Birds of Patuxent Research Refuge

Prairie Warbler #10 ..... with a worm.

Are you tired of Prairie Warblers, yet ? I am. I've taken lots of photos of them. I'll save some for a rainy day !

Gorgeous shots Linth!! Their a great subject!

Thanks, pelle.

Before I hit the sack, here are a few photos of the male Orchard Oriole.

Another Orchard Oriole photo - close-up.

Last Orchard Oriole ....... this one catches my eye.

Very Nice sets of your Prairie Warbler's and Orchard Oriole's Linth!! I would have to head somewhat south to get Prairie Warbler's according to my field guide range, but you definitely have done the bird justice as you do with all your birds!

Love the Orchard Oriole!!

What a fantastic thread. Wonderful, beautiful photos, Linth. Thank you.

Thank you all .......

I was glad to see a few 'Cedar Waxwings' this past weekend. Unfortunately, I was only able to get a quick shot out of the car window. I'm seeing mostly the same migrants.

One new bird that I did add to my "photographed" bird list was the 'Yellow-throated Vireo'.

Another photo of the Yellow-throated Vireo .......

And, here is an 'Eastern Phoebe'. They are a very solitary bird.

Great shots Linth! The Yellow-throated Vireo is beautiful!

Thanks, pelle .......

Recently, I spent several hours just photographing the 'Yellow-breasted Chat'. I probably took over 500 photos. When I told my wife she thought I was crazy. Maybe I was, but unless you have been in the field surrounded by the Yellow-breasted Chat(s), listening to their chorus of various sounds, you have not experienced this fascination with this truly unique bird. In years past, I have chased them from one end of a field to the other and it seemed that I was always at the wrong end. Normally they are not easy to see, or photograph ..... but often heard. But, this day was truly a special day.

And another, staring me down .......

A few more ........

You never know where they may pop up .......

One more .......

Magnificent, Linth.

I think 500 could be conservative...LOL!

Beautiful photos of a really neat bird. I have to see one before I die!

They are beautiful. Great job Linth!

Very nice Linth!! I know what you mean about 500 shots, especially on a bird you don't get to see very often (that close anyways). I wanted to get a ton of shots of the Kirtland's Warbler but I only had about 20 shots left on my card. Took 1,200 shots in about 6hrs. lol Thanks for sharing these, I will be on the lookout for them.

Glad you're posting more pictures Linth. I just love that Orchard Oriole. Spectacular picture of the Waxwings!

Congratulations on the new Yellow-throated Vireo-beautiful! And I don't think you were crazy to take so many pictures of the Chat-it's a beauty! They're all so crystal clear and colored just right.

I was unable to see your EXIF settings, can you tell me how you got all of the Waxwings in focus at one time?

Thank you all for your comments.

duc, as I mentioned, I shot it quickly out of the car window using my Sigma 50-500mm lens. The camera was set at Aperture priority (f/7.1). The shutter speed was 1/160 of a second and the ISO was set at 400. The exposure compensation was at -0.3. Since they were sort of tucked away within the leaves, the lighting was not great. I did sharpen the photo somewhat. I wish I had taken that shot with my Nikkor 500mm lens, on tripod, but I will get that opportunity with them later this Spring/Summer. I have pretty steady hands because it is recommended to never shoot under 1/500 of a second, at 500mm, when you are hand-holding the camera. Anyway, you make the most out of what you have at the time. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Burd, I never leave home without my 16gb card and two 8 gb cards (and plenty of battery power). I'm prepared for the .... unexpected.

nanny, 500 was ..... conservative.

Lots of Barn Swallows around .....

Also, lots of Bluebirds in the area. Here is a female peeking out of one of the many houses located throughout the refuge.

Here is a photo of both the male and female (on the right) Blue Grosbeak.

A closer look at the male Blue Grosbeak.

One more 'Blue Grosbeak' ........

I've been seeing the male 'Summer Tanager' quite frequently .....

Indigo Buntings all over the place, also. However, some days you wonder where all the birds seen earlier have gone.

I saw my first 'Eastern Kingbird' this year.

Wonderful shots Linth! Great variety, I love all these birds!

Another 'Prairie Warbler' photo at 500mm, uncropped. It puts their size into perspective.

Thanks for the settings Linth. Such beautiful photos! That little warbler is gorgeous as are the other birds. Wow, it must be like Christmas when you're taking all these pictures!

Wishful thinking, duc !!!

Wonderful pictures Linth. Just beautiful. Ahhhh! If only to be able to take pictures of this quality!

Love the Prairie Warbler!

WOW!!! There sure is a wonderful variety of birds there!! You have captured them very well, nicely done!

Thanks, all.

I ventured back to Patuxent today hoping for something new, but no such luck. However, I probably got my best picture of a Northern Flicker shortly before I was ready to leave.

I don't know if anyone has ever tried this but the next two photos are from the same image. I just flipped the second one. It's amazing how doing this can sometimes present a totally different image.