Here are some photos that I didn't get a chance to post over the weekend.
Friday I went up to Miantonomi Park in the North End of Newport. The part of the park consisting of hiking trails is mostly wooded, and the place is hopping with songbirds. While I was there Friday morning I heard a Flicker going nuts the whole time I was there, plus lots of Cardinals, Chickadees, Goldfinches, Tufted Titmice, and the occasional Towhee. Unfortunately most of these, while easy to hear, weren't all that easy to see; I saw plenty of the Titmice and Chickadees, but they never sit still. I spent a while watching two Pine Warblers flitting amongst the branches of underbrush and jumping to the ground and browsing in the leaves, but never got a clear shot. But I got lucky with a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. It was up in a tree, and I had to use the telephoto lens, but eventually I got three shots, only one of which was usuable (and I count myself lucky to have gotten that one!).
Friday I went up to Miantonomi Park in the North End of Newport. The part of the park consisting of hiking trails is mostly wooded, and the place is hopping with songbirds. While I was there Friday morning I heard a Flicker going nuts the whole time I was there, plus lots of Cardinals, Chickadees, Goldfinches, Tufted Titmice, and the occasional Towhee. Unfortunately most of these, while easy to hear, weren't all that easy to see; I saw plenty of the Titmice and Chickadees, but they never sit still. I spent a while watching two Pine Warblers flitting amongst the branches of underbrush and jumping to the ground and browsing in the leaves, but never got a clear shot. But I got lucky with a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. It was up in a tree, and I had to use the telephoto lens, but eventually I got three shots, only one of which was usuable (and I count myself lucky to have gotten that one!).
Yesterday (Sunday) was our first really warm day of the season; It got up to 85º in town, although I suspect that down on the ocean, where I was most of the day, was probably more like 78º or so. Still, very warm, very sunny, and I hiked 12 miles and got good and sunburned and all tuckered out. And I got these two shots in the course of that hike.
This first shot is looking up the Newport shore of the Narragansett Bay from down on Brenton Point. Brenton Point State Park was crowded, as were all the access points to water. But that water is still cold (around 50º F/10º C), and all those guys you see on the rocks in shorts and without shirts stayed on those rocks; nobody was going swimming yesterday, despite the air temperature!
This first shot is looking up the Newport shore of the Narragansett Bay from down on Brenton Point. Brenton Point State Park was crowded, as were all the access points to water. But that water is still cold (around 50º F/10º C), and all those guys you see on the rocks in shorts and without shirts stayed on those rocks; nobody was going swimming yesterday, despite the air temperature!
And this one is taken from King Park on the south end of Newport Harbor at the municipal pier. I call this one Waiting For the Season to Start.
© 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger
Yeah! Nice Ruby-crowned Kinglet. They are so cute. A very fun bird, but exceedingly difficult to photograph!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing picture of the bird!
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