WalkingSquares 27 through 30
Yay! I did it! I followed Becky’s #WalkingSquares challenge, walked outside and took photos every day in November (except one).
If I am to be honest, I will have to admit that for me, this challenge is not so much WalkingSquares, as it is StrollStopAndStareSquares. But going very slowly and pausing often, allows me to notice new things to photograph.
On Sunday, we had wonderful weather. I got this picture of an American Kestrel early in my walk. I see them just once every few months.
Finally, some clear weather!
American Kestrel.
As I continued my round into the woods, I saw some small birds that didn’t look like the typical chickadees and titmice. I stood very still for at least fifteen minutes, until they got used to my presence and flew more closely. I was standing there thinking about what a lovely day it was, and how if I wasn’t doing this challenge, I would have just marched on along my usual path, without really watching the birds, and relishing the woods in the afternoon light.
That evening, when I processed the photos, I realized they were Golden-crowned Kinglets! We have had Ruby-crowned here before but I have never even seen the Golden-crowned before. This is Bird Species 102 for our farm list!
Golden-crowned Kinglet, helpfully displaying his crown.
Golden-crowned Kinglet — blurry but adequate for ID.
Golden-crowned Kinglet.
On Monday, I decided to go back to the spot where I had seen the kinglets, to see if I could get any better pictures.
I took a shortcut through the woods, in an area where I don’t usually walk, because the ground is full of gullies, and most of the year it is crowded with brush. But at this time of the year, the brush has died back and you can see where you are going a little better.
There was a big tree that had fallen over a gully, and it had beautiful fungus growing all over it.
Fungus on a fallen tree.
My path through the woods was not the shortcut I thought it would be, and I did not get to the kinglet spot that day. I did spot a Sassafras tree sapling and that is the first one I have seen on the property.
Tuesday I went out too late and only got this picture of a Tupelo tree at dusk.
Tupelo silhouette.
Wednesday I went back to the kinglet spot, and while I was waiting quietly to see if the birds would show up, I noticed this mulberry tree that I had not spotted before. We have about 12 species of trees that are plentiful on the farm, and then just one American Holly specimen, one Sassafras, and now three Red Mulberries.
Mulberry tree growing intertwined with a Sugar Hackberry and a Yaupon.
The beautiful huge Mulberry leaves.
I really enjoyed walking for the challenge, trying to see if I could find something new to photograph every day.
The other really enjoyable part of this challenge, is following the links to read the participants’ posts. Becky has done a lovely job of creating a path of posts in her wrap-up, and I would encourage you to explore some of them!
Beautiful birds and great finds on a walk. The Tupelo silhouette is my favourite 🙂
Thank you, Brian!
What a beautiful place you live in… I look forward to more of your discoveries.
Thank you, Chris! It is good to hear from you!
Good catch of the kinglet. They are small and quick.
Thanks, I am glad you liked it. The camera always wants to focus on all the nice linear twigs instead of the little blobs hopping around in the shadows and I am always happy to get any photo that helps me identify the bird. 🙂
I know what you mean about twigs being in good focus.
Such beautiful images. Thanks !
Glad you liked them!
Lucky you, to get a photo of the kestrel! I’ve only seen what I assume was the same bird twice, both times in the same area of the Brazoria refuge. They are so handsome.
I didn’t know there’s a Tupelo tree. I know about Tupelo, Mississippi, and of course there’s “Tupelo Honey. The Britannica says there’s one species of the tree that makes especially nice honey: ogeechee lime (Nyssa ogeche). The article also mentions those dramatic horizontal limbs as one of the tree’s characteristics.
If your camera has spot focus as an option, that can really help with birds hidden in twigs and such. My camera has 19 point auto focus, zone autofocus, and one-point focus. Using the one-point, I sometimes can shoot straight through branches, chain-link fences, and so on. A bird photographer in Australia put me on to that little trick.
The Tupelo is also called Black Gum and Sour Gum. We have two together in that pasture, both hollow but still living fine.
As far as cameras, I have two bridge cameras that are about 5 years old, and lots of the features are no longer working. One will not zoom, one will not flash no matter what I do, and I have never been able to figure out how to use manual focus on either one — that seems to require three hands. I have tried using one-spot focus, but you are right to remind me of that, I don’t think I have even tried to adjust any settings lately. The biggest problem is matching up the branch where the bird is sitting, that I can clearly pick out with my own vision, with the flattened version the camera sees. I am trying to focus on a certain elm branch and the camera is focusing on the pine trunk in the background. And then the bird moves. 🙂
Those silly cameras can seem to have minds of their own!