On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
It’s Albatrossity Monday, JanieM takes us around her neighborhood, and UncleEb, TKH and Elma all continue with the series they started last week!
I don’t know what you guys have all been thinking about these last few weeks :-) but this would be a good time to submit that OTR post you have been considering putting together.
Albatrossity
Fall is here, no more chasing needed. So this is the last of this series, and we’ll see what comes next. I hope journey has been enjoyable for you all! And if you need a bird calendar to go with your Pets of Balloon Juice calendar, here are some options for 2023. Birds of Flyover Country and the strangely popular Bird Butts calendar.
Not a bird, but a lovely native orchid, Great Plains Ladies’-Tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum). It was blooming alongside a road in Pottawatomie County; usually you have to wander through a lot of native pastures to see this one. I actually got down far enough to sniff it, since I remembered that it was supposed to smell pretty good. And it does! Reminiscent of a good Sauternes, honey-scented, with pipe tobacco overtones. Click here for larger image.
Warbler migration winds down and sparrow migration cranks up in mid-October here. Other than the winter-resident Yellow-Rumped Warblers, these will be the last I see until next spring. That makes me appreciate them just a bit more. Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla), in fresh fall plumage. Click here for larger image.
Orange-crowned Warblers (Leiothlypis celata), among the plainest of the warbler clan, are still pretty good-looking when surrounded by fall foliage. Click here for larger image.
Spindly legs and yellow slippers are good field marks for this Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula), who is also even more attractive in the midst of fall colors. Click here for larger image.
Last weeks installment featured a Sharp-shinned Hawk, an accipiter who would love to get up close and personal with a warbler or a kinglet. The other common accipiter in much of North America is the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipter cooperi). Unlike the Sharp-shinned Hawk, which is found in both North and South America, this one is confined to North America. It is, however, one member of a superspecies (the other members being Gundlach’s Hawk from Cuba, Bicolored Hawk of the lowland Neotropics, and Chilean Hawk) that covers both continents. Taxonomy being what it is, in the future one or more of those might be lumped back together with A. cooperi again. Click here for larger image.
Lumpers and splitters also have a history with this species, the Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca), which currently has 4 main groups and 18 recognized subspecies. One of the most geographically variable species on the planet, this large but shy sparrow is always a treat to see. Click here for larger image.
Another handsome but shy sparrow is the Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana). It is aptly named, as it is seldom found far from water in the breeding season, and also tends to frequent wetter places in its winter range. It has a broad gray eyebrow similar to that of Lincoln’s Sparrow, but this is a more robust bird than that gracile species. Click here for larger image.
This sequence is included because it shows something that I had never seen, a bird “licking its lips” to (unsuccessfully) remove stray food bits. This Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) had a seed husk or some other small food item stuck to its bill, and tried to use its tongue to dislodge it. It failed. A more typical bird move would be to wipe the bill on a twig or stick, but it did not try that maneuver while I was watching. Click here for larger image.
The first hint that Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) have returned to plunder our backyard feeders is their tooting, described as a sound like that of a small tin horn. A vocal and welcome backyard presence all winter long, these sprites are feisty and tame at the same time, which I find to be quite endearing. Click here for larger image.
Another hint of winter is the return of some of the northern subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). This richly-pigmented bird is a representative of the northern (B. j. abieticola), and was the first migrant redtail that I saw this season. There will be many more to come; if you want to view the amazing variety of plumages of this species, you could do a lot worse than come to Kansas in December or January! Click here for larger image.
raven
Sweet. The “Chasing Summer” to Fall can be changed now.
sab
Those are amazing.
Which came first? Ornithology or photography? Can you do ornithology without photography?
Curious about career choice. My dad wanted to be a marine biologist, but WWII sent him into medicine.
Mathguy
Thanks for all these great photos–they make the beginning of the week much more pleasant.
Didn’t know about that native orchid–now googling to see if it goes as far north as Nebraska.
Spanky
@sab: Sure! J. J. Audubon did “ornithology” by blowing birds out of the trees with a shotgun and studying them at his leisure.
He might not be considered an ornithologist, but the technique was pervasive among scientists.
sab
@Spanky: Nasty nasty hostile answer to an honest question. Troll wannabe?
sab
@Spanky: What is wrong mentally with people like you? Implying innocent people are doing awful stuff that only creeps like you could imagine.
sab
Trying to convince my beloved pitbull that lying crosswise acros my bed is not an endearing move. I love her but i gotta sleep.
