Monthly Archives: August 2023
New Mexico! Burning Rufous
Rufous Hummingbird: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — I went back to Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe a second day, with the specific purpose of catching more birds away from the feeders. This Rufous Hummingbird was guarding a feeder and had three perches, two of them in tall pines up the hill, and one in brush at the corner of the building…close enough for detail shots. Catching the gorget flashing was another whole thing! I managed a few shots. OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 800 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
India! Chambal Storks
Asian Openbill, Wooly-necked, and Painted Storks: Chambal River near Rathambore, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — Still playing catch up from my March 2023 trip to the area just south of Delhi in India. These are three more birds, all storks, that we saw from the boat on the Chambal River near Rathambore National Park. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 and f4.5 @ 1/1000th.
New Mexico! Towhees
Spotted Towhee and Canyon Towhee: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — The Spotted Towhee was among the most common birds at Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe and I saw at least one Canyon Towhee keeping company. As the name suggests, and as you can see from the photos, the two birds share basic body shape and proportions and habits, though they are often separated by habitat. The Spotted has been in the past, considered the same species as the Eastern Towhee…and was called the Rufous-sided Towhee when I first started birding. (Which dates me.) OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modification. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 1000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! Black-headed Grosbeak
Black-headed Grosbeak: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — There were at least a couple of pairs, or one male and several female, Black-headed Grosbeaks coming to the feeders at Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe. This is a bird I do not get to see in Maine, though we do have a few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks pass through our yard every year. That beak is just amazingly massive! OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro. ISO 1600 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! That other rufous…
Rufous Hummingbird: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — If you have spent time around Rufous Hummingbirds, you have seen the “other” iridescent color of the Rufous gorget. The light has to be just right but that green flash is pretty striking…it is most often seen in indirect light, when the bird is in the shade. It is rare to see it as you do in this photo, with strong illumination. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 2000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
India! Great Stone Curlew
Great Stone Curlew (Great Thick-knee): Chambal River near Rathambore, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — Another new bird from our short boat excursion on the Chambal River near Rathambore. Called either the Great Stone Curlew or the Great Thick-knee, it is a large and interesting shore bird through India and South-east Asia. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV.
New Mexico! Rufous Hummingbird
Female or sub-adult male Rufous Hummingbird: Randell Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — There were all most as many of these birds at the Randell Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe as there were full adult males, though they were not “guarding” feeders. I am sure some of them were females, but some were probably sub-adult males. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.