pathfinder
May-17-2005, 08:10 PM
Steve wanted to see some of my bird shots from my road trip to Yosemite.
When I heard about the Yosemite shootout, I really expected the main subjects to be landscapes. I did not even think about the variety of birds I might see along the way. But I did bring a 100-400 and a 300+2x along just in case..... Never go unarmed to a gunfight so to speak :D
I had heard of Mono Lake and and its tufas, but really had no idea what I might see there besides the lake.
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22392240-L.jpg
I expected tufas, not willing bird subjects. But I was delighted by the swallows. Here is a green-violet swallow on a tufa. They would perch and hold still. But catching them in the air was almost imposssible, darting hither and yon like hummingbirds on amphetamines.:D
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22392908-L.jpg
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21952309-L.jpg
Here is a closer view of a green-violet swallow.
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22390198-L.jpg
There were shorebirds - Maybe Harry or Steve or Ed can name this species
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22390510-L.jpg
And where ever there are a lot of little birds these days, there are larger birds as well - about 30-40 yards off shore on top of a tufa
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22390194-L.jpg
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21953276-L.jpg
Ospreys are much easier to catch on flight than swallows - not easy, but easier than swallows.
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21951937-L.jpg
But the day was passing on and we needed to push on across the Sierras to Yosemite. I had not given much thought to the birds of Yosemite - Eagles of course, but I forgot the obvious bird of the southwest - the Raven
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21953904-L.jpg
I posted an earlier thread about avian intelligence, devoted to the skills and persistence of the raven.
I did not think about Steller Jays until I saw them in the yard and on the porches of the Wawona hotel
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22102735-L.jpg
There were many other birds that I missed. I think this is a blackbird perhaps
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22100569-L.jpg
And this specimen I captured Sunday morning just before leaving
A Baltimore ( or Northern ) Oriole
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22102733-L.jpg
I hope you have enjoyed meeting some of the avian life that I saw along he way to Yosemite.
:):
When I heard about the Yosemite shootout, I really expected the main subjects to be landscapes. I did not even think about the variety of birds I might see along the way. But I did bring a 100-400 and a 300+2x along just in case..... Never go unarmed to a gunfight so to speak :D
I had heard of Mono Lake and and its tufas, but really had no idea what I might see there besides the lake.
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22392240-L.jpg
I expected tufas, not willing bird subjects. But I was delighted by the swallows. Here is a green-violet swallow on a tufa. They would perch and hold still. But catching them in the air was almost imposssible, darting hither and yon like hummingbirds on amphetamines.:D
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22392908-L.jpg
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21952309-L.jpg
Here is a closer view of a green-violet swallow.
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22390198-L.jpg
There were shorebirds - Maybe Harry or Steve or Ed can name this species
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22390510-L.jpg
And where ever there are a lot of little birds these days, there are larger birds as well - about 30-40 yards off shore on top of a tufa
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22390194-L.jpg
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21953276-L.jpg
Ospreys are much easier to catch on flight than swallows - not easy, but easier than swallows.
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21951937-L.jpg
But the day was passing on and we needed to push on across the Sierras to Yosemite. I had not given much thought to the birds of Yosemite - Eagles of course, but I forgot the obvious bird of the southwest - the Raven
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/21953904-L.jpg
I posted an earlier thread about avian intelligence, devoted to the skills and persistence of the raven.
I did not think about Steller Jays until I saw them in the yard and on the porches of the Wawona hotel
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22102735-L.jpg
There were many other birds that I missed. I think this is a blackbird perhaps
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22100569-L.jpg
And this specimen I captured Sunday morning just before leaving
A Baltimore ( or Northern ) Oriole
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/22102733-L.jpg
I hope you have enjoyed meeting some of the avian life that I saw along he way to Yosemite.
:):