Reboot
@sab: Fairly historically accurate answer, though, to your question of which came first. It’s pretty much how early study on birds was carried out. For a brief example, Darwin’s servant on the Beagle ‘became Darwin’s assistant as a collector, hunter and taxidermist.’ (Apologies for the crude cite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syms_Covington)
sab
@Reboot: done here. Just wanted an answer not a troll fight.
Spanky
@sab: What are you talking about? That was the common technique in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Reboot
@sab: Not to continue ‘trolling,’ but that was kind of your question?
Ken
I do not drink… wine, but I do enjoy some of the second-hand descriptions. A few years ago I spotted “floral, with hints of leather and mushrooms”.
Ken
@Spanky: I thought Audubon was just a really fast painter…
delphinium
That Fox Sparrow is adorable. Thanks for this series-your photos are always amazing and I appreciate the info about each bird.
Albatrossity
@sab: Not gonna concern myself with Audubon, who has plenty of other issues these days, but for me I was a photographer before I was a birder. My dad was a professional photographer in a small town (lots of weddings, First Communions, yearbook pics etc.), and gave each of his kids a camera for our tenth birthdays.
I got into birding later, in graduate school. And just for the record I am not an ornithologist. My research area was biochemistry/cell biology. Birding (and bird photography) are therapeutic hobbies!
Another Scott
There was a Cooper’s hawk in the dogwood right next to our NoVA driveway for a minute or so last week. (I thought at first via the Albatrossity Rule that it was a Red Tailed Hawk, but Google Lens said that it was an exception.) It was in the shadows and backlit, and was turned away, so I didn’t get a decent shot with my cell phone before it flew away. J’s iPhone 13 did a much better job than my Galaxy S20+. Maybe it’s time for me to think about a new phone, or different camera app…
It was briefly at our deck birdbath for a drink a couple of days later, and was gone before I could even think about a picture.
The shots you are able to get are just amazing. While I’m sure that you hide the work, you make it look so easy. ;-) Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Scott.
Albatrossity
@Another Scott: Merlin (the app), and Google Lens are amazing. They are not always correct, but they sure get a correct ID for lots of birds for lots of people. As you say, the key is to get a decent picture, which can be a challenge with a phone, but if you can manage that, the app can usually handle the rest.
We have a Cooper’s Hawk patrolling our neighborhood this winter as well. And we have plenty of robins at the bird bath to keep it from wandering off too far!
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
Wonderful pics and descriptions as always! I love Red-breasted nuthatches or RB Nuts as we call them. We have one in or yard now exploring or spruces and firs, but it hasn’t become feeder savvy* yet. It must have been born and bread in the far Great-white North. And the color of that Red-tail is amazing too!
Thanks for sharing so much with us. As a birder it makes me feel more at home at BJ than even the dog and cat pics do.
*Question for the word nerds: Is savvy the only word in the English Language with a double V in it?
Albatrossity
@Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!): Flivver
SteveinPHX
Thank you. Amazing shot of Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. I have spent many a long minute in the bushes trying to observe them. Real treat!
mvr
Those are all great photos as usual. I like the hawks (of course! I always do) but I think the red breasted nuthatch is my favorite. We get them here in Lincoln in winter and also in the mountains of WY in summer, iirc.
Thanks!
JanieM
“Reminiscent of a good Sauternes, honey-scented, with pipe tobacco overtones.” — love this.
Thanks as always, Albatrossity — pictures, information, bird call links — talk about a full-service blog!
JanieM
@Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!):
@Albatrossity:
I cheated, and some of these are arguably slang, but:
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/words-containing-vv
Albatrossity
@JanieM: What a great site! Thanks for posting that link (and all those double -vv- words)!
WaterGirl tells me that the bin of OTR submissions is getting low, so please, if you have something that you think would be appreciated by us jackals, click on that form and send some in. I am going in for cataract surgery (left eye only) tomorrow morning, so I may not get out in the field with the camera as much in the immediate future. But I would love to see some new OTR posts and posters with my improved vision!
sab
@Albatrossity: Sorry. Birds so I thought ornithology.
Albatrossity
@sab: No worries. Lots of folks assume that I was an ornithologist, even though the real ornithologists who know me would giggle at that thought!
