February 23, 2012

Ring-billed Gulls

Several Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) spotted during a photowalk through Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. According to All About Birds, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ring-billed Gulls "are the gulls you're most likely to see far away from coastal areas—in fact, most Ring-billed Gulls nest in the interior of the continent, near freshwater. A black band encircling the yellow bill helps distinguish adults from other gulls—but look closely, as some other species have black or red spots on the bill."

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Don't be fooled by the difference in appearance among these three birds: the individual shown in Photo 1 of 3 is a mature adult; the birds shown in Photo 2 and 3 are immature juveniles. Adults have yellow and black eyes and a yellow beak with a black ring around it; juveniles have black eyes and a pink beak with a black ring.

February 21, 2012

Red-bellied Woodpecker redux

A Red-bellied Woodpecker spotted during a photowalk along the "Blue Trail" at Pohick Bay Regional Park.

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Tech Tips: The photos in the preceding gallery were shot using my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150. Apple "Aperture" was used to adjust the photos. All of the photos were cropped in order to highlight the bird.

February 19, 2012

Red-tailed Hawk redux

Two galleries featuring a few more photos of a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) spotted during a photowalk along the Mount Vernon Trail, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

Gallery 1

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The preceding gallery shows the hawk stalking a small rodent hidden in the ground cover below the bird's perch. The hawk looked at me (see Photo 2 of 2) moments before it pounced on its prey. The hawk spread its wings, dropped to the ground, and grabbed the rodent with either its talons or beak. The attack was sudden and nearly silent. I shot some photos of the strike; regrettably all of them are poor quality.

Gallery 2

The hawk flew to a nearby tree with the rodent in its beak. The bird used its talons to pin the rodent to a tree branch and used its beak to eviscerate the animal. I used "burst mode" to shoot photos of the hawk eating the rodent, some of which are quite graphic. Relax, the photos in the following gallery are "G-rated." The title of Photo 1 of 2 is, "Finger Lickin' Good!" Yep, that's blood on the hawk's beak. 'Nuff said about that photo. The fierce look on the hawk's face in Photo 2 of 2 is frightening! Can you say, "Velociraptor?"

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Tech Tips: The photos in both galleries were shot using my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150. All of the photos were cropped and adjusted using Apple "Aperture," a professional-grade tool for organizing and adjusting photos.

waltersanford's photoblog

Showcasing some of my digital photography and videography.

Ring-billed Gulls

Red-bellied Woodpecker redux

Red-tailed Hawk redux