Friday, August 30, 2019

Yard Critter - Eastern Kingbird

While brushing my teeth the other morning, I glanced out the window and saw a bird at the top of a tree in the back of the yard. "Looks interesting" I thought. Brushing on hold I went and got my binoculars.


Eastern Kingbirds. A bunch of them. I reported eleven in eBird, but there could have been twice that number. Migration has started. They were all about the tree tops. Flying from tree to tree. The one shown above was comparatively close, this is a cropped image taken with a 600 mm lens. But you can make out the white tail tip, which is diagnostic for this species.

There was also a confused Great Crested Flycatcher mixed in the flock. No doubt wondering who all these newcomers invading its territory were.


I watched and waited and they continued to fly about the yard. Occasionally one would alit closer. Not close, but closer. And sometimes I would be able to get on the bird with the camera, as with this shot (un-cropped, same lens) before it flew.


Finally, a pair landed in the crabapple tree, only to be quickly chased away by a couple of Cedar Waxwings.


And then, when I had given up and gone off to do other things, the birds appearing to have moved on,  some came back. Or a new group arrived. Either way, one displaced the Tufted Titmouse family at the at the birdbath. And I was able to snap a few shots. The lighting wasn't great. But as I'm prone to say, the image was blog-worthy.

And if I had a job I would have missed it all. I so prefer not working.

🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.

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