Feb 12, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2021, House Finch, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3
Northern Illinois | 1/28/2019 12:15 pm Local Time | Light Snow 29°F Moderate Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | House Finch House Finch are easy to bring to your backyard. Just fill your backyard feeders with small, black oil sunflower seed. If House Finches discover your feeders, they might bring flocks of 50 or more birds. Actually, my backyard feeder is a general outdoor bird feed which contains some sunflower seed. They show up by the dozen in the winter. Once they are close, winter background help separate them from the background.
The Back Story Small birds like this House Finch can be challenging to capture even with a long, fast lens. The Nikon 1 V3 with the 70-300mm lens allows for a 810mm effective focal length. It’s a long, not so fast lens at f5.6, but a very sharp lens. Still, it takes some practice to get a tack sharp image shooting handheld. For more insight, see Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | a 7 Image Story.
Quick Facts…
| Male House Finch … rosy red around the face and upper breast
|
| Habitat | Woodland edges, city parks, backyards, farms etc. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Wide variety of sites: conifers, palms, ivy on buildings, cactus, holes in structures |
| Diet | Vegetable matter; mostly weed seeds and seeds, buds, berries, flower parts, & small fruits. |
| Behavior | Gregarious birds seen on feeders or perched high in trees. Sometimes, they feed on the ground. |
| Size | Length: 5.1-5.5 in | Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz | Wingspan: 7.9-9.8 in |
Feb 11, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Cardinal, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3
Northern Illinois | 1/06/2021 11:58 am Local Time | Mostly Cloudy 34°F Calm Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | Female Cardinal In this image, the snow makes a nice background for the Female Cardinal. The Female Cardinal might not be as brilliant red as the male. Still, her subtle feather coloring stands out against the snow.
The Back Story Sometimes, keeping the camera close during lunch pays off. After that, it’s a simple click.
Quick Facts…
| Female Cardinal … Pale brown with reddish tinges. Same red-orange bill & black face mask.
|
| Habitat | Woodland edges in thickets and bushes. Inhabited areas like backyards and parks. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees. |
| Diet | Varied diet of mostly seeds and berries as well as many insects like beetles, grasshoppers, etc. |
| Behavior | Sits low in shrubs & trees. Forages on or near the ground and bird feeders. Travel in pairs. |
| Size | Length: 8.3-9.1 in | Weight: 1.5-1.7 oz | Wingspan: 9.8-12.2 in |
Feb 10, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2021, Fox Squirrel, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3
Northern Illinois | 1/05/2021 11:15 am Local Time | Cloudy 32°F Light Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | Fox Squirrel Climbing This Fox Squirrel is determined to get some crabapple seeds for his next meal. Just because they are covered in snow make no difference. From this angle it’s a bit difficult to see any of its rust colored belly. For more information on the Fox Squirrel, see Gray Fox or Black Squirrel | a 7 Image Story.
The Back Story After a nice snow, simple clicks can come easy. Just keep the camera close and look out the window every so often.
Quick Facts…
| Fox Squirrel Climbing … reddish-brown or brownish-grey with a rusty brownish-orange belly
|
| Habitat | Woodlands, deciduous, and mixed forests. Use trees for escaping from predators. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Tree hollow or builds a leaf nest in the a crotch of a tree. |
| Diet | Eats acorns, seeds and nuts. Nuts stored for winter; locates stashes by keen sense of smell. |
| Behavior | A solitary animal; shares a feeding area. Spends its day eating, gathering, and storing food. |
| Size | Length: 17.87 to 27.48 in | Weight: 24.53 to 43.45 oz |
Feb 9, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Cardinal, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3
Northern Illinois | 12/04/2019 11:46 am Local Time | Cloudy 33°F Light Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | Male Cardinal In this image, the ice makes an interesting background for the brilliant reds in the Cardinal. A Male Cardinal’s brilliant red body can cheer us up, particularly when viewed against the snow. Cardinals don’t migrate and don’t molt into a dull plumage. They stay breathtakingly beautiful against winter’s snow.
The Back Story With ice and snow covering everything, maneuvering to get the angle on this image was much harder than the simple click at the end.
