Jul 19, 2021 | AF-S 50mm f1.4G, Nikon 1 V1, Nikon 1 V1 Potpourri, Robins
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Nikon 1 V1 Potpourri | Young Robins This mother Robin has a family and keeps very busy finding worms to feed her young. Robins feed their young mostly earthworms along with some fruit. They tend to eat more earthworms in the morning and more fruit in the afternoon. For more information and images, see Nesting Robins | a 7 Image Story.
The Back Story This image was captured with a simple click through a glass window. Note: I post an image everyday at hankconrad.com.
Details…
| Event | Finding a Robin Feeding |
| Location | Northern Michigan |
| Date/Time | 7/06/2013 12:03pm Local Time |
| Weather | Mostly Cloudy | 85°F | Moderate Winds |
| Method | Simple click through a glass window. |
| Gear | Nikon 1 V1 with a Nikon FT-1 Adapter and Nikon AF-S 50mm f1.4G lens |
Exposure
| 50mm (135mm) f/4.5 1/125s -0.33ev 450iso |
| Post | |
Feb 16, 2021 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2021, In Search of Snowbirds, Nikon 1 V3, Robins
Northern Illinois | 2/13/2019 11:32 am Local Time | Fair 14°F Moderate Winds
In Search of Snowbirds | Winter Robin The little Robin red breast was my mom’s favorite bird with the possible exception of a Cardinal in the winter snow. She always loved it when the Robins first appeared while it was still winter because she knew spring was not far behind. Back then, they seemed to go south for the winter. Now, we see a few of them all winter long. They don’t eat seeds, but they will eat berries if worms are not available. They seem to like the crabapples. A little ice added to the surroundings.
The Back Story Small birds are a challenge to capture. This image was a simple lunch click.
Quick Facts…
| Winter Robin … gray-brown birds with warm orange underparts and dark heads.
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| Habitat | Cities, towns, lawns, farmland, forests; in winter, berry-bearing trees. |
| Range | Year around in Northern Illinois |
| Nest | Tree or shrub 5-25′ above ground. Cup of mud, grasses, twigs, debris lined with grasses & fibers. |
| Diet | Mostly insects, berries, earthworms. |
| Behavior | Forages on the ground, running/pausing on open lawns; locates earthworms by sight. |
| Size | Length: 7.9-11.0 in | Weight: 2.7-3.0 oz | Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in |
Dec 30, 2020 | 2020 Good Riddance, AF DC 135mm f2D, Daily Image 2020, Nikon 1 V3, Robins
2020 Good Riddance | Slim Pickings Where did the worms go in 2020? It’s been slim pickings for a poor starving Robin. And, no I don’t eat seeds! For the whole story with all images, see 2020 Good Riddance | a 7 Image Story.
Apr 22, 2020 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Daily Image 2020, Nikon 1 V3, Robins, Spring Walkabout Birds
Spring Walkabout Birds | American Robin The little Robin red breast was my mom’s favorite bird with the possible exception of a Cardinal in the winter snow. She always loved it when the Robins first appeared at what seemed to be still winter because she knew spring was not far behind. Back then, they seemed to go south if the weather was too cold. Now, we see a few of them all winter long. For the whole story with all images, see Spring Walkabout Birds | a 7 Image Story.
Apr 19, 2020 | 7 Image Stories, Action, AF 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, American Pelican, Barred Owl, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Mallard, Nature, Nikon 1 V3, Robins, Spring Walkabout Birds
Spring Walkabout Birds | a 7 Image Story Spring walkabout this year have been a bit different. More people are walking due to the virus driven stay-at-home orders. Folks are not only walking neighborhood streets but also the wooded and lakeside 
trails I tend to frequent.
Normally, it’s a busy day when I see one other person on my walkabout trails. This year I’ll see one other person on almost all my hikes, sometimes two. Now, one or two people in several miles certainly allows me to keep social distancing standards. Walking to and from the trails on local streets gets a little more crowded. People seem to be out walking their dogs much more often these days. Let’s now focus on some common spring birds found on my walkabouts.
Barred Owl The Barred Owl is sometimes known as a Hoot Owl due to its distinctive call. This owl was scouting for prey in a far off tree as I was crossing a foot bridge along my walkabout trail in a wooded forest preserve. Barred Owls are most active at night. Sometimes they’ll hunt in the daytime as well. This owl appears to like late afternoon. It really blends into its surroundings. In the spring before the leaves fully grow out, it’s possible to spot them when they are hunting. Binoculars can be very helpful to spot them against the tree branches. Without bins, finding a Barred Owl in a forest is nearly impossible; really just luck. Even with bins, it’s difficult. The only way I’ve been able to reliably spot them is to watch where they land.
Blue Jay Native to North America and northern Illinois, at least a few Blue Jays stay for the winter. They are here when winter turns into spring. They have beautiful plumage against the snow and green buds in early spring. They mainly feed on nuts and seeds so they show up at neighborhood bird feeders. They are very wary of people and fly at the first hint of sight or sound. Thus, it’s rare to capture an image on walkabout.
