WINGSCAPES

Handy Photographer's Trick

While feeders and bird baths make wonderful backgrounds in bird photos, sometimes you just want something different. Bird photographers have long struggled with getting the bird they want to photograph to land in just the right place to obtain the best background scene for their photos – so they developed a trick to help them do so.

As this Tufted Titmouse image submitted to the Wingscapes Photo Gallery by AJ in Lakehurst, NJ demonstrates, simply scatter a bit of seed or spread a little suet into a depression in an old log, then aim your Wingscapes BirdCam right at that area.

Bushtit Teamwork

It’s quite difficult to watch a flock of Bushtits descend upon a block of suet on a cold winter’s day and not think of all the old Warner Brothers cartoon scenes of a pack of mice on a hunk of cheese.

Quite communal by nature, Bushtits generally forage in small flocks. Even though they may spread out over a few dozen square yards at time, their habit of continually calling to one another keeps the entire group up to date on any discoveries of food or sightings of predators.

Duck-billed Chickadee?

As the fall football season is getting underway in Oregon, graduates of both the University of Oregon and Oregon State University are beginning to hang out their respective duck and beaver mascot flags as well as donning their green and yellow or black and orange clothing in support of their preferred team. Now it seems even the local feeder-visiting birds are getting into the act, as evidenced by this Black-capped Chickadee doing its best to impersonate a duck.

Popular Feeder Birds: Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Ask almost any bird watcher what their favorite bird is and odds are that one or another member of the chickadee family will be mentioned more than most other species. While the Black-capped Chickadee is perhaps the most common of the chickadees across the United States and Canada, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is one which many bird watchers would love to see visiting their feeders.

The smallest of all the North American chickadees, what it lacks in physical size it makes up for in the complexity of its songs. Although it doesn’t have the whistle call by which its more wide-spread cousins are so well known or the classic buzzy “chickadee-dee-dee of the Black-capped, the Chestnut-backed’s high pitched “chicka-chicka-chicka-chicka-dee” is a familiar sound to those who have spent time in the evergreen forests of the far west.

Not actually long distance migrators, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee practices vertical migration – moving into higher elevation areas when the weather turns fair and descending into the low-lands and foothills when the snow covers the mountains in winter. For this reason, those who live within their range are fortunate to have these cheery and entertaining little birds visiting their feeders throughout the year.

Bluebirds and More from Cary, North Carolina

David from Cary, North Carolina sent in these great shots of various birds he recorded in his back yard using the Wingscapes BirdCam. Thanks David!

David writes:

Here's more of my favorite shots with the BirdCam.  All were photographed at my home in Cary, North Carolina.

Great photos from Georgetown, Delaware

Chuck from Georgetown, Delaware sent in some great shots!  We hope he sends in some of the Pileated Woodpecker he talks about below.  We would love to add that to our BirdCam Life List.  Thanks Chuck!

Chuck writes:

Having lots of fun with the BirdCam.  I am trying to lure my evasive Pileated to my suet feeder(s).  He likes to stay up high so I am desigining a suet feeder cam on a track to hoist above ladder limitations.  What a magnificent bird.  We are lucky to have him & her around.

 

Spying on My Birds!?!

Laura from, Laura's Birding Blog, posted this and claims she is spying on her birds with her "spiffy little BirdCam."

We look forward to more great posts and pictures from Laura.

Laura writes:

"I set out a feeder on my balcony Friday, but didn't have any visitors until Sunday. Even more birds showed up Monday, and every day this week I've added at least one new species to my feeder list! How did I know they were there? I used my spiffy little BirdCam! So far, the camera has seen Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch (I saw Red-breasted Nuthatch myself on Sunday, but haven't seen any evidence that it's showed up since then), Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, and American Goldfinch. [...] When I finally have Internet at my apartment, I'll add a bunch more photos!"

City Birder Finds BirdCam Success

Since beginning this project two years ago, I've been reading birding blogs. I have a particular interest in urban bird blogs. One of the most compelling aspects of birding is that it provides a way for people to connect with wildlife and nature regardless of where they live. Anyone, anywhere can enjoy birds...less true with other types of wildlife. That so much bio-diversity exists in cities is missed by many, and it sets up an "ah ha!" moment for many beginning birders. Once you realize how many species are around you everyday, it is hard not to be curious about what you can find if you actually start looking.

Anyway, I've enjoyed urban bird blogs like City Birder and  A DC Birding Blog for a while. I'd asked both to test out the BirdCam and was eager to see some images, especially from New York City. I was surprised when Rob Jett (City Birder) didn't have quick success, but he seems to have had a watershed session with it. In just several hours, he captured a Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow and Purple Finch. Check out his post on December 1st. Hopefully we will see more BirdCam images from NYC.