backyard birds

This is an interesting and handsome sparrow, good-sized. I think a Harris sparrow.

Mourning dove, right?

Here is another of the hairy woodpecker - from the back. They are so cool.

Outstanding pictures. You really have the knack of getting some hard to find bird shots. I really enjoyed them!

Yes, I agree. These are great pictures. I never can get close enough to get the kind of shots you are getting.

Amber, it might be worth your while to get involved with some birders. They go out on field trips and it's a great way to learn. I admire your pictures very much. Joan

Great pictures!! I really love the hawk. We have a family of hawks who lives in our neighborhood too. I have never been lucky enough to get a picture. thanks for sharing :-)

Amber, great photos. Thankyou for sharing with us. DonnaS

Photoshop elements. I buy it at.... like Best Buy? I checked, and I have ArcSoft photobase. It downloaded as an update to my HPdirecter. I tried it using a picture of out back with an aster....I don't have a bird picture.....and I lost the original? Not sure how to just add, keeping the original?

Is that a sparrow? He's pretty neat looking! Your pictures are all so good! Do you lose the color in yours when cropping? This didn't go b&w, but it sure did fog up! I tried fixing it......lol....I need to practice! So pardon my very amateurish try.....lol...any tips from anyone is appreciated!

Terry

well that didn't work!

terry-
i bought and downloaded photoshop elements from adobe's website. if all you want to do is crop and print, there are many freebie programs that would do the trick. i am planning on getting "fancy" someday, so that is why i chose the photoshop elements program. the fogging up you mention is probably the result of cropping the picture and then enlarging it. the better quality of picture that is taken, the less if fogs up when you crop and/or enlarge it. some of mine are fuzzier than others, because of the distance between me and the bird. some are fuzzy because either me or the bird moved. also in general, for digital pictures, the number of pixels makes a big difference - basically, the mor pixels, the better the picture.

joan-
i have my "winter birds" thing at the arboretum tomorrow, led by a member of the local audubon society. we'll be traipsing around the arboretum which has lake frontage as well. i will of course take my binoculars and camera and tripod. i hope to get some good pictures. if i do, i'll post them.

amber

Amber, my picture was clear until I hit the crop button. Then the whole picture went cloudy. I thought when I moved the cursor over where I wanted it cropped, it would become clear. It didn't, and it stays small, like it is above :o( If all else fails, read the help section provided....lol....

well i had a fun time at the arboretum birding thing. it was a classroom slideshow followed by a walk. i saw the most amazing duck, a wood duck. really bowled me over. i'm posting that picture now, mr. and mrs. wood duck.

and here's a closeup of mr. wood duck

i got a couple good pictures of a female red-bellied woodpecker today in my back yard. i'll post the best 2...

it's hard to only pick 2! i love woodpeckers

i was able to get a better picture of a cedar waxwing that visited this weekend...

this is a picture of a duck at the pond in my neighborhood. i'm really not sure what kind, but i'll guess an american widgeon (?)

ok, last picture to share today - flying squirrel ;-)

.. Jes LUV that last shot!! ..
Can't be denied - - a flyin' squirrel he is !!! .. LOL ..
Xcellent 'timing' or 'luck' - either way; a mitey dandy shot!!

All, are beautiful .. but the Wood Ducks, are a 'living' artists' canvas!!

- Magpye

Gosh Amber - You have got the touch! Great picture taking instincts. I too love that flying squirrel picture lol! I bet there wasn't much left in that dish by the time he left.

Nice series of photos of different species. I'm pretty certain that the flying duck is an American Widgeon. Keep them coming !!!

oh, i'm so glad you all are enjoying the pictures. i have so much fun watching the birds and always trying to get better pictures. i've really gone off the deep end now. i had an idea that i could get more and better pictures if i could get closer to the feeders/trees without the birds seeing me. so, i've decided to build myself a little enclosure off the back of my stone fireplace outside. it faces the fence with all of the feeders and bordering trees. without going into detail, it should be pretty easy to build and i should be able to "hide" from them. i'll take it down in the summer probably, but thought it would be great to get all the spring birds. i think i can do it this coming weekend, i'll keep you posted.

amber