Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/09/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At this time of year water in California's Central Valley is a scarce commodity but Putah Creek in Solano and Yolo Counties still has a small flow. The water level is near its lowest at this time of year, exposing some gravel bars where the current barely trickles over the rocks. Wood warblers (family Parulidae) and other small migratory birds gravitate to the riparian habit along the creek and take advantage of the gravel bars to drink and bathe. Wednesday morning I visited one of the warbler birdbath locations in a UC Davis riparian preserve. I set up a photo blind shortly after sunrise and didn't have long to wait before the birds arrived at the birdbath spots in the creek. As the sun rose the sun baked the blind and its contents (me!) so this morning instead of the blind I covered myself with mesh camo netting. Seemed to work OK. The scene: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710298.jpg Western Tanager: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710292.jpg Black-throated Gray Warbler: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710111.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710113.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710332.jpg Wilson's Warbler: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710130.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710363.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710367.jpg Yellow Warbler: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710087.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710088.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710166.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710349.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710350.jpg immature Yellow Warbler: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710290.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710343.jpg Orange-crowned Warbler: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710134.jpg http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710103.jpg Warbling Vireo: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710154.jpg I'm told this is a Lincoln's Sparrow (how some people ID this at a glance is beyond me): http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710315.jpg and a bird believed to be an Orchard Oriole, a first for Yolo County: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/PutahCreek/L1710100.jpg All photos: R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO + 2x APO-Extender-R, tripod. All comments welcome. Doug Herr Birdman of Sacramento http://www.wildlightphoto.com