Copyright ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Happy Friday! I hope you all have a lovely week-end!
Fuji X-T3| Fujinon XF 100-400mm| SanDisk Digital Film| PS CC 21.1.2
more to come…
Category: Bird Photography
Friday’s Feathered Friends-Nesting
Copyright ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I’ve been doing a lot of birding lately and I’ve come across some nesting birds.
The first one is a Great Horned Owl nesting in a broken branch of a big tree near the river. I call her Sleepy Eyes.
Not too far from her is a nesting goose. She too is nesting on a broken branch. I worry about her because I never see the mate nearby and I wonder if she’s eating? I sure hope so! She’s usually tucked into the wood there so if you didn’t know to look you’d miss her. On this day she felt like sunning her face.
This next nest has been empty all winter and the other day while driving to my birding location I spotted the top of a head and pulled over to see who moved in. A Hawk!
I don’t know what kind of a hawk, but guess a Red-tail since they’re most populous of the hawks here.
I’ll be keeping an eye on them hoping for chicks soon!
We’re supposed to hit 80 degrees on Saturday! I think Winter may have let go here.
I hope you’re all doing well, and have a nice week-end!
Fuji X-T3| Fujinon 100-400mm| SanDisk Digital Film| PS CC 21.1.1
more to come…
Whatever Weds. This and That
Copywrite ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
I have been out photographing things but didn’t post last week so I thought I’d share some of what’s going on and what I’ve been photographing.
There’s a BIG event here at the end of January called Eagles and Ag. Ag short for Agriculture. The Ag is grass, Cows, and sheep that eat that grass. During Calving season which is now, Eagles and Hawks make an appearance to feast on the afterbirth.
Anyway, there are talks and tours on private ranches and lands. This was the third year I tried to get in on some tours and I finally made it to not one, but three tours! YIPEE!
One of the tours was called the Owl Prowl. I saw Great Horned owls… too far and behind lots of branches to make good images of, and two Barn owls…I was too slow and far away so didn’t get a good shot of them while they flew by. Sigh, but I did get one Great Horned owl shot, sadly, I clipped one wing. I was still thrilled to see it. Birds SCORE! Deborah not so much.
I saw two American Bald Eagles, but they were so far away for my lens. I got a good look through the guides spotting scope though- no photo sorry.
We toured the wetlands behind my house and I learned a lot. These wetlands are private property and the only time the public can get in there is on this tour or you’re a member of Incline Village Hunter’s club. The wetlands are where Incline Village drains their effluent water which creates a wonderful habitat for shorebirds, and wildlife and they have treatment ponds out there to further clean the water where it eventually flows back into the Carson River, and some are reclaimed to water a golf course or two.
It wasn’t very birdy, but the reflections in the ponds were spectacular. That’s the Carson Range.
A few days after Eagles and Ag a couple of girlfriends and I went snowshoeing and on the way home, we saw a family unit of American Bald Eagles in a tree not far off the highway! We stopped! Almost out of range for my little Lumix FZ200, but still a nice look I think. That’s Dad on the bottom, Mom and Jr up at the top.
Then I went to Baby Girl’s for our Littlest’s first birthday party and I did a Cake Smash Photoshoot. Baby Girl and I collaborated on decorations and props. I think it came out alright. I did a pre-cake smash session followed by a nap, and feeding then the cake smash.
He wasn’t quite sure what to do with the cake, but curiosity got the best of him and he dug right in as you can see! I just LOVE his curls!!
We had another dusting of snow, so my girlfriends and I are heading to mountains a bit north of here to snowshoe in a new place today. I’m hoping to see some Chick-a-dees. They’ve been known to eat right out of your hand. I hope that happens!
That’s about it. I hope your week is off to a great start and continues to be a good one!
Panasonic Lumix FZ200| iPhone 7 Plus| Nikon D810 w/ 50mm f/1.8G lens| Hoodman and Sandisk Digital Film| PS CC 21.0.2
more to come…
Friday Most Fowl- Great Horned Owl Pair
Copyright © 2019 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This pair is living in a barn on a ranch not too far from me. The owners were kind enough to let me and a birding friend wander around for a bit.
These two were a real treat to see.
Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 20.0.6
more to come…
Wild Weds. 49/52 Song Sparrow
Copyright ©2018 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Song Sparrow…I think. Its song was pretty on this morning in June.
Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm| PS CC 2019
more to come…
Wild Wednesday 39/52 Yellow-headed Blackbird
Copyright ©2018 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
While photographing Wild Mustangs one morning in August this little guy popped out of the grass almost beside me to grab an unsuspecting Butterfly for breakfast.
Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2018
more to come…
Wild Wednesday 33/52 Snowy Plovers
Copyright © 2018 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
While at the beach a couple weeks ago to photograph the Moon we came across a protected area where we discovered Snowy Plovers nesting.
They’re a small shorebird found on beaches, and barren ground all across North American Gulf and Pacific coasts and here and there in California, Texas, and Saskatchewan inland areas. They are also found in South America, and Eurasia.
Neat facts from allaboutbirds.org:
The Snowy Plover will many time raise two broods a year, and sometimes three in places where the breeding season is long. The female deserts her mate and brood about the time the chicks hatch and initiates a new breeding with a different male.
Young Snowy Plovers leave their nest within three hours of hatching! They flatten themselves on the ground when a parent signal the approach of people or possible predators. They walk, run, and swim well and forage unaided by parents, but need periodic brooding for many days after hatching.
The oldest recorded Snowy Plover was at least 15 years, 2 months old when it was spotted in the wild in California and identified by its band. ~allaboutbirds.org
This one was really close to the edge of the protected nesting area which was great. It gave us really great looks, and photo ops.
Sadly, the Snowy Plover population is listed as Near Threatened as their numbers are in decline. It’s believed their habitat is in decline due to habitat alteration, and increased recreational use of beaches.
I was happy to see this section roped/taped off, and no one breached the barrier while I was there so, it looks like people are respecting them, and the rules to stay out of the area while they’re nesting. I hope that bodes well for a successful breeding season for these cute little shorebirds.
I hope your week is going well, and you all have a lovely week-end!
Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm @500mm| Lexar Digital Film| PS CC 2018
more to come…
