that many Palm Warblers darting around in the low grasses, which was very unusual. But before I left, this greenie Painted Bunting popped out to say hello. She encouraged me to come back another day!

Painted Bunting
Painted Bunting

Birds on Fenceposts at Joe Overstreet Road

Posted Posted in Joe Overstreet Road

Readers of my previous post may be thinking to themselves, “wait, she went to Joe Overstreet and didn’t get any pictures of birds on fenceposts?” Rest assured, I got plenty! Joe Overstreet is a rural road leading to Lake Kissimmee, and the habitat is great for Eastern Meadowlarks who love to perch on the fenceposts alongside the pavement.

Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlark

The light angles are a little wonky, with the driver’s side window facing the sun in the mornings. So my first images were of backlit Savannah Sparrows also perching on posts. After the sun rose higher, I switched to shooting out the passenger window.

Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

This particular visit was great for the 300+ bird flock of American Robins that was hanging out in the fields. I stopped and listened to their chatter, smiling to see them up close before they leave for spring migration. One after another perched obligingly on fenceposts for me!

American Robin
American Robin – Adult
American Robin
American Robin – Juvenile. See the white patches on the stomach and throat?

I intended to drive to the lake and then slowly make my way back with the sun on the driver’s side of the window, but the thousands of Tree Swallows distracted me for a few hours! :) So my last photo of the day wasn’t actually a bird. It was a Fox Squirrel!

Fox Squirrel
Fox Squirrel

Tree Swallows Swarm at Lake Kissimmee

Posted Posted in Joe Overstreet Road

Sometimes you come across a scene in nature and you just stare in amazement. That’s what happened to me in mid-February when I visited Joe Overstreet Road. I was hoping to catch the Ross’s Goose, so when I came to the lake and didn’t see it, I was a little disappointed. Until I saw something better: a giant flock of Tree Swallows! Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time…and then the dilemma is, which lens do you use first?

It was the largest flock of Tree Swallows I’ve ever seen up close. It reminded me of the murmuration that Dyeyo and I saw a few years ago in Ruskin. Literally thousands of birds were flying around the lake shore, circling the fields and diving for insects.

Dyeyo used to wonder if Tree Swallows ever landed. Well, yep, they do!

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow. One of the few portraits with a clean background from over 1,000 images!

Quite a few of them perched in the grassy field as the birds swarmed over their heads. After shooting some video with my iPhone, then with my intermediate telephoto, I settled down with my Beast to try to make some close-up images. You’d think that would be easy with literally thousands of subjects to choose from. Not exactly, with all the birds whizzing by. It took some patience and fast focusing to zero in on particular behaviors, like this swallow dive-bombing an insect in mid-air…

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow Catches Insect in Mid-air

…or what appeared to be juveniles, lined up on a branch and waiting for Mom to show up to feed them. As soon as she flew by, all the beaks opened wide! “Me, me, pick me!!”

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow Juveniles Beg for a Bug

Every once in a while I’d look up in amazement. Or surprise, when the poop landed on my camera! It’s hard to do justice to this kind of a scene. I mean, how often do you look up and see the sky literally filled with birds?

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallows Fill the Skies

I tried isolating them in flight. That’s such a challenge when they fly so fast and change direction very quickly. I got a few keepers. :)

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow in Flight

It was more fun to photograph the interactions between the individual birds. These two birds kept poking at each other. Somehow in that giant field with thousands of companions, I think the right one invaded the left one’s personal bubble!

Tree Swallow
Tree Swallows Bickering

I don’t know all that much about swallows, but I have a feeling these birds are preparing for their spring migration. I spent the morning in complete amazement, and it peaked when I saw a pair of them mate right in front of me. Spring is definitely here!!

202102203_copyrightJessYarnell
Tree Swallows Ensuring the Survival of the Species ;-)