Thursday, May 8, 2014

Bird Identification and Vireos

Philadelphia Vireo
Philadelphia

Philadelphia Vireo


Warbling Vireo




Warbling Vireo

Warbling






White-eyed Vireo


White-eyed Vireo


Warbling Vireo



Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo


Red-eyed Vireo


White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo


Blue-headed Vireo

I have been enjoying the great fun of migration and new birds visiting our 2.9 Woods.  For me, the fun of photographing birds and the identifying them go hand and hand.  You may have only mere seconds to take in the details of a bird with your eyes.  The camera holds the image and remembers what you forget.  I love to capture a bird image and know that I have a much better chance for identification. This is particularly true when you have never seen the bird before or maybe only a couple times and feel unsure of its identity. This scenario happened to me just a couple of days ago. A bird was on our water feature. I reached for the binoculars and first thought Red-eyed Vireo.  My camera capture revealed the Warbling Vireo.  I had seen this Warbling Vireo before a couple of years ago. Time had passed and my first look at him would have been wrong vireo!  Warbling Vireo was more exciting because I was putting him in my memory banks again. This photograph could be looked at many times and may have provided a different light or pose of the bird than I had seen before.  I had noticed that the Warbling Vireo was dipping into the water very quickly and then out to a branch. He did this over and over while bathing and preening himself. The White-eyed Vireo bathes in the same fashion.  I hope you enjoy the pictures of different Vireos.  Blessings!