What follows are a few late winter/early spring Mid-Atlantic region sights and sounds. I'd like to begin with some Red-shouldered Hawk photos, but first, here's one of a Great Blue Heron grabbing a bluegill for breakfast. I took it on the same morning I took the Red-shouldered photos. The Red-shouldered Hawk Let's go to those … Continue reading A Few Sights and Sounds
Category: Bird songs and calls
The Unsung Female
The last blog didn't go over too well. Such is life. I imagined some saying, "What does 'Water Sources and Winter Light' even mean"? If the title had been catchier or if I had worded it something like, "How to Take Advantage of Water Sources and Winter Light," the blog might have attracted more interest. … Continue reading The Unsung Female
Water Sources and Winter Light
Several readers asked me about the thrush photo in "More Photo-Worthy Moments." It was nothing special, but I chose it because it perfectly complemented the quote just above it. If you're interested, I took the photo in the woods. It was quiet, the bird was close, and it was easy to "feel that connection." The … Continue reading Water Sources and Winter Light
Some Elements of a Good Photo
Here's a Carolina Wren singing in our backyard. He was signaling the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency in Virginia. And here's a photo of a Great Crested Flycatcher. I posted it on another site with these words: "If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, spend a few moments looking … Continue reading Some Elements of a Good Photo
Birds’ Stories
Before we leave off reviewing the Canon full-frame mirrorless EOS R5, I want to share with you a great B&H Photo and Video podcast. The title: "Mirrorless System Advantages for Bird Photography." It features 2 professional bird photographers, one of whom has made the switch from DSLR's to the mirrorless R system and one of … Continue reading Birds’ Stories
A Game-Changing Bird Photography Camera, Part Two
Let's take a quick break from reviewing the Canon EOS R5, and let's look at some more "signs of spring" photos. These were grab and go, but they're fun and they highlight what's going on in the bird world in early April in SE Virginia. In order, there's a Yellow-rumped Warbler molting into breeding plumage, … Continue reading A Game-Changing Bird Photography Camera, Part Two
A Game-Changing Bird Photography Camera
We continue our review of the Canon EOS R5, which we began in "From Birds to Photo Gear." The EOS R5 and its less well-appointed sibling, the EOS R6, were recently introduced. We'll touch on the camera's eye detection ability and its high-resolution sensor. Please keep in mind that this isn't a professional review. It's … Continue reading A Game-Changing Bird Photography Camera
The Birds of Spring
Many of you enjoyed the Carolina Wren sound recordings in the last blog. I love recording birds and listening to the results. But I especially enjoy looking at the spectrograms, where I can "see" the sounds and learn more about them. Birds' songs and calls are a lot more interesting and complex than many people … Continue reading The Birds of Spring
New Beginnings
We ended "A Late Winter's Tale" with a joke book recommendation. BTW, I hope some of you ordered Wayne's book. We'll begin this one with an edited/accessorized version of a photo that appeared at the end of "Finding Humor, Finding Birds." One of the wonderful things about digital photos is that you can alter them. … Continue reading New Beginnings
Whispers of Spring
We're not quite ready for "the day is on the wing, the kite is on the string," but we're getting close. (Those are two lines from the N.M. Bodecker poem I referenced in "The Day is on the Wing.") There have been reports of American Woodcock courtship flights, House Finches, Titmice, and Northern Cardinals singing, … Continue reading Whispers of Spring
Elizabeth River Bird Blog 