Also interested in your dad’s story. Did he indulge his fascination for marine biology even after his career changed to medicine? Did you get a lot of beach vacations in your youth :-)
sab
@Albatrossity: He moved us to Florida for my whole childhood. Many weekends spent watching fish in aquariums at Marineland. My mother was bored beyond belief.
ETA We had a waterside house on a tidal estuary. Saltwater fish at high tide. Freshwater fish at low tide
ETA And we had a canoe and two tiny sailboats. Nothing with motors.
StringOnAStick
@Albatrossity: What a lovely gift from your dad to each child! I also assumed you were a ornithology prof!
Lovely photos, especially of one of my favorites, the red breasted nuthatch. I remember being stuck at the bottom of a rock climb belaying the leader when a sudden short hailstorm rolled through. Right after it stopped, a red breasted nuthatch came by and was working its way up and down a juniper trunk within 8′ of me, with it’s call telling you by the level of excitement how good (or not) the bug hunting was. One of my favorite outdoor memories.
Got a close up view of a huge bald eagle perched in a pine tree just across the river last Friday, their size always impresses me.
sab
@sab: Amazingly wonderful that your bird thing wasn’t rooted in academics. Nothing against academics, but a lot of energy exerted just because you were interested.
ETA Wanted to link this to anything Albatrossity
sab
My 20 yo granddaughter has Christmas coming up. Her family is broke. I know she would love a good camera. Any suggestions? She lives online.
stinger
I have the 2022 Bird Butts calendar and it is fab.
sab
@stinger: Got a link?
sab
@sab: Lots of tiny boats, but we never had cameras. Also too we never had musical instraments. I will never forgive my parents that.
TKH
After you told me a bit of how you get these images in the comments the last time, I am even more impressed with these images. That’s some serious skill!
Albatrossity
@sab: Here are the links for 2023 calendars.
Birds of Flyover Country and the strangely popular Bird Butts calendar.
As far as cameras go for kids, there are lots of options. Typically kids in my era used cameras to take pics of their pets, their sibs, Christmas and birthday celebrations, etc. Nowadays a phone covers all of that pretty well. But for birds you would need a lens with a good reach, and the Canon Powershot or Nikon Coolpix models work very well. And you wouldn’t need to pay the price for a new one, there are plenty of older used models with great specs.
And yeah, we never had musical instruments either. I’m musically uneducated, for sure
sab
Another Scott
@sab: Both of the calendar links work here. You can also search for them at lulu.com
HTH!
Cheers,
Scott.
Albatrossity
@sab: That’s odd. They work fine for me here.
Here are the full addresses
https://www.lulu.com/shop/david-rintoul/bird-butts-2023/paperback/product-g7ge98.html?q=rintoul&page=1&pageSize=4
https://www.lulu.com/shop/david-rintoul/birds-of-flyover-country-2023/paperback/product-ke9rdr.html?q=rintoul&page=1&pageSize=4
Or, as Another Scott suggested, search at Lulu.com for my real name – Rintoul
dp
I’m sure you’ve covered this before, perhaps many times, but what equipment do you use? I am an aspiring bird photographer (and gearhead), so I’m interested in your approach to obtain your excellent images. (I never comment, but I invariably appreciate.)
Albatrossity
@dp: Body is Olympus E-M1X. Lens is generally the Zuiko 150-400 mm zoom. Mostly my technique is to find a birdy spot with good light, park my butt on a campstool to lower my profile, and sit a while to see what shows up.
It’s not for everybody, but it works for me!
dp
@Albatrossity: Thanks for the reply. I’ve got a Nikon D750, and I am looking at acquiring a 28-300 Nikkor. I’m an old fart. After spending my youth deep in film, after a decade hiatus I’m dipping my toes into digital, and all the editing that implies, and birds are a natural subject. Perhaps one day I can approach your image-making ability, but I think your ornithological knowledge is beyond me at this point!
sab
@sab: found it!
Albatrossity
@dp: 300mm is just a bit too short for bird photography; you really need at least 400 (preferably 500 or more) to get pics that you will be happy with. Since my Oly camera has a half-size sensor, that 400mm setting on my zoom is actually 80omm, which is quite good for birds, even small ones. So my advice would be to look at something longer than 300mm if possible.