TwinHuey
Active Member
As seen just now in my backyard. 
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- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
lenaitch
Senior Member
^^ I love Pileateds. We had one on both our suet and seed feeder last winter. They're a bit of a bull in a china shop.
TwinHuey
Active Member
Amazing birds!
Very shy and not easy to photograph. Today I heard that distinctive 'wuk wuk' call and had a chance to grab my camera and hide out of sight before she could see me.
The males have the red colour all the way down their long bills - no bird expert, I looked it up before posting this.
SubHuman
Active Member
SubHuman
Active Member
I stopped to watch a pair of Hooded Mergansers for a few minutes at the Lower Duck Pond in High Park. They disappear under the water for about 5 or 10 seconds and surface at a different place, sometimes with a fish.
TwinHuey
Active Member
At the feeder this morning...
Tim MacDonald
Senior Member
Gorgeous shots. Welcome back! What camera/lens did you use for these?
TwinHuey
Active Member
Thanks Tim!
The camera is a Nikon D600 with a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (both are vintage 2012). I saw the Cardinal and quickly grabbed the camera. Unbeknownst to me somehow the camera settings had changed from full manual to automatic ISO. I didn't have time to fumble around to reset the ISO to manual so I just grabbed the shots. I normally set the ISO then adjust shutter speed and aperture. Shot at 200mm / f 2.8 / 1/2000 / ISO 3200.
And just last week we were complaining about the heat and humidity in Mérida.
TwinHuey
Active Member
This morning...
TwinHuey
Active Member
More from the feeder....
TwinHuey
Active Member
More from Cliffcrest's Wild Kingdom.
January 9
January 9
evandyk
Senior Member
We now have a backyard for the first time, and I was surprised at the amount of wildlife. No foxes so far, but the amount of raccons and squirrels is out of control (partially due to neighbouring decrepit attics and garages, which make great homes). We put up a birdfeeder and instantly had cardinals, blue jays and one woodpecker. And a possum. A few rats, but we got rid of those (I actually don't mind them, they seem just like squirrels with smaller tails, but others didn't like them).
TwinHuey
Active Member
Cliffcrest Wild Kingdom.
SubHuman
Active Member
^ Supposedly they're checking the weight when repeatedly putting back one and then picking up another.
A couple of years ago in High Park (in mid-September), I saw a blue jay make a remarkably steep dive from the top of a tall tree, only to level out about 12 feet above the ground as though the dive was to purposefully gain speed. It then caught in mid-air what I'm about 90% sure must have been a hummingbird that moved slightly at the last instant in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid being caught. Apparently blue jays do sometimes eat adult hummingbirds.
A couple of years ago in High Park (in mid-September), I saw a blue jay make a remarkably steep dive from the top of a tall tree, only to level out about 12 feet above the ground as though the dive was to purposefully gain speed. It then caught in mid-air what I'm about 90% sure must have been a hummingbird that moved slightly at the last instant in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid being caught. Apparently blue jays do sometimes eat adult hummingbirds.
TwinHuey
Active Member
February 9
