An Eastern Phoebe flew up from the brush around the marsh edge and paused on this reed stalk.
I tried re-positioning myself to capture the bird with a sky background, but it was not to be as the Phoebe had other plans.
Eastern Phoebe
Category Archives: Songbirds
Pine Warbler On the Ground
Pine Warblers usually stick to the trees but this colorful fellow was zipping around on the ground chasing insects.
These were taken at Charleston’s Magnolia Cemetery, which is a haven for small birds. There are lots of trees for shelter and the grounds are only minimally kept up and harbor insects of all sorts. Many of the plots are bordered with granite edging which helps these small birds trap lunch.
Swamp Sparrow on a Reed
Swamp Sparrows are elusive and quick. Their non-breeding colors are not flashy and help them hide as they hunt along the marsh edge.
If you are fortunate enough to see one land, he might hold still long enough for a photo.
This one actually flipped direction giving me both a left and right profile. The reed foliage is drying up, giving more spotting opportunities than a month ago.
Palm Warbler
I had been watching some small birds flit in and out of the underbrush at the side of the road. The sun had just come up and they were hunting for breakfast in the lowest, darkest parts of the vegetation. This Palm Warbler finally took a break in the sun on a reed frond.
I was able to get a few steps closer and get a few images at a different angle before he went back to foraging.
Orchard Oriole Parents
In the three weeks since I photographed an Orchard Oriole working on her nest I’ve passed by the tree several times and seen no activity. On Sunday a male was sitting on branches about 30 feet from the nest.
After carefully watching the area he zipped into the nest with the grasshopper. You can just see one wing and a tail hanging out the entrance.
The nest was swinging back and forth in a light breeze and the male made a quick exit.
My question, was the male feeding his mate while she sat on eggs or chicks, was soon answered when the female appeared with another grasshopper.
The female was coming in at a different angle and had to pause to get into the nest.
After delivering the snack she came out with a fecal sac and disappeared into the woods.
Warbler with Lunch, Silhouette
We drive through several miles of forest to get to the big pond at Donnelley Wildlife Management area. The tree canopy filters the light and somehow the little birds that I have a clear view of are seldom in a patch of light. That doesn’t stop me from taking some images and occasionally I get a keeper like this silhouette.
Carolina Wren
I recently posted that it took me almost three years to get a decent image of a Carolina Wren. Two days later another opportunity presented itself, complete with a snack!
Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird
When I first spotted this bird he was looking a bit disheveled and I wasn’t sure if it was a female Red-winged Blackbird, which are rather drab, or a juvenile.
He changed positions on this twig several times working to keep his balance. I’m leaning toward juvenile especially after seeing a hint of red on one shoulder.
Finally, he got it all together for a dignified look.
Orchard Oriole
It took me about five of her trips to catch this female Orchard Oriole pausing outside her nest. I had first seen her dart up to the branch and then poof, she was gone. I watched this clump of Spanish Moss for awhile and saw it moving like someone was in it and finally saw a head peak out. The opening of the nest faces the limb with leaves.
Fortunately for me she was a creature of habit and flew the same pattern from the nest to a swampy area to gather grass and back, singing both ways alerting me to be ready.
On one of her trips she stopped for a look around before continuting on her way.
Prothonotary Warblers In the Forest
The light was low and it was raining off and on as we made our way around the board walk over the swamp at Beidler Forest, a property managed by Audubon South Carolina. I heard a warbler calling way before I saw this bird and his mouthful of bugs.
I was quite surprised he was so close to the boardwalk. He moved to different branches a few times, keeping a tight grip on his bug collection. After a couple minutes he flew out of my sight.
Further on I spotted another Prothonotary Warbler bringing food to a nest in a Cypress Knee. It was even darker then and rain was about to fall in earnest. The image is not great but you can get an idea of where these warblers rear their young.
Both of these birds were banded, part of a research project to study their migration.
Beidler is the world’s largest virgin cypress-tupelo swamp forest — a pristine ecosystem untouched for millennia.
Audubon South Carolina
