Category: Birds of North America

Gray Flycatcher

Posted in birding, Birds, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Flycatcher, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography, San Jose California Nature Photographer, Santa Clara County BirdingTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 22 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I went birding on both Saturday and Sunday this past week-end hoping to find two birds I’d never seen or photographed before. I got lucky with really good looks on the first bird on my list: The Gray Flycatcher.  A “lifer” for me!

Gray Flycatcher

There were other birders there looking for the same bird which made the experience more fun and exciting. It also helped to have several pairs of eyes, and ears on the lookout.

Gray flycatcher

It’s migrating south, and this one is further west than it’s regular migration route.

Gray Flycatcher

He was pretty far away from me, and in the shadows of the trees so I boosted my ISO to keep up my shutter speed to prevent blurring, and these images are cropped.

Sunday I went back to look for the second bird on my list, but I was not successful.  I’ll have another go this week-end if I hear it’s still in the area.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| Tripod|

Note to self- take the bug spray! I got eaten alive by mosquitoes!

More to come…

 

Thursday Doors 18/52 Historic Alviso Revisited

Posted in Alviso CA, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Doors, Nature, Photography, Santa Clara County, Shorebirds, Thursday Doors, Urban DecayTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 28 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I went out to Alviso, CA this past week to look for a Little Stint which is a shorebird, and very rare to this area.  I didn’t see the Little Stint unfortunately, but  I did see a neat rusty, and sagging door at the old Bayside Canning Company. This Canning Company has been closed since 1936.  I blogged a little about the Canning Co. & town here.

Rusty Door- Photography

The city is letting the buildings decay, and they are currently being used by the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. 

The Little Stint has been hanging around the Western Sandpipers, and I did see some that were close to me. Sadly the Little Stint wasn’t hanging out with this group.

Western Sandpipers- Photography

There are deck walkways that take you right across the top of the marsh and you leave

the deck via a  facade like doorway to the levy’s that surround the ponds. You can walk around these or just gaze at the view.   Back in September 2009 I happened to be there early in the evening for Golden Hour; it was gorgeous.

Alviso Golden Hour Fall 2009

Top two images- Nikon D700| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2015

Bottom Image- Nikon D90| Nikkor 70-300mm VR| SanDisk Digital Film| PS CC 2015

This post is part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors.  If you love doors and would like to see the doors others are posting, or post doors you’ve photographed and join other door lovers from around the world click here.

At the end of Norm’s latest Thursday Door post is a little Blue Link-up/View button click it to be taken to a page with all the links, or add your own.

More to come…

 

 

 

Killdeer

Posted in Bird Photography, Birds, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Photography, ShorebirdsTagged , , , , , , 15 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Killdeer-

The Killdeer is a year round resident in California, and gets its name from the shrill, wailing kill-deer call it makes.  I love their big eyes.

Killdeer_ Photography

Happy Earth Day!

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2015|

More to come…

Yellow

Posted in Birds, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Flowers, Macro Photography, Photography, ToysTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 30 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A little bit of this and that to share today. While developing images I discovered all the images I was selecting to work on had a theme; the color Yellow.  Perhaps it’s because it has been quite nice, warm, and sunny here the last few days? I don’t know, but Yellow just feels good doesn’t it.

I took this image earlier in the year.  Male Western Meadowlark

Western MeadowLark: Male Photography

A Margarite Daisy blossom I think.

Flower- Yellow_Photography

Toys in the Sandbox

Toys in the Sandbox-Yellow_Photography

Matilija Poppy

Flower Matilija Poppy_Macro Photography

Protea from the Australian Garden in Santa Cruz, CA

Protea_Macro Photography

I hope there’s some sunshine in your life today!

Nikon Df| Nikkor 28-105mm, & LensBaby Composer Pro w/Soft focus Optic + 8mm macro converter|Delkin Digital Film| PS CC 2015

More to come…

Twitterpated

Posted in Bird Photogaphy, birding, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Common Goldeneye, Nature, Nature Photography, Photography, San Mateo CountyTagged , , , , , , , , , 17 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I had a most delightful morning a couple of months back watching  some Common Golden-eye males doing the their mating dance/display.

Common Goldeneye Male-Mating Ritual Dance-Photography

Common Goldeneye male- Mating Ritual Dance Photography

Common Goldeneye Male-Mating Ritual Dance-Photography

Common Goldeneye Male-Mating Ritual Dance-Photography

She likes me!

Common Goldeneye Male-Mating Ritual Dance-Photography

I think I nailed that.

Common Goldeneye Male-Mating Ritual Dance-Photography

The word Twitterpated was first used in the movie Bambi. It means to be overcome with romantic feelings; smitten.

UPDATE: I looked up the scene in the original Disney movie and found the dialog about Spring Twitterpation.  I think it’s delightful! Hope you do too.

Bambi 1942

Flower: [about two birds fluttering around] Well! What’s the matter with them?
Thumper: Why are they acting that way?
Friend Owl: Why, don’t you know? They’re twitterpated.
Flower, Thumper, Bambi: Twitterpated?
Friend Owl: Yes. Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example: you’re walking along, minding your own business. You’re looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden, you run smack into a pretty face. Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees. Your head’s in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather; and before you know it, you’re walking on air. And then you know what? You’re knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!
Thumper: Gosh. That’s awful.
Flower: Gee whiz.
Bambi: Terrible!
Friend Owl: And that ain’t all. It can happen to anybody. So you’d better be careful.
[points at Bambi]
Friend Owl: It could happen to you…
[points at Thumper]
Friend Owl: …and you, and…
[Flower looks at Owl shyly]
Friend Owl: Yes, it could even happen to you!
Thumper: Well, it’s not gonna happen to me.
Bambi: Me neither.
Flower: Me neither.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2015

More to come…

 

 

I’ve got a song, I’ve got a song…

Posted in Bird Photogaphy, birding, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Jim Croce, Photography, SparrowsTagged , , , , , , 16 Comments

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

“I’ve got a song, I’ve got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it loud
If it gets me nowhere, I go there proud”

~Jim Croce

Song Sparrow- Bird Photography

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2015

More to come…

California Quail

Posted in Bird Photography, Birds, Birds in the Wild, Birds of North America, Nature, Nature Photography, Nikon, Northern California Birds, Photography, Quail, San Jose California Nature PhotographerTagged , , , , , , , , 34 Comments

Copyright © 2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

When I was setting up my rig a few weeks ago in Santa Cruz to photograph Hummingbirds a California Quail jumped up on an old weathered post not too far from me surrounded by lovely flowers.  I moved pretty quick to finish setting up my tripod w/Sidekick and mounting my camera hoping it would stick around!

California Quail on Post

“You lookin’ at me?”…

California Quail- The Look

A little Morning Stretch…

California Quail-Morning Stretch

Seeing and photographing this Quail first thing in the morning made my day. They’re so quick, and skittish that I’ve only been able to get a few good images of any.  The rest of the images I made this day were icing on the cake.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 200-500mm VR| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2015

Wishing you all a great week-end!

More to come…