Killdeer and Kestrels

Still waiting for the passerine migrants i decided to shoot the kestrels still hanging around. I found the strategy to get oppurtunities. I used the high northwest winds to might advantage. When you chase them they will fly away quickly. I did the sit in wait game today. I would sit south to where they were hovering and hunting. They all seemed to hunt one patch north to east. They would hover then move 20 feet to te right and hover. But the way i got my shots was when they north wind hit them right over my head. The only problem they were so fast and so close it was actually hard to get them in frame and focused. The killdeer were much easier. I heard them fly in. I knew exactly where they would be. There are little stone paths next to field. I got pretty close to these guys. I wonder if the killdeer was sitting on the nest?

Better kestrels

My third try at the kestrels paid off. I ended up getting some nice shots. Also 2 short eared Owls played a nice surprise. They have been found here twice in the last two years, so i feel happy that i found them. I will post those later. Anyways the kestrels! This park is located on the hudson river. There are many migrants that follow the river and land here. So, there are usually lots of kestrels. If there are 50 kestrels that come here and go, one will have to be a good bird that lets me get some good shots. Even though i got some good shots, my card filled up right when he was 20 feet away. Urrggg never perfect

Waiting for Warblers

I have been mostly a raptor guy since i started birding 2 and a half years ago. But i am starting to spread tot he passerines. I want to get some good warbler shots, so i need to be perfect. I need to get their calls down pat. I made warbler flash cards just likee i make spanish flash cards. Yellow warbler on front, and sweet sweet so so sweet on the back. I am going to the store to hopefully buy a cd, with bird songs. Then instead of listening to regular music in the shower i will listen to the black throated blue warbler haha. Warbler season is really only a few weeks away and I have a lot of work to do. I have a place I am going where there are the following warblers nesting

1.) Cerulean

2.) Hooded
3.) prarie

4.)yellow

5.)Blue winged

6.) golden winged

7.) black and white

during migration i saw black throated blue and black throated green and chesnt sided warbler too.

The early migrants are on the way though. At a local park yesterday i came up with chipping sparrows, pine warblers calling, a palm warbler, my first osprey, and kestrels, and bluebirds.

Brawl of the Hawks

Yesterday i went to a local park that has a large field. It contains bunches of kestrels during the migration time. There were 3 or 4 yesterday. But they dont like me. We would walk on side of the field and none would be there. So we look and yup they are on the other side of the field. So we make are way to the other side. With out us seeing we look back and they are now hovering where we stood 2 minutes ago. 4 kestrels and not one pictures yesterday, well ill try again today. The coolest part of yesterday was a male harrier, he usually flew by relatively close. when i was leaving him and a red tail started going at it. The red tail took the harriers attention off me and i took some shots. Harriers have been a hard species to get pictures of.

A little out of focus but i got the two in the same frame

the harrier dipped and dived