Quick Facts…
| Male Cardinal … brilliant red all over, with a reddish bill, and black face mask.
|
| Habitat | Woodland edges in thickets and bushes. Inhabited areas like backyards and parks. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees. |
| Diet | Varied diet of mostly seeds and berries as well as many insects like beetles, grasshoppers, etc. |
| Behavior | Sits low in shrubs & trees. Forages on or near the ground and bird feeders. Travel in pairs. |
| Size | Length: 8.3-9.1 in | Weight: 1.5-1.7 oz | Wingspan: 9.8-12.2 in |
Feb 8, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3, Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Northern Illinois | 1/04/2021 11:17am Local Time | Cloudy 26°F Light Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | Red-bellied Woodpecker In this image, the Red-bellied Woodpecker is temporarily perched on a big branch waiting his turn at the bird feeder below. They rarely perch when trees with good bark are near. And, they rarely stay in one place for very long; measured in a few seconds.
The Back Story This image was a simple click. Sometimes, you work hard to get the image. Sometimes, it’s a matter of having the camera on the table just before lunch. Then, it’s a simple, lucky click.
Quick Facts…
| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| Habitat | Woodlands, groves, orchards…deciduous forests especially along rivers and swamps. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Cavity in a tree, pole, fence post, or stump |
| Diet | Omnivorous…eats many insects and plant material including acorns, nuts, fruits, and seeds. |
| Behavior | Bark forager for insects on tree trunks & limbs. Perches on branches to pick berries & nuts. |
| Size | Length: 9.4 in | Weight: .0-3.2 oz | Wingspan: 13.0-16.5 in |
Feb 7, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Barred Owl, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3
Northern Illinois | 1/04/2021 6:08 pm Local Time | Fog | 28°F | Light Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | Barred Owl Although the Barred Owl is mostly active at night, it will also sometimes hunt in the daytime. This Barred Owl just seemed to be hanging out. The background is not the best. Sometimes, you have no choice.
The Back Story Some days you go to the image. When it’s foggy, you must get close. My walkabout through the woods was late in the afternoon with fading light and fog in the area. This owl was sitting in a branch over the trail through the forest. The image needed lightening in post processing. For me, capturing owl images becomes a major challenge.
Quick Facts…
| Barred Owl |
| Habitat | Woodlands, wooded river bottoms, wooded swamps… |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Trees…large natural hollow in tree, broken-off snag, old hawk nest… |
| Diet | Small Mammals…mice/rodents, squirrels, rabbits, etc. |
| Behavior | Hunts night/day mostly at dawn/dusk, dives on prey |
| Size | Length: 16.9-19.7 in | Weight: 16.6-37.0 oz | Wingspan: 39.0-43.3 in |
Feb 6, 2021 | 1 VR 10-30mm f/3.4-5.6 PD-Zoom, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3
In Search of Snowbirds | Tree Roots The roots tell a story. Snow just give them contrast.
The Back Story Some days you go to the image. When it’s foggy, you must get close.
Details…
| Event | Snowy Walkabout |
| Location | Northern Illinois |
| Date/Time | 1/04/2021 5:27 pm Local Time |
| Weather | Fog | 29°F | Light Winds |
| Method | Simple Click |
| Gear | Nikon 1 V3 with 10-30mm lens |
Feb 5, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3, Starling
In Search of Snowbirds | Starling The Common Starling’s winter coat displays many colors as the winter light shines through it. Their feathers make a winter day more colorful. They are loud, boisterous, loud birds that travel large flocks. They eat mostly insects and fruit. And, they are messy birds; leaving discarded berries from our crabapple tree, everywhere.
The Back Story Some days the image comes to you. This simple click was captured during lunch. With part of a large flock in our crabapple tree, capturing a decent image was relatively easy.
Details…
| Event | Snowy Winter Day |
| Location | Northern Illinois |
| Date/Time | 2/04/2018 11:38 am Local Time |
| Weather | Light Snow | 15°F | Moderate Winds |
| Method | Simple Click |
| Gear | Nikon 1 V3 with 70-300mm lens |
