Screamin' Redwing (Red-Winged Blackbird)
Not sure what this guy was so upset about. Caught a few frames of him as he dropped down beside me at Buttertubs Marsh.
I Found It! (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
I really enjoyed my trip to Alberta last spring, especially our visits to Frank Lake just south of Calgary. I got home and was a bit bummed out though as I could not find this cool image I made of a male yellow-headed blackbird with a beak full of bugs. Well, after nine months of searching I had pretty much given up. Look what I found in an obscure place on my hard drive about an hour ago!
Frank Lake Archive (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Lots of images like this still left over to post. Here a male yellow-headed blackbird comes in for a landing in the tall marsh grass at Frank Lake south of Calgary.
Yellow Head Iconic (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
A typical position to find a yellow-headed blackbird in. Another image from Frank Lake in Southern Alberta. The background is natural although it looks like something out of "Generative Fill" in Photoshop. Just cropped with noise removal and sharpening added. Taken in morning sunlight, I think?
Yellow Head Glide (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
A male yellow-headed blackbird glides over the mud flats at Frank Lake in Southern Alberta.
Frank Lake Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Plenty of these guys around collecting bugs at the lake to feed their hungry chicks.
Red Wing Rocket (Red Wing Blackbird)
Another image for my "Bullet Birds" album.
Red Wing Blackbird
Lots of pretty red wing blackbirds at Buttertubs Marsh today.
Reaching For The Prize (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
A male yellow-headed blackbird chases another damsel fly in his hunt for food to feed the chicks.
Focus Test - WIngs Up (Red-Winged Blackbird)
Here is another example with wings up.
Focus Test (Red-Winged Blackbird)
I upgraded to firmware version 1.3 on my Sony A1. Not sure if others have noticed any difference but it has definitely made my 200-600mm more accurate and it appears to be even sharper. Here is an image from Brookwood Marsh taken yesterday. You be the judge.
Yellow-Headed Blackbird in Flight
This past trip to the Kamloops area has been a bit different from the norm for me. I seem to be spending more time on a few target species as regards flight shots. Here is a male yellow-headed blackbird flying through the marsh at Python Lake in western Kamloops. These birds are both comical and colorful and provide a major attraction for us when we visit there in the spring.
Down Stroke (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Took this image while borrowing a 600mm F/4. Another one of my signature "wings down" shots.
Quick Snack (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
A yellow-headed blackbird flies up to snatch a bug in mid air for a quick afternoon snack.
Sunny Day Red Wing
Spent some time at Brookwood Marsh today with the red-winged blackbirds.
Resting on Some Marsh Grass (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
The yellow heads seemed to be the dominant blackbird in the interior but you could still find some red wing and brewers blackbirds as well.
Yellow Head in Flight (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Lots of these guys in the interior right now. You can see them at any small marsh along side of the highway.
Wings Up Version (Red Wing Blackbird)
For those of you that would prefer a "wings up" version.
Red Wing Blackbird In Flight
Not sure why but I always seem to have trouble getting a good image of these guys in flight. Not so much the focus but it's getting a good wing and body position along with a nice background. These shots seem few and far between. Now yellow-headed blackbirds is a whole different story.
Yellow Head In Flight (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
We don't get these guys much around our neck of the woods here on Vancouver Island. Here is a flight shot from 2018 that never got posted. Wont be able to take the trip back this year because of the pandemic. Will miss a lot of my favorite birds in the interior. 2018 was not the best year for us as their were a lot of fires that seem to drive the owls away. We had to be satisfied with passerine birds and grebes which in the end proved to be almost as much fun.
Yellow-Headed Blackbird
What trip to Kamloops would be complete without a few images of these guys. Lots of laughs at their amazing calls and admiration over their beautiful plumage.
Colorful Pose (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
A nice looking male yellow-headed blackbird stops to pose for us while we photograph western grebes at Salmon Arm Bay.
Last Serenade of Summer (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Posted this one on Facebook a while back. Don't think it ever made it to Flickr. I think it is a bit more flattering to the bird than the other one I posted back in June.
Beak Full of Bugs (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Lots of hungry mouths to feed this time of year.
In Flight (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Just couldn`t get enough of these guys during our visit to Kamloops. Very beautiful and entertaining to watch at the same time.
Tunkwa Lake Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Simple but nice.
Female Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Here is the female yellow-headed blackbird. Every bit as lovely in her own way.
All Up in a Flap
Didn't see any female Yellow-Headed Blackbirds in my visit to Tunkwa Lake B.C. but some of the males have shown up - what a racket!
Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Got this image at Tunkwa Lake near Kamloops B.C. You just don't see these guys much out on the coast. Never forget the noise they make. Sounds like a kid's toy train on steroids.
Red Wing Black Bird
Nice to see these guys adding a bit of color to the marsh. The males are busy establishing their territory and helping to build the nest.
brookwood_redwing
Here is a late spring - early summer shot of a red winged blackbird. Taken at Brookwood Marsh here in Nanaimo in 2012. Won't be long now before the irises are back in bloom.
