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Happy New Year and all the Best Wishes for 2013!
First Came a Bird
Brooke A Miller
December 31, 2012
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
2012 Birding Memories
I really don't like to look at the past, but I have to admit that I do it a lot. It seems as you get older, your past seems to become a bigger part of your life. So, I'm looking at my 2012 bird list and photographs to draw on. Without those two 'crutches' I wouldn't be able to even remember what I saw, when it was, or where I saw it. Kinda 'funny' in a way, but really not amusing at all.
I started taking digital photos around 2003. My first several years of photos were mostly of my kids playing sports, but I dabbled at taking bird photos as well, as a way to remember what I saw in the few fleeting moments I could see the bird. I had come to realize that seeing a bird in the binoculars or through a spotting scope as it moved on its way, was just too brief. I wasn't able to remember the details. While some folks will go to field sketching to help them remember and learn, I can barely draw a stick figure (human or otherwise). It was around 2003 that digital cameras started becoming affordable and available to us hobbyists. I had taken photos since I was a child, using my Kodak Instamatic, and as an adult using one Kodak camera or another. I also have an Olympus SLR film camera that I played some years back. But, film was a hassle. You had to get it developed--wait days, weeks, or months, to see what you did. Many of my film photos were less than desirable. But then, in the days before digital, that's all there was.
I love digital photography - it's instant gratification! Take a thousand photos, review them all the same day, and trash 90% of them. Keep the rest, fix them in Aperture, Photoshop, what-have-you; keyword them, caption them, and organize them; show them on your photo site; use them in your blog; print them, make calendars and books. It's a wonderful world!
So, photography has become my memory, as has my ebird list.
One of the most memorable birds of 2012 was the appearance of a Common Cuckoo at the end of September in Watsonville Slough, Santa Cruz County. This bird is a first record for California and I believe only the second record for North America. I usually don't go chasing for birds outside my very local area, but with time on my hands, and a friend to go with, we headed down to the location on October 2nd, several days after it had first been sighted and after hoards of birders were able to see it. It took about an hour before another birder nearby found the bird and the word went out on the slough. I was able to get good looks and some photos, but was disappointed that it was hanging out in the shade. The previous photos had shown the bird in nice morning or late afternoon sunlight. Oh, well. Below is one of my photos of the bird. This photo was picked up by the Sightings editor of the ABA Birding publication and printed on page 24 of the November 2012 issue.
Perhaps the second most memorable bird of 2012 was the Magnolia Warbler at Coyote Hills Regional Park, Alameda County. I had just gotten my 500mm lens and this was one of the first birds I took photos of with it. I learned right away that having such a premiere lens with that much reach doesn't automatically get you good photos. Rather, it really accentuates your inabilities and need for lots of practice. Although not a Life Bird for me, it was definitely the best views of one I'd ever seen. I did manage to get a few decent photos of the bird. One is below.
Also memorable for the year was a juvenile, first winter Franklin's Gull at Struve Slough, Santa Cruz County, on October 20th. I was on a field trip with my birding class. It was a very gray day and taking good photos was difficult. And, again, I had my new 500mm lens and using a tripod, both still very new to me. This was a Life Bird for me.
A Connecticut Warbler, at Point Reyes National Seashore, on Sept. 29th, was also a Life Bird for me. This bird was way out of its area! It was skulking on the ground in a very dark area at one of the Ranches. Point Reyes never disappoints during fall migration! Also of note and seen that day, a field trip with my birding class, was an Ovenbird (no photos).
It was also a huge year for Red-necked Phalaropes and Red-breasted Nuthatches in late summer-early fall. They were both birds I had seen in the past, although I hadn't seen many, and I hadn't had good looks. I saw Red-necked Phalaropes in just about every plumage other than full-alternate. Shorebirds coming through the Bay Area in late summer/early fall can be in all sorts of plumages. There's always great lessons to learn and refresh one's memory. I believe that we experienced so many Red-breasted Nuthatches was because of a failure of a/the cone crop up north somewhere.
Fall seemed to be the best time for birding in 2012, but it usually is. But, spring also held many beautiful and memorable birds.
Lazuli Bunting is one of my most favorite and colorful birds of the spring. On a field trip with Lisa Myers and Let's Go Birding, on May 5th, we were treated to several nice Lazuli Buntings up on Lone Tree Road, San Benito County. Other birds of note that day were Grasshopper Sparrows, a Cassin's Kingbird, Osprey, and Lawrence's Goldfinches. Oh, and don't forget the 'Loo'.
This pair of Bald Eagles reared 2 chicks on top of this power tower above Calaveras Reservoir, Santa Clara County. Another pair of Bald Eagles at Crystal Springs Reservoir in San Mateo County, failed at their first nesting attempt at that location in 2012. However, the Crystal Springs pair are already back and working on the nest for 2013! Always something to look forward to!
