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Murphy’s Law of Optics

Murphy’s Law of Optics states no matter how long the lens on your camera you will need a longer lens to get the picture you want. The law is exemplified in bird photography and in particular when I want to take a picture of a Kingfisher. This bird manages to fly away as soon as I see it. If I just had a longer lens I could get that closeup shot I seek.

Photograph of a Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) taken stream-side of the Deschutes River in Central Oregon February 20, 2012. A moment later the bird flew across the river and nearly out of sight, a mere speck in any photo.

byLarry

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Larry Rea February 23, 2012 October 14, 2017 Birds

Spring peepers are singing

We are beginning to hear from the frogs. A few more warm nights and the spring peepers will be singing in full cry, maybe that should be “full croak”. We also hear that our native frogs are disappearing and a few show signs of “modification”. As usual we don’t seem to realize that all the crud we dump into our water supplies may be doing harm to the critters that live in it. This particular frog was found in a bog while we were looking for something else. That’s one of the delights of serendipity.

byLarry

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Larry Rea February 22, 2012 October 5, 2017 Uncategorized

Hybrid Columbine

We believe we have found a hybrid Columbine… a combination between the Red Columbine and the Yellow Columbine.

Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) is one of my favorite wildflowers and common in most of Oregon.

Less common is the Yellow Columbine (Aquilegia flavescens).

We believe we have found a hybrid of the two species near Hat Point in NE Oregon’s Wallowa County.

ByLarry

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Larry Rea February 18, 2012 October 14, 2017 Uncategorized

Grosbeak Action at the feeder

Grosbeak action at the feeder. Yesterday a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus) attended our feeder for about 15 minutes. I was lucky enough to capture a few photos while using my car as a blind. The birds don’t seem to mind the presence of the car with me inside but if I try to approach the feeder on foot they scatter. The male Grosbeak (above), having a bright gold stripe above the eye, is more colorful than the female (below). This was a first sighting for me although our bird book says the Evening Grosbeak is a permanent resident of our area. In size the bird is just smaller than a robin but several times larger than a House Finch, a near relative.

byLarry

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Larry Rea February 16, 2012 October 5, 2017 Birds

Hop and Scratch

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) Multnomah County

If you have ever watched a chicken scratch for food you might remember that it will scratch with one foot while balancing on the other. The Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus scratches with both feet at the same time during a hopping motion. Perhaps you have noticed.

How many birds forage by using the hop scratch method?

byLarry

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Larry Rea February 2, 2012 October 14, 2017 Birds