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The first two sequences were taken with the 7DII + 100-400L II telephoto zoom. This sequence was taken with the 1Dx + 500L telephoto + 1.4x teleconverter.
Two western hemlocks in my backyard were dying. Rather then have them clear cut, I had the spars left in the hope birds such as woodpeckers would use them as backyard habitat. Tuesday evening (6-19-18) I saw a northern flicker perched and calling out near the top of one.
I photographed the back of its neck to see if it was an red/yellow shaft intergrade. No red chevron, so it is a pure red-shafted flicker.
Thursday afternoon (6-21-18) a green heron flew over Sprague Pond at Minipark in Lynnwood and landed near the tree where last year's nest wqas located.
I started out Saturday (6-23-18) with a trip to Pine Ridge Park. I failed to find any of the resident barred owls, but a good looking male wood duck was in the pond.
I heard a very loud drumming sound on the walk back to the pickup. I assumed it was a pileated woodpecker, but the sound was loud even for a pileated.
The loud noise was the pileated hammering on a nest box.
Later that evening I had to brake for a rabbit in my court. I have lived in the same house since 1991 and had never seen a rabbit in my year until last year.
Fantastic variety of wildlife Bill. Looks like the 1DX is working well, the sharpness the combination of camera and lenses produced outstanding results.
Wednesday (6-27-18) close-ups of geese at Mini Park (Sprague Pond) in Lynnwood. The geese have become accustomed to being fed and will come quite close if they think you have food for them. I have seen some people pet them while giving them food.
One of the bird spotters I often see at the marsh told me she had seen the swallows hatchlings fledge. Friday afternoon (6-29-18) I saw a swallow fly into the swallow box. I set up my 1Dx + 500L telephoto lens + 1.4x teleconverter to see if it was still getting fed by an adult. Here is one of several sequences I photographed.
With apologies to Han Solo, I have named the juvie that refuses to leave the swallow box at the marsh the Millenial Swallow. There have been discussions among those of us who have watched these swallows as to whether these are violet-green or tree swallows. After going back and forth on the subject, I think they are violet-greens. Readers are free to chime in.
The Fourth of July had begun earlier in my back yard with photos of a female (?) Anna's hummingbird and some Steller's jays. The jays had been picking berries off my red huckleberry bushes.
This jay was perched atop one of my "habitat stumps", made from two western hemlocks that were dying.
There have been reports as early as 6/30 of sandpipers at the marsh. I photographed a flock of about 15 that afternoon. Two birders along side me were trying to determine if they were least or westerns.
I finished the day at Sunset Ave. with a white-crowned sparrow that spent several minutes calling from its perch on a blackberry bush.
July is typically a slow bird month at the fishing pier, but Friday proved interesting. In addition to the appearance of the brown pelican and one of the Pt. Edwards eagles making two passes over the marina, a pair of marbled murrelets made a brief appearance below the pier.
Pigeon Guillemots are summer regulars.
They show their trademark bright red-orange legs when they dive.
Monday afternoon (7-9-18) I found a pair of western sandpipers at Brackett's Landing North.
The small size of the sandpipers became apparent when they approached a gull.
Foraging on the beach just short of the water.
A flock of least sandpipers was at the marsh. Least and westerns are about the same size and are difficult to distinguish from a distance. The main difference, the color of their legs (least = yellow, western = black), can be difficult to see under poor light or when they are wading in mud.
A good spotting feature is the bill. The bill of the western is longer than that of the least when compared to the head.
Can anyone ID the small plants in the mud with the yellow "flowers"? The "flowers" are not really flowers but look more like mushroom caps in closeup shots.
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