Whatbird.com

Although I'm still new to this, I decided to get a DSLR, in part to take pictures of small birds.  I'm still learning about the camera, but I took it when I recently visited the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, which is part of the amazing Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.  These are a few of the better examples of the many many pictures I took of these Chestnut-backed Chickadees.  My Kaufman guide tells me that these are the "central California coast" form in that they have gray sides.  Pretty birds.

This is my second attempt at posting these pictures, as the last time I got a message that said a Moderator had to approve my post and I'd get an email when a decision was made.  Having received no such email and no guidelines as to what might have prompted the message (which only happens some of the time), I have no idea what happened.  However, others who have received this message have suggested that there is a limit of two photos, so I'm trying that. 

It would be lovely if there was a sticky thread at the top of this forum that explains the rules so we don't waste time writing posts and creating links for the photos, only to have them disappear because of rules that cannot be readily found and Moderators who don't follow through on the error messages.

At least one of these photos is in my gallery, which has the technical details.  I would post a link to the gallery, but I don't want to unknowingly violate the rules and I don't want to type this all again. 

Two more.

Maybe the pictures you tried to post before was too large. I think 640kb is the limit. Great shots BTW. These little birds are hard to get. I've seen only a few where I live and have yet to capture any.

Thanks.  They are quite small and I had to take a lot of pictures to get those.  On the upside, they appear to return to their normal activity if you just stand still for a few minutes.  The ones below were taken at the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve with my old camera, a Canon PowerShot SX110IS. 

 

I love these little photogenic guys.  We have 3 different types here in Western Washington.  They almost turn into pets in the winter around the bird feeders - they will sit right on the feeders as you fill them! 

I am amused that such a small bird is bold enough to sit on the feeder as it is being filled. 

Seattle:

I love these little photogenic guys.  We have 3 different types here in Western Washington.  They almost turn into pets in the winter around the bird feeders - they will sit right on the feeders as you fill them! 

 

Have you ever tried feeding them from hand, Seattle? The black capped chickadees around here get just as bold and I almost had them eating out of my hand last year. They were waiting for me to fill the feeders so I held my hand out with seed and they all but landed right on my hand. If I had of been more patient, I am sure they would have eventually eaten right out of my hand. Unfortunately the length of time I could hold my arm straight out was less than the time it took for the chickadees to comfortable enough to land. I will try again though.

---

My unorganized pictures can be viewed at

http://picasaweb.google.com/lonestranger102

I've never tried to hand feed them but I'm going to give it a try!  I think if I move slow and not make any noise they would do it.  They are so sweet and polite I just love watching them take one seed at time or get one little piece of suet.  I only feed the birds in the winter months here - they seem to do just fine on their own every other season.

Two more. These were taken in a back yard in San Mateo, California.

Here's a recent (not so great) Chestnut-backed picture of mine.  All of the babies are fledged now, and they are in the yard most of them time.  There seems to be about 5 new chestnuts and 5 new black-capped.  This pic surprised me since I didn't realize immediately which one was the baby.  The baby is the large bright-colored one on the right.  The skinny worn-out looking one is the parent.  This is another one of those funny examples of how the baby is sitting right on the suet feeder, but he still wants to be fed from mom's beak rather than do it himself.

 

---

Life List: 224
Latest Birds: Northern Pintail, Snow Goose, American Dipper, Red-breasted Merganser

I have this camera! Good photos!

---

Liam Wolff

Nice shots, JAC6!  How are you liking the camera so far?

to see the eyes in the dark cap is really good photography

nice shots

---

Latest Birds: Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, Rufous-backed Robin, Crissal Thrasher

The camera is outstanding -- night and day between it and the point and shoot.  Some samples:

http://www.whatbird.com/forums/photos/my_photos_of_bay_area_birds/default.aspx

One more chickadee:

 

Chickadees are such beautiful birds, great shots

---

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
Immanuel Kant