The Marsh Project Week #2

The marsh on a cold December day. 

This week, I acknowledge my inadequacy as a birder.

Summer seems to be the domain of the bright birds - the blue herons, the scissortail flycatchers, the painted buntings.  Winter is the domain of the "LBB"- the "little brown birds".

The little brown birds enjoy rustling around in the cattails and the dead vegetation, making themselves sound like something bigger.  Before I got wise to their tricks, I would stand still waiting for something like a bobcat or a raccoon to emerge, but eventually I realized all that rustling was either an LBB, an armadillo, or the wind.  When the LBB's finally deign to show themselves, it is only for a fleeting moment.  They are mostly unwilling to perch on branches for more than a few seconds at a time.  They blend in to the winter landscape.   On occasion,  I manage something better than a blur. When that happens, it's definitely luck- not skill. Birders who actually know what they are doing can identify these little birds on sight;  I require assistance.

Red Fox Sparrow

Even woodpeckers seem to sense when the camera is focused on them, and they fly off to some other tree, leaving me with only a blur as evidence that they were seen.  They are slightly easier to see, however, once the leaves have fallen off the trees- especially the red-bellied woodpeckers, with their bright red heads.  Downy woodpeckers are more of a challenge; they are loud but smaller.

Winter is also prime waterfowl time. I find waterfowl easier to identify, but they have the ability to sense my approach before I sense their presence, and off they fly. A substantial number of my waterfowl photos are of ducks in the distance surrounded by a lot of water.  At least great blue herons are willing to stand still while I document their presence.  I have a lot of great blue heron photos.

However, all is not lost.  The marsh is a popular spot for one of my favorite birds, the northern flicker.  I love the patterns on the feathers, and the northern flickers are often more willing to hang around for a few minutes while I attempt to get a photo that doesn't have a branch or a few dead leaves blocking a complete view of the bird.  I often fail at this, but I don't fret too much;  the process is just as much fun as viewing the results back at home.

Northern Flicker (with branches in the way)

Today's visit was a quiet one, other than the rustling LBB's, dueling red bellied woodpeckers arguing over a tree (I tried to get a photo, only to find out that my battery had died), a northern flicker, a bunch of cardinals, and a great blue heron.  It was cold, and any critter with any sense was probably holed up somewhere.