I’ve seen Eastern Phoebes around several of the marsh and pond areas in the last few weeks. With the leaves off many of the trees they are a little easier to spot.
I also watched some acrobatic flights and hovering over the water that I wasn’t prepared for. Now that I’ve seen it I might be able to photograph it given another opportunity.
They don’t stay in one place long but this one found the perfect stick close to the water with a nice reflection from the nearby trees.
Secretive is a word that Cornell Lab’s AllAboutBirds uses to describe the behavior of many sparrows. The song birds often keep a layer of branches or undergrowth between them and a would be photographer.
Secretive as he was, zipping in and out of the reeds at the edge of the path along the edge of the old rice field, I did get a few good shots.
The yellow around his eye points to a Savannah Sparrow or a Swamp Sparrow. Or it could be one of the 30 other Sparrow variations listed on their website. On the Song Sparrow listing they say:
Don’t let the bewildering variety of regional differences this bird shows across North America deter you…
I am deterred from proper identification but not the photograph.
Click on any photo for larger view.
I always have my eye out for the small birds, watching for darting movements through the trees and undergrowth. This summer they were elusive, always hidden by leaves or behind a limb.
Now at the end of September the grasses and brush have started to thin and drop back making a shot more attainable.
This Warbler lit on a beautiful muted scene just as I was glanced that way. His coloration doesn’t quite match the samples on the identification resources.
