Bowring Park Creeper

 These photos of a Brown Creeper were taken in Bowring Park on December 6, 2014. I saw this particular bird near the bungalow.

 Later, I saw two more near the duck pond, but they were impossible to photograph....as usual. These birds move quickly as they circle around the tree truck moving upward and then dropping back down again. The canopy of the tree also creates a darkened area, once again complicating photography.

On the same day, I saw two more Brown Creepers in the area of the lower Waterford River. Shots of them were much worse than these. On several visits back to the park in the new year, I have yet to be able to spot one of these very well camouflaged birds. I'll just have to keep looking up.

Black and White Warbler - Index Update

 Over the years I have accumulated a group of better photos than those I initially linked to my index page.

 As a result, I am gradually updating the index links. In some cases, I have to create a new page, and this is one of them.

 These shots include images of males, females and immature Black and White Warblers.

 For narratives about these sightings, run a search at the top of this page and a variety of entries will appear.

Pine Warbler Over Time

 Found on December 5, 2014 by Allison Mews and Lancy Chang at Bowring Park, this Pine Warbler seems to be robust. Despite some extreme temperatures and plenty of snow, it thrives and is becoming more comfortable with on-lookers. As it stands here, knee-deep in shelled sunflower seeds provided by Andrea Dicks, it is obvious it has plenty to eat. It is frisky and alert.

 The first shot in this series and those that follow are taken chronologically since it was found. The first sun-washed photo doesn't show much color, but the bird was pretty pale at that time.

 These shots are not doctored to alter the color in any way, but the camera settings at the time of the shoot no doubt affect the color rendition.

Despite all of the variable, this bird seems to be brightening up with each passing day. If it continues to weather the harsh winter of St. John's, I will keep shooting to see if indeed this bird's yellow breast is brightening up. This bird has won the hearts of many birders who visit it regularly and continue to top up the food supply.

What are the chances?

In the first week of December, I got out for a morning of birding. Hitting lots of places, I got plenty of photos. Today, I will share the Cape Spear leg of the trip.

Arriving at the Cape parking lot, as usual, I scanned the waters to see if there was anything that warranted a walk down to the look out.

I spotted one dark bird on the water and headed down. The closer I got, the more obvious it was the bird was an eider. Then, I got a better look with the camera to see it was a female King Eider. What are the changes that a lone dark bird would turn out to be a King Eider. My watching was interrupted by a boatload of hunters who zipped by the point. My bird lifted off, flew behind their boat and flew into the distance. It appeared they never even saw it.