Below is a Killdeer nest I found at the local elementary school just down the street from my home in Los Altos, Santa Clara County. As Killdeer do, it was barely a scrape in the tanbark. I'm thinking that another human, not the birds, marked the spot with the wood pieces. I had been seeing a couple of Killdeer at the location while on my walk, but it was hard to finally find their nest. I don't know what happened with the eggs. I never saw the chicks or the adults after the day I snapped this photo.
A lone White-faced Ibis in the marsh near the visitor center at Coyote Hills Regional Park, Alameda County, gave lots of good looks and poses on March 26.
Evening Grosbeaks invaded Downtown Los Altos, Santa Clara County, in late December. These are rare birds for this area, and it was such a treat to watch and listen to them in my hometown. They were gorging on Chinese Pistache berries above the sidewalk on State Street. They're absolutely gorgeous birds as you can see!
There were many more birds and many more experiences in 2012. Matthew Dodder's Palo Alto Adult School Advanced Birding Class field trips provided many of the outings. Birding on my own, birding with friends, field trips with Let's Go Birding, yard and neighborhood birding, and birding with the Sequoia Audubon First Wednesday field trips with Leslie Flint filled in most of the rest of the birding year. There were trips to Bodega Bay--Sonoma County, Las Gallinas Ponds--Marin County, Pt. Reyes Nat'l Seashore--Marin County, Redwood Shores--San Mateo County, Palo Alto Baylands--Santa Clara County, Sunol Regional Wilderness--Alameda County, Moss Landing, Moon Glow Dairy, and Elkhorn Slough--Santa Cruz County, Fort Funston--San Francisco County, Gilroy Hot Springs Road and that area--San Benito County, and many others. There was the Yellow-Rumped Squatters 4-hour big sit for Santa Clara Valley Audubon, there was the Intrepid A to Z'ers for SFBBO, there were four CBC's (Christmas Bird Counts) I took part in.
2012 was quite a memorable birding year! I am SO looking forward to 2013!
Brooke A Miller
December 28, 2012
I started taking digital photos around 2003. My first several years of photos were mostly of my kids playing sports, but I dabbled at taking bird photos as well, as a way to remember what I saw in the few fleeting moments I could see the bird. I had come to realize that seeing a bird in the binoculars or through a spotting scope as it moved on its way, was just too brief. I wasn't able to remember the details. While some folks will go to field sketching to help them remember and learn, I can barely draw a stick figure (human or otherwise). It was around 2003 that digital cameras started becoming affordable and available to us hobbyists. I had taken photos since I was a child, using my Kodak Instamatic, and as an adult using one Kodak camera or another. I also have an Olympus SLR film camera that I played some years back. But, film was a hassle. You had to get it developed--wait days, weeks, or months, to see what you did. Many of my film photos were less than desirable. But then, in the days before digital, that's all there was.
I love digital photography - it's instant gratification! Take a thousand photos, review them all the same day, and trash 90% of them. Keep the rest, fix them in Aperture, Photoshop, what-have-you; keyword them, caption them, and organize them; show them on your photo site; use them in your blog; print them, make calendars and books. It's a wonderful world!
 |
| Common Cuckoo © Brooke A Miller (Oct. 2, 2012) |
Perhaps the second most memorable bird of 2012 was the Magnolia Warbler at Coyote Hills Regional Park, Alameda County. I had just gotten my 500mm lens and this was one of the first birds I took photos of with it. I learned right away that having such a premiere lens with that much reach doesn't automatically get you good photos. Rather, it really accentuates your inabilities and need for lots of practice. Although not a Life Bird for me, it was definitely the best views of one I'd ever seen. I did manage to get a few decent photos of the bird. One is below.
 |
| Magnolia Warbler © Brooke A Miller (Oct. 17, 2012) |
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| Franklin's Gull © Brooke Miller (Oct. 20, 2012) |
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| Connecticut Warbler © Brooke Miller (Sept. 29, 2012) |
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| Red-necked Phalarope, Palo Alto Baylands © Brooke A Miller (Sept. 1, 2012) |
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| Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pt Reyes Nat'l Seashore © Brooke A Miller (Sept. 29, 2012) |
Lazuli Bunting is one of my most favorite and colorful birds of the spring. On a field trip with Lisa Myers and Let's Go Birding, on May 5th, we were treated to several nice Lazuli Buntings up on Lone Tree Road, San Benito County. Other birds of note that day were Grasshopper Sparrows, a Cassin's Kingbird, Osprey, and Lawrence's Goldfinches. Oh, and don't forget the 'Loo'.
