Tag Archives: bird

Photographs: Birds, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Redwing Blackbird

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Redwing Blackbird
A male redwing blackbird perches on winter vegetation.

Redwing Blackbird. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A male redwing blackbird perches on winter vegetation.

Redwing blackbirds, especially when they flock together, seem like some of the most exuberant birds in my part of the world. On the ideal morning, hundreds (or more!) of them may assemble on a tree or among reeds, chirping and singing enthusiastically… only to suddenly and unexpectedly take to the air in tightly spaced groups whose flight patterns are amazing.

I didn’t have quite that experience on this occasion, but it was still a worthwhile moment. This bird was perched by itself on this winter wetland vegetation. As the male birds do, he was showing off his bright red wing patches as he faced m , with the wetland landscape barely visible in the distant background

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Great Blue Heron

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Great Blue Heron
A great blue heron standing in a winter pasture

Great Blue Heron. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A great blue heron standing in a winter pasture.

Great Blue Herons are soloists — I virtually never seem them in groups, with only one strange exception. Both herons and egrets are closely related, and I recall being surprised a few years ago to encounter bird pairs consisting of a great blue heron and a great egret. I particularly remember watching one such pair land and then fly off together.

But this one was definitely alone. Earlier in the season I had seen few great blue herons, but by this point I was beginning to spot more of them, and I had already encountered several on the day I photographed this one — including one memorable critter that flew back and forth in front of me several times, gliding above a shallow bond. The bird in the photograph stood alone in a large pasture that was beginning to green up after winter rains. Up close they are remarkable birds, and their attentiveness to surroundings becomes apparent.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Egret Among Clouds

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Egret Among Clouds
An egret flies into early morning winter sky with fog and clouds

Egret Among Clouds. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An egret flies into early morning winter sky with fog and clouds

In some ways the great white egrets seem less special than some of the birds that arrive and depart in huge flocks each season. The first sight of these birds in impressive — whether it is a solitary bird flying past with its characteristic slow wing motion, a bird hunting in grassland or shallow water, or perhaps a small group in a winter field. But eventually you figure out that they are far from rare, and you can find them in many areas that have the right combination of water and food.

However, in flight they have a remarkable degree of gracefulness. They almost always fly alone, and they tend toward slow-moving, steady flying, often coasting or moving wings slowly. There landings are momentarily very beautiful as wings flare just as they hit the ground. This bird took to the air nearby and then flew slowly into a cloudy golden hour sky.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Avocet, Sunset Reflection

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Avocet, Sunset Reflection
An avocet feeds in shallow water reflecting sunset light

Avocet, Sunset Reflection. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An avocet feeds in shallow water reflecting sunset light

I remember, many years ago, taking a college class that included a section on birds in the San Francisco Bay Area. The birding gene didn’t initially take for me — that came many years later — but I remember what must have been a very effective presentation on differences among shore birds. The birds found along the edges of bodies of water vary greatly in size and shape, from very small to quite large, and their leg and bill sizes vary, too. What I recall is the obvious point, that I hadn’t thought of before, that each bird, with its long or short legs and its long or short bill, is adapted to a different niche in this environment, and even to differing depths of water.

The avocet is a striking bird in many ways. This one, like most that I’ve seen, was an almost solitary specimen. If another was nearby I did not see it. The bird has long legs, which it puts to use by wading in a few inches of water as it feeds. The long, curved beak allows it to reach down and pluck edibles out of the water. This one was feeding close to the shoreline and moving toward water that reflects the sunset sky, so I held still and waited for it to move into just the right position, where the colors of reflected sky were most strongly reflected in the water.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.