Friday, May 13, 2011

Viewing Birds From Different Angles

I find that it can be a challenge trying to get a good view of the birds this time of the year. Many times I can hear migrant birds singing high in the treetops but can't get a good look at them because there are just too many leaves in the way.

 During a visit to Great pond Preserve in Glastonbury I found a spot where I could lie on the ground and look up into the trees. I  heard a  Rose-breasted Grosbeak singing for several minutes before it finally came into view. A few minutes late I was able to locate the female too. The advantage of watching these birds while lying on my back was that I didn't feel any neck strain and the view seemed more dramatic from the angle I was looking at them.
 
   Another way that I was able to get a good viewing angle was to walk up a hill by way of a power line trail. I found a spot where I was able to get closer to eye level with this tree. I was catching a glimpse of a Northern Parula as it was singing and moving from branch to branch. It seemed to be moving toward the outer edge where I hoped that I would be able to take a photo of it. Instead, a Blue-winged Warbler showed up on the branch I was expecting the parula to be. It wasn't singing but it had the dark eye line mark, was mostly yellow, and had the slightly darker wing area.

 After the picture was taken several other species passed through including Black & White Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, and Yellow-throated Vireo. Sometimes it pays just to stay still and watch one tree for a while.
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Later in the morning I stopped by the fairgrounds where I found so Greater Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers racing across the mud puddles.

7 comments:

Kay Baughman said...

You are right about lying on your back to see the birds with not neck strain. I have a hammock in the bird garden that comes in handy when warblers are in the tree tops.
I enjoy your blog!
Kay

Cwm Goch Chronicles said...

HI Larry,
Dropped in to your blog after I noticed you left a comment on mine (ages ago sorry - I've been away from blogland for a while)
L love your blog - we ofen sit on our deck here in the bush and watch our feathered visitors. A young lass in my husband's family grew 'concerned' about her father when he sat on his porch watching birds for hours on end. She thought this was mad, and that he was growing senile....city folk just don't get it do they?!

Dawn Fine said...

Howdee Larry~ Thats a great way to see the birds way up there in the trees..I sometimes lean on a tree.
Very cool pictures that way!
Happy Spring Birding!

Steadyjohn said...

Great shots Larry and a good technique for getting them. Did you bring a pillow? In the video it sounds like the Yellowlegs is galloping across the mud flats!

Chris said...

Yeh I guess that it is better to lay on our back at this time of the season, well that's actually not right over here, cause we almost do not have trees nor warblers ;-) Nice post Larry. and I hope you will get through the leaves soon enough to get mice warbly shots ;-)

Larry said...

Kay-Thanks-It's amazing what you can see in your own trees if you look often enough.

CWM-It's the hectic pace of modern life that sometimes concerns me.

Dawn-I lean on trees also to keep my hands steady while taking pictures.

SteadyJohn-My jacket is my pillow.

Chris-I'm working on it.

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