Some wild birds photographed in Oklahoma by Charles Lewallen
and Bill Horn.
I love birds. Cedar waxwings (the stunner in the juniper tree) are such elegant well-groomed beauties. They’re not really common here, but I see them once in awhile and it’s always a treat.
Thanks, Walden!
Susan
Um…guesses here…painted bunting, great blue heron, cedar waxwing, another punting…I mean bunting.
What beautiful shots-- I really love the ones of the herons! They are really incredible, very special birds…
Thanks for sharing these, Walden!
~Andrea
the pictures of the herons bring back memories of my boyhood days. in the summer i used to paddle a canoe on a lake in wisconsin in the evening. i’d often see herons and other birds and, if i was very careful and a little lucky, i’d sometimes catch sight of a kingfisher. that was the only time i used to see them. thanks for the pix. the cedar waxwing is very beautiful and not common at all up this way. what is common is the cardinal–no matter how often i see them (they like to perch on a high branch and sing their hearts out while i garden) i always feel lucky–that is, fortunate just to see and hear them. thanks again.
Tyg is close; here’s my guesses:
Painted bunting
Little blue heron
Cedar or bohemian waxwing (can’t see the rear bit I’d need to ID)
Yellow-crowned night heron
Idigo bunting
I think. Colors in photos are tricky, though, and easy to mess with in post-production . . .
I’m lucky to have a good friend, Mike Denny, who lives just around the corner and is the director of our regional Audubon Society. He draws/paints birds for books and magazines [besides being the main wildlife biologist at out local USFS District].
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Mike+Denny%2C+audubon+society
The lower bunting is also called a Lazuli Bunting. Anyone familiar with the gemstone would understand why. What a beauty!
I have a Great Blue Heron that lives in the creek behind my house. Sometimes he/she nests in tall Poplars along the creek. The other day my cat walked him all the way out to the street [about 200 ft.]. Funny antics a cat goes through doing this. Last summer, this heron perched on my neighbors chimney all afternoon. Didn’t seem at all bothered by people or cars.
There’s also a beautiful Belted Kingfisher, and a Pileated Woodpecker living along the creek out back. He’s about the size of a crow. Last summer he was clinging to a maple about 10 ft. out the window. Didn’t seem too worried about my movements…and these birds are usually extremely wary.
Pileated Woodpecker
Kingfisher perched with fish. Although, in the creek in back they feast on crawdads.
Those are great shots! Beautiful photography.
I rescued an immature cedar waxwing a few years ago after it flew into a window of my office building. He (or she…too young to determine) had a mild concussion, according to the vet. He had also aspirated some juice from a highbush cranberry he had in his mouth when he crashed. That turned out to be a bit of a positive, because I knew what to feed him! Within three days he was much better and ready to release. I took him back to the woods by the office, and let him go. Fortunately, his flock was still there so he was able to rejoin them before they flew south for the winter. I really enjoyed those three days!
Y’all guys was pretty close.
Painted bunting
Little blue heron
Cedar waxwing
Yellow crowned night heron
Lazuli bunting
Here’s another wild bird.
We have lots of cardinals over here in northern Ohio. They are among the few birds I can consistently identify by their songs. One pair spent a lot of time this summer in a Japanese maple at the corner of our front porch. They stay all year so they are a bright splash of color during the grey winter months.
Mike