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| Lazuli Bunting, Lone Tree Rd. © Brooke A Miller (May 5, 2012) |
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| Lisa tows a retired CalTrans 'Loo' for her participant's comfort © Brooke A Miller (May 5, 2012) |
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| Bald Eagle Family, Calaveras Reservoir © Brooke Miller (Apr. 28, 2012) |
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| Killdeer Nest, Los Altos © Brooke Miller (Apr. 13, 2012) |
A lone White-faced Ibis in the marsh near the visitor center at Coyote Hills Regional Park, Alameda County, gave lots of good looks and poses on March 26.
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| White-faced Ibis, Coyote Hills RP © Brooke A Miller (Mar. 26, 2012) |
Evening Grosbeaks invaded Downtown Los Altos, Santa Clara County, in late December. These are rare birds for this area, and it was such a treat to watch and listen to them in my hometown. They were gorging on Chinese Pistache berries above the sidewalk on State Street. They're absolutely gorgeous birds as you can see!
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| Evening Grosbeak - Male, Downtown Los Altos © Brooke A Miller (Dec. 20, 2012) |
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| Evening Grosbeak - Female, Downtown Los Altos © Brooke A Miller (Dec. 20, 2012) |
2012 was quite a memorable birding year! I am SO looking forward to 2013!
Brooke A Miller
December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
(Ethical) Birder First
I'm researching, on the web, ideas, names, and logos for my birding photography and website, http://idbirds.smugmug.com.
I came across a blog post today, by The Digiscoper, and it really reflects so much about how I feel about birding, photography, birding ethics, etc. Here is the link:
http://birddigiscoper.blogspot.com/2012/11/perception-validated.html
I'm a birder first, a photographer second. And, that's not all--I'm an Ethical Birder and Ethical Photographer first and foremost. I know that this sometimes/many times precludes me from getting a really good look or really good photo of a bird. Well, so be it! There is something more important than the perfect view or the perfect photograph, and that is I feel that I have a responsibility to this planet and its inhabitants that are at the mercy of humans... and face it, the entire planet is at the mercy of humans and that's a scary thing in my mind.
There's a fine line when it comes to this ethics and morality stuff, I realize. Everyone will interpret these things to their own benefit. But I say, why not interpret them to the birds' benefit, or to nature's benefit? I don't think that there are people living on this planet that have any idea what I am talking about. Unfortunately there are too many people who are so self-centered, ego-centric, and more interested in their own personal freedoms, than they are interested in the planet's well-being. They really just have no clue, in my humble opinion.
So, off my soapbox, and back to 'branding' myself, my birding, and my photography. I need more time for development. My daughter is an artist and she is guiding me with what to consider, artistic ideas, story development, etc. I'll get there; there's no rush.
So, back to "it"!
Brooke A Miller
I came across a blog post today, by The Digiscoper, and it really reflects so much about how I feel about birding, photography, birding ethics, etc. Here is the link:
http://birddigiscoper.blogspot.com/2012/11/perception-validated.html
I'm a birder first, a photographer second. And, that's not all--I'm an Ethical Birder and Ethical Photographer first and foremost. I know that this sometimes/many times precludes me from getting a really good look or really good photo of a bird. Well, so be it! There is something more important than the perfect view or the perfect photograph, and that is I feel that I have a responsibility to this planet and its inhabitants that are at the mercy of humans... and face it, the entire planet is at the mercy of humans and that's a scary thing in my mind.
There's a fine line when it comes to this ethics and morality stuff, I realize. Everyone will interpret these things to their own benefit. But I say, why not interpret them to the birds' benefit, or to nature's benefit? I don't think that there are people living on this planet that have any idea what I am talking about. Unfortunately there are too many people who are so self-centered, ego-centric, and more interested in their own personal freedoms, than they are interested in the planet's well-being. They really just have no clue, in my humble opinion.
So, off my soapbox, and back to 'branding' myself, my birding, and my photography. I need more time for development. My daughter is an artist and she is guiding me with what to consider, artistic ideas, story development, etc. I'll get there; there's no rush.
So, back to "it"!
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| "Myrtle's" Yellow-rumped Warbler, Downtown Los Altos, California, 2012-12-20 |
December 27, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Evening Grosbeaks Invade Downtown Los Altos
A few days ago, Dec. 19th I think, there was a post on the South Bay Birds listserve that a fellow birder had seen an Evening Grosbeak in downtown Los Altos, as the corner of State and 2nd Streets.
Evening Grosbeaks are considered a 'rare' bird in our area, and indeed, I had never seen one anywhere in the SF Bay Area before. I had seen Evening Grosbeaks only twice in past years, both times being up at Yuba Pass in the Sierras in the summer time. They are a spectacular bird to see, a bit bigger than a House Finch, but with a gigantic light yellowish-beige bill! The males have very dark brown, almost black, heads and upper necks, with a bright bright yellow super cilium, and bring undertail to match. The females, as with most birds are quite a bit toned-down in coloring being mostly shades of gray.
