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The theme for the 2014 Tulalip Tribes' Lushootseed language calendar is birds. At the suggestion of the president of the Pilchuck capter of the Audubon Society, I submitted some of my photos for inclusion in the calendar.
The calendar is out and it contains seven of my bird photos. Photo credits are on the last page. Instructions for downloading the calendar or purchasing a copy are on the Tulalip Lushootseed website. http://www.tulaliplushootseed.com/
I remember when the last native Lushootseed speaker passed away a few years ago. I commend the Tulalip tribes' ongoing efforts to preserve their native language and culture.
Bill, I know you will have some sterling shots to post from today (Thurs. 12/19), so I thought I would jump in and post the meager two I got of the Varied Thrush we saw at the Hatchery/Marsh. My attempts at photographing the Ruby-crowned Kinglet were a total loss - Next time I will connect my 7D to my 400 5.6L when I am out and about.
I was lucky to get anything - shutter speed 1/400s ISO 640 f5.6.
Thursday (12/19) morning I made a quick trip to the marsh while my son Daren was working out at the gym. I finally saw the Edmonds-Woodway pair of ravens silhouetted in the sky as they flew northeast over downtown Edmonds.
Ravens are very playful.
Although the birds were far away, I think my photos were a grade above Sasquatch shots and clear enough to identify them as ravens and not crows.
A robin was eating berries from a plant beside the marsh walkway just east of the #4 viewing platform.
Daren and I met Terry and another bird photographer at McD's for lunch. After lunch we made a stop at the fish hatchery. The avian action was creek side where we startled a red-tailed hawk. We initially thought it was drinking from the creek until we found the remains of a small eastern gray squirrel that it had been eating. I'll refrain from posting those photos, which are a bit gory.
Several varied thrush were present. Terry has already posted his photos, so there is no sense in me posting mine.
We spent several minutes photographing my nemesis bird, the ruby-crowned kinglet, which was hunting bugs along the creek. At times it got too close for our telephoto lenses and Terry thought it was going to land on my shoulder.
When photographing a ruby-crowned kinglet or a golden-crown kinglet, we kinglet affecionados always try to get a shot of the birds' signature crowns. The crowns are usually displayed in the presence of a rival. We did not see a second kinglet, but that didn't mean one was not nearby
From the fish hatchery we went to the fishing pier, where we saw a large group of surf scoters in the water. Terry agreed that the group was large enough to qualify as an armada and not just a flotilla.
One pair was apart from the armada and appeared to be engaged in a courtship ritual.
Fortunately for the scoters, they are not on the diet of passing sea lions.
The scoters were waiting for the tide to drop low enough so they could pick out mussels imbedded in the barnacles attached to the fishing pier supports.
I have come to the conclusion that although sightings of red-winged blackbirds are few and far between in the winter; they do not migrate, but remain here to hunker down for the winter.
Female looking for larvae in the cattails off the #2 viewing platform of the marsh.
Males hanging out in a near-by tree.
I so seldom get good shots of my nemesis bird, the ruby-crowned kinglet, that I feel compelled to post the ones I do get.
Wider cropped shots show the kinglet's environment.
A great series, Bill. Your shots are nice and sharp and interesting! Congratulations on your shots of your nemesis bird - my attempts were a total loss....I need that 5Diii
Of course, I could always post my shots of it using my stuffed kinglets
Like the sealion shots and your captions, Bill. My Thrush shots were at ISO 640 1/400s f5.6 with some minor spot sharpening to bring out the eye highlights. Very comparable - thanks for posting yours.
I popped down to the marsh the first day of winter (Sat. 12/21) for a few photos before watching the Cougars play Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl. For those who saw the final two minutes of that game, you know that the marsh was the highlight of my day.
Wesley or one of his buddies was sitting on a bramble with his tongue hanging out. I don't know if this was due to an injury, defect, or if he was just catching some raindrops.
Two hummers chased each other briefly and one perched fairly close to me.
Another (the same?) one perched farther away.
Due to recent precipitation, water in the marsh was a little higher which brought the green-winged teals a little closer to the walkway.
I walked to the #2 platform for more photos of the teals. When I put the photos up on my computer screen at home, I could not believe what I had missed while I was "focused" on the ducks.
Standing south of the ducks at the edge of the cattails was not one....
but two coyotes.
Ironically, earlier I had been talking to a couple up from Seattle who were out birding. It was their first trip to the marsh and I told them about the coyotes. After not seeing a coyote in the marsh or at Pt. Edwards for two years, it's the fourth time this year I have photographed one in those locations.
Ahem, Bill....you have to decide what the subject is . Actually, coyotes are not my favorite - they are a serious pest at our place. They have eaten several neighborhood cats, one right in front of an 8-year old child....gads...
Monday (12/23) was hummerpaloosa at the #1 viewing platform of the Edmonds marsh as four or five Anna's hummingbirds were chasing each other.
I got two of them in these photos, although I saw only the near one. I was shooting at f/5.6 to lower the ISO setting. This resulted in a shallow depth of field where only one hummer at a time was in focus. The red on the rear hummer almost looks like a Christmas star.
Far hummer in focus.
Near hummer in focus. Why can't we all be in focus?
Seeking cover behind a leaf on the blackberry bramble.
Some gulls were relaxing on Olympic Beach. I took this shot for the artsy effect rather than to document the birds. I could probably title it Fifty Shades of Gray.
A crow hanging out at Marina Beach shortly before sunset reminded me that the Edmonds waterfront is a wildlife sanctuary, even for evil minions of the Dark Lord.
One of the Pt. Edwards eagles was perched on the family tree past the dog beach.
At sunset it took off, flew past the condos, and made several circles over the Pt. Edwards walkway and the Unocal grounds before heading south. I got some shots as it passed a sunset pink cloud.
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. Nice shots - Mini Park is a great place for ducks!
