open beak – Page 6

February 24, 2011January 14, 2013

A “common” courtship

A male common goldeneye attempts to impress a female by lengthening his neck and extending his head. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1

Spring is almost here, and with it comes the showmanship and fortitude of male birds courting their females. Especially fun to watch are the common goldeneyes, with their neck stretches, head throws and incessant quacking – all in the pursuit of charming that special someone who, if the performance is good enough, might return the affection. I took all the shots seen here recently at Shoreline Lake in Mountain View, where a multitude of common goldeneye can be seen putting on their show. If you live nearby, I definitely recommend a trip there either in the early morning or late afternoon, when the birds are most active.

The common goldeneye courtship display consists of several different maneuvers. The most common move seems to be the neck stretch, which can be seen in the photo above, and the photo immediately following.

A male common goldeneye courts a female by touching the back of his head to his back, calling into the air, then lurching forward with a long neck, calling out with head extended straight up, and finally kicking vigorously with his feet. — A male common goldeneye courts a female by extending his head out in front of him. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering 0: 1/800 sec. at f/8

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If he wants to get a little flashier, he shoots his head straight up with a long neck and lets out a loud quack. Sometimes this first and second move are done in sequence, with the bird first poking his head out in front, and with the neck extended, swiveling it straight up to quack. This usually gets the ladies attention.

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If that doesn’t quite do it, or the goldeneye is feeling particularly frisky, he pulls out the head tuck move. Here he folds himself backward in half, touches his head to his back and lets out a kind of double-quack. It seems as though the first quack actually comes in normal position, followed the the quick head throw and second quack up into the air. This second sound is louder and more drawn out than the first, kind of like putting the accent on the second syllable of a two-syllable word.

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Finally, if nothing else is working, the goldeneye busts out the uber-display. After performing the double-quack with his head tucked against his back, he forcefully kicks both feet backward, splashing water high into the air. I only saw this display a few times by only two birds – each of the other displays were more common.

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If all goes well, he finally attracts his mate, who shows the love by mirroring some of his moves. In the following photo, the male is being followed by an interested female.

A male common goldeneye attempts to impress a female by lengthening his neck and extending his head. The female mimics the behavior in reply. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering 0: 1/2400 sec. at f/5.6

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Courtship displays of different avian species can be fascinating to watch, and can get quite elaborate. Personally, I think I’ll stick to chocolate and flowers!

December 20, 2010January 14, 2013

Northern Mockingbird (Photo of the week)

A northern mockingbird perches atop a bush filled with berries. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6

Recently I photographed a Northern Mockingbird perched on a berry bush. It appeared as if he was gorging himself on berries, stuffing one after another into his mouth. Soon after this feast, he flew from the bush to a nearby tree. He began working his mouth up and down, and to my surprise, a berry emerged from his mouth and into his beak, as seen in the photo below. After he ate one berry, he again worked his beak up and down, and a second berry emerged.

A northern mockingbird perches on a small branch with a berry in its mouth. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6

I realized that when I first saw the mockingbird chowing down on berries, he was actually stuffing them into his mouth for later consumption. I couldn’t find any notes about this behavior online, but it was quite a sight to see berry after berry magically appear in his beak. However, not every berry worked out so successfully, as can be seen in the photo below.

A northern mockingbird drops a berry as it tries to eat it. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6

May 16, 2010January 14, 2013

Song Sparrow (Photo of the week)

San Francisco Bay in springtime is a great place to capture songbirds in action. This song sparrow would fly from perch to perch, stopping to sing out very methodically in each direction. This was my favorite shot that I took of him, because his head is thrown back, and it looks like he’s really getting into it.

I like to photograph songbirds about an hour after sunrise. They are still very active in their morning routines, and the ambient light is bright enough for action shots (songbirds can move very fast!) Another technique I employ is to go to places where there are people. Birds that are used to people being around tend to be more at ease and will likely let you approach closer before flying off. Running trails, parks, and urban ponds are all great places to find birds that are used to people.

April 25, 2010January 14, 2013

White-faced Ibis at Baylands

White-faced Ibis At Sunset — A white-faced ibis stops searching for food briefly as it soaks in the last rays of daylight

A few weeks ago I was at Baylands in Palo Alto, photographing at sunset. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a white-faced ibis, which I had seen several weeks before, but only briefly. This bird is a rarity in the area, and seldom emerges from the pickleweed, choosing to hide in the wetland vegetation. However, a pair have been spotted in the Palo Alto and Mountain View area more regularly since January of this year, and up to three have been seen intermittently over the last few years. Whether this is a migratory aberration, or more likely a few year-round rogues, it is exciting to see one up close.

This specimen does not follow the normal head plumage that give the white-faced ibis its name, but is an alternate of the same species. Its iridescent bronze-brown feathers glow in the sunlight. I was very lucky on this day to see the ibis out in the open, fishing along a slough just as the sun was setting behind me.

I almost missed it however – as I was packing up my gear for the day, I saw another photographer with a large lens speed-walking toward a slough with open views. I hoped that the thing that had caused this rare burst of speed was the very bird I was looking for. I decided the effort was worth the chance, and unpacked my gear to follow him. I was happily rewarded when I saw the ibis poking through the mud, in gorgeous evening light. I had about five minutes with the bird before it was spooked by passerby’s and flew off for the day.