Dark-eyed Junco Juncos seem to stick around all winter and are here to welcome spring with us. Snow fell in the early morning of this early spring day and was almost gone as I began my walkabout. Small birds like this Dark-eyed Junco can be challenging to capture even with a long, fast lens. And, capturing a decent image while walking outside is difficult to impossible. You just can’t get close enough to them unless you are really careful and a bit lucky.
American Robin The little Robin red breast was my mom’s favorite bird with the possible exception of a Cardinal in the winter snow. She always loved it when the Robins first appeared at what seemed to be still winter because she knew spring was not far behind. Back then, they seemed to go south if the weather was too cold. Now, we see a few of them all winter long.
Mallard Of course, Mallards frequent several creeks along my walkabout trail. Mallards are the most familiar duck species in the world and are the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds. The common duck’s quack is made by the female. Males make a quieter, rasping sound. The oldest known Mallard was a male over 27 years old.
American White Pelican Gear down, flaps down, clear to splash! It’s a good landing if you can float away. Although they are one the heaviest flying birds in the world, American White Pelicans are strong fliers who alternate flapping and soaring. Their large yet narrow wingspan makes soaring easier. Their bodies measure up to 5 feet in length, their bills can reach 14 inches, and their wing spans up to 9 feet. In the breeding season, they have a flattened “horn” on the upper bill. They shed the horn after mating. Males and females look exactly alike except the female is a bit smaller. And, they’re such clowns when flocked together on the water.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Spring Walkabout Birds.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Feb 2, 2020 | AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Backyard Winter Birds, Daily Image 2020, Nikon 1 V3, Robins
Backyard Winter Birds | Robin Enjoying Snowfall Some Robins are hardy birds. They were my mom’s favorite bird. She called them Little Robin Red Breasts. She always thought spring would soon be upon us, if she saw a Robin in late winter. In those days, we did not see Robins stay all winter like we do now. For the whole story with all images, see Backyard Winter Birds | a 7 Image Story.
Feb 2, 2020 | 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Backyard Winter Birds, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Nature, Nikon 1 V3, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Robins, Starling
Backyard Winter Birds | a 7 Image Story Each winter the snow provides contrast and background for backyard birds. Even though the same bird species tend to feed at the backyard bird feeder each winter, it’s still a challenge to get nice images. The Nikon 1 V3 with the AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR lens attached via the FT-1 Adapter really helps get close-ups with it’s 2.7 crop factor. My Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | a 7 Image Story post goes into some depth on using the Nikon 1 V3 for bird photography.
Robin Enjoying Snowfall Some Robins are hardy birds. They were my mom’s favorite bird. She called them Little Robin Red Breasts. She always thought spring would soon be upon us, if she saw a Robin in late winter. In those days, we did not see Robins stay all winter like we do now.
Male Red-bellied Woodpecker Seems like the red-bellied woodpecker should be called a red-headed woodpecker. Notice the rose coloring on a red-bellied woodpecker’s breast. When this species was first named, the red-headed woodpecker name was already used to name a different bird. The flighty Red-bellied Woodpecker brings bright colors and exciting action to bird feeders. Around here, only one bird, the Blue Jay, will chase the it from the feeder. They are attracted to bird feeders, near wooded areas, containing a bird mix including suet or sunflower seeds.
European Starling Eating Snow 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.
Female Downy Woodpecker The Downy Woodpecker is really cute as they rapidly move up and down a tree. Capturing a close up becomes really difficult even with a long lens. Like many species of woodpecker, they have a rise and fall flight style. In the warmer months, they are really noisy with their shrill call and tree pecking.
Male Dark-eyed Junco Dark Eyed Juncos are common around here. They seem to like the nearby woodland areas as well as the bird feeder. Mostly, they feed on the ground under the bird feeder, then make their ticking calls as they fly up into the woods or bushes.
Blue Jay Profile The Blue Jay, a common songbird, is familiar to many in northern Illinois. Native to North America, at least some Blue Jays stay around all winter. They are very aggressive and sometime attack other birds. Still, they are beautiful against the snow. They mainly feed on nuts and seeds so they show up every day to the bird feeder; particularly, when snow covers the ground. Blue Jays are well known for their intelligence and tight family bonds. Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes each year, but little is known about their migration. Young jays are more likely to migrate than adults, but adults also migrate. No one has determined why they migrate, when they migrate, or why some migrate while others do not.
Backyard Winter Birds | Male Cardinal Male Cardinals cheer us up during the winter months with their brilliant red body. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they stay breathtakingly beautiful against winter’s snow. Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Backyard Winter Birds.
Click any image below for a slide show.
Dec 31, 2019 | 1 VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, Daily Image 2019, Nikon 1 V3, Reflections on 2019, Robins
Reflections on 2019 | Robins Feeding Nothings says “spring” like nesting Robins. Both male and female robins feed their chicks worms, insects, and berries. They tend to feed more earthworms in the morning and more fruit in the afternoon. For more information on nesting Robins, check out Nesting Robins | a 7 Image Story. For the whole reflection’s story with all images, see Reflections on 2019 | a 7 Image Story.
