bird – Page 18

January 6, 2013June 15, 2015

2012 Round-up – Top 40 photos of the year

It is once again that time of year where we assemble compilations of the best and worst of the previous 12 months. Here are the results of culling through my many photos from 2012. Looking back it was a nice mixture of birds, wildlife, and landscapes. I had great photo trips to Death Valley and Grand Teton National Parks, but didn’t spend quite as much time in the High Sierra as I would have liked. Please enjoy the gallery below. For best viewing (especially if viewing on a mobile device), please click on the following photo:

Click the photo above to see the top picks from 2012!

Or, just enjoy the gallery here on the page. To view larger photos in the embedded gallery below, be sure to click the icon in the lower right corner to enter full screen mode.

Hank’s Picks 2012 – Images by Hank Christensen

If you are interested in compilations from previous years, please see the 2011 and 2010 lists.

January 2, 2013January 14, 2013

Happy New Year

A black-necked stilt chick walks on wobbly legs, staying close to its mother

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May you have a year filled with joy, rejuvenation, and rebirth. Thank you to all of you for following along on my photo exploits for another year. Here’s to a great 2013 and many more wonderful moments!

December 13, 2012January 14, 2013

Surf Scoter

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As the new year approaches, I’ve been keeping an eye on the hordes of wintering birds making their way south for the season. A regular winter visitor to the bay area is the surf scoter. While likely dismissed by non-birders and non-photographers as just a dark duck on the water, this is one of my favorite winter waterfowl. The most striking aspect of the male surf scoter is its large, beautifully colored bill.

Difficult to photograph due to the dark feathers, you have to wait for the best, direct light in order to maintain detail. I only have very few photos of this bird that I am happy with, which is disproportionate to the numbers in which they can be regularly found along the bay shore. These birds are divers, and diving ducks always present their own set of challenges photographically.

The most common scenario has me putting one in my sights, waiting for it to get just a little closer and give me the perfect head angle. Just as I’m ready to press the shutter release, it slips beneath the surface for 30 seconds and pops up hundreds of yards away. However, I can also be rewarded when one pops up close to me. In that case I not only get a front row seat to view an interesting bird, but I also get to inspect what morsel it has dredged up from the deep. It is always fascinating to see these guys swallow clams whole (shell and all).

After spending the winter here is won’t be long before they’re pairing up and heading back north in the spring.

November 11, 2012January 14, 2013

Fun Frontyard Portraits

A house finch perches on the branch of a cherry tree

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A couple of years ago we planted a cherry tree in our front yard and set up a multi-tube feeding station for the local wild birds. Each year the spot becomes more established and the number and variety of wild birds increases. Here are a few recent portraits I took in the yard of two of our most common varieties – house finches and lesser goldfinches.

A lesser goldfinch perches on a narrow branch at the top of a cherry tree

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It is a joy to watch these little guys and see how different they are from one another. Some are bold and boisterous, others are shy and flighty.

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Sometimes I find myself running around trying to photograph only rare species, so it is fun and relaxing to spend a little time trying to create portraits of birds I see every day.