I had a chance to go downtown on Thursday the 20th to check things out for myself. I parked at the corner of State and 3rd Streets and started walking towards the previously seen location. But, I didn't have to walk that far, as found birds in a tree with berries less than half a block away in front of 334 State Street (Village Kebab). I was immediately able to count 5 birds - 2 males and 3 females in the tree along with a Downy Woodpecker and a couple of Western Bluebirds. All the birds were very easily seen as there were only berries hanging on the leafless tree.
The sun angle was bad for photographs, and most of the tree was in the shade, so I cranked up the ISO to 2000! I won't even share how many photos I took... many, many! The birds were fairly close to me so I was able to get great in-focus almost picture-filling shots. And, the birds were very obliging, gorging themselves on the berries. And, they even vocalized! That was really a treat!
In the 20 or more minutes that I was at this location, at 1 pm in the afternoon, I only had one pair of men walk by and ask me what I was taking pictures of. When I told them what the birds were and that they are rare for this location, one of them pulled out his iPhone and took a photo. Then there was a question, "It must take a lot of patience to take photos, huh?" Well, "yes" I replied. But to tell you the truth, for me, it takes a lot less patience to take bird photos than it does to go (Christmas) shopping.
Finally, after some time, all the birds took off over the buildings. I continued up the street, around the corner, looking at all the trees with berries on them (about 1/3 of the street trees in downtown Los Altos are of this variety). I'm not sure if they are Chinese Pistache trees of California Pepper trees. On the corner where Starbucks is I had a conversation with the Salvation Army bell-ringing woman about birds. She had some knowledge and experience seeing some rare birds in the past.
I continued down Main Street and found 2 female Evening Grosbeaks down the block in a lot better sunlight. So, I took more photos at a lot less ISO's than before (400, 500, and 800). I also found a beautiful Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warbler that I got some photos of.
You're never assured of finding a bird that has been reported. However, one thing IS for certain--you WILL find birds. Walk around with binoculars, keep your ears tuned, and always carry your camera!
More about Evening Grosbeaks here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Evening_Grosbeak/id
BAM (23-Dec-2012)
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| Male Evening Grosbeak |
Evening Grosbeaks are considered a 'rare' bird in our area, and indeed, I had never seen one anywhere in the SF Bay Area before. I had seen Evening Grosbeaks only twice in past years, both times being up at Yuba Pass in the Sierras in the summer time. They are a spectacular bird to see, a bit bigger than a House Finch, but with a gigantic light yellowish-beige bill! The males have very dark brown, almost black, heads and upper necks, with a bright bright yellow super cilium, and bring undertail to match. The females, as with most birds are quite a bit toned-down in coloring being mostly shades of gray.
 |
| Female Evening Grosbeak |
I had a chance to go downtown on Thursday the 20th to check things out for myself. I parked at the corner of State and 3rd Streets and started walking towards the previously seen location. But, I didn't have to walk that far, as found birds in a tree with berries less than half a block away in front of 334 State Street (Village Kebab). I was immediately able to count 5 birds - 2 males and 3 females in the tree along with a Downy Woodpecker and a couple of Western Bluebirds. All the birds were very easily seen as there were only berries hanging on the leafless tree.
The sun angle was bad for photographs, and most of the tree was in the shade, so I cranked up the ISO to 2000! I won't even share how many photos I took... many, many! The birds were fairly close to me so I was able to get great in-focus almost picture-filling shots. And, the birds were very obliging, gorging themselves on the berries. And, they even vocalized! That was really a treat!
In the 20 or more minutes that I was at this location, at 1 pm in the afternoon, I only had one pair of men walk by and ask me what I was taking pictures of. When I told them what the birds were and that they are rare for this location, one of them pulled out his iPhone and took a photo. Then there was a question, "It must take a lot of patience to take photos, huh?" Well, "yes" I replied. But to tell you the truth, for me, it takes a lot less patience to take bird photos than it does to go (Christmas) shopping.
Finally, after some time, all the birds took off over the buildings. I continued up the street, around the corner, looking at all the trees with berries on them (about 1/3 of the street trees in downtown Los Altos are of this variety). I'm not sure if they are Chinese Pistache trees of California Pepper trees. On the corner where Starbucks is I had a conversation with the Salvation Army bell-ringing woman about birds. She had some knowledge and experience seeing some rare birds in the past.
I continued down Main Street and found 2 female Evening Grosbeaks down the block in a lot better sunlight. So, I took more photos at a lot less ISO's than before (400, 500, and 800). I also found a beautiful Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warbler that I got some photos of.
You're never assured of finding a bird that has been reported. However, one thing IS for certain--you WILL find birds. Walk around with binoculars, keep your ears tuned, and always carry your camera!
More about Evening Grosbeaks here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Evening_Grosbeak/id
BAM (23-Dec-2012)
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