#birding problems

What a day! It started hot and humid, then it got dark, a storm came up, and we had a tornado warning. This was the first time since I’ve lived in the US that I actually hid in the basement and heard the sirens. Thankfully, it passed without anything major happening.

I have been waiting for the Bluebirds to bring the babies to the camera, but so far to no avail. They are coming down to the yard now though, and they are their adorable demanding little selfs. I took these with my “big” camera, and they are not perfect. The second photo shows the two Dads with the two young ones. The female is sitting on four eggs while they take care of the youngsters. There used to be three, but I have not seen all three babies in a bit and I am not sure if the third baby made it.

I ran into a woman at Puʻu ʻŌʻō this morning and chatted for a bit. I offered her a couple other places to try, but it was just for a few minutes and I didn't get too deep.

Then I saw her checklist when I got back down the mauna and submitted mine. And I glanced to see where else she's been birding and realized I should have recommended a couple other spots to her. She's missing some species that I know I can help her find.

But alas, there's no way to contact her. And she's not using her real name on eBird, so I can't find her on some other platform.

I guess all I can do is hope she spots my checklist after hers at the location and does similar to see where else I've been birding, then tries those spots too and gets her missing species.

I swear, cedar waxwings are going to be the death of me.

I love these beautiful little borbs and I desperately want to get a great photo of them.  But man, they ELUDE me.

I was walking Mesa down to the park and there were, no lie, more than THIRTY of them in the tree.  And me without my camera.

I turn around and RUN... literally RUN... back home, dragging the puppy (who has no idea what is going on and still wants to stop and talk to all the other dogs we pass) along.

I get home, hustle the boy into his crate, scramble to reassemble my camera (which I had already broken down after my morning shoot at the Basin), grab my monopod, and run out the door.  Leap into the Jeep, haul ass down the road to to park.

I get out... and most of the flock had flown.  GAH.

There were still a couple left hanging around, but they were skittish and looking for an excuse to fly off and find the rest of the flock.

I managed to at least grab a couple shots, but nothing special.  Not the kind of shot I want.  They were too high up in the sycamore, couldn’t get a look at their gorgeous wings that look painted on.  There were too many branches, creating distracting backgrounds (at best) and foreground interuption (at worst).

Is he camera shy??