Tuesday's Bog Birds

[Jim Almquist]

Spent the day in the Bog to see if there were any new arrivals to the feed stations. I did see a flock of Redpolls but the did not stop to eat and there was a small flock of White-winged Crossbill's all by the Admiral feed station. Stopped at all the feed stations and did not spot any Boreal Chickadees. There was also a Pine Siskin at the Admiral loc.I did see a Blackback woodpecker at the feed station on Mcdavett along with more Crossbills but they were high in the trees. At the station on Owl ave I spotted what I thought was a Brown Creeper but could not get a shot off for a positive ID. I did not see any owls but another birder reported seeing a NHO on Sax by Hwy 7.

A few pic of the birds.

[JayinMN]

Nice shots Jim, I like the gray jay the best. The NHO is usually just south of of the green house on Hwy 7. I see they are starting to log on McDavitt Rd again. I have yet to see a boreal chickadee this winter either.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Gray Jay is exceptional! Perfect pose/head angle for me.

[Birdsong]

What comprises that dreamy bg color you manage to get on so many of your shots? The gray jay has it especially. It's wonderful. As is the gray jay himself.

[Steve Foss]

Sarah, that BG is along the Admiral Road feeding station, and is a rank of shrubbery about 30 feet behind the perching branch. Setting up so the subject is close to you on that brach and the BG far away gives you that nice soft buttery background. The very cool brown/russet coloring is due to the colors of the shrub branches. Changing the angle behind that perch also can bring greens and pale grays into play.

[Jim Almquist]

What comprises that dreamy bg color you manage to get on so many of your shots? The gray jay has it especially. It's wonderful. As is the gray jay himself.

Sarah the next time I go to the bog I will be sure to pull off the long lens and take a few shots of the surrounding area so you can get a feel for what the background really looks like.

It is a little different when you go for a couple of miles of nothing but woods and then there is a spot with a couple of seed feeders and a rib cage but it is amazing how many people stop to look at all of the variety of birds that hang around the feed station.

I see that during the MOU bird count in the bog the spotted a Boreal Chickadee at the Admiral feed station.

[ShawnZ]

I really enjoy both Jay images Jim. I have a hard time getting blue jay images. Were you in your vehicle when you got the blue jay image? Both jay images also have some really pleasant light.

Nice work sir.

[Jim Almquist]

I was outside at the Admiral feed station. My car was about 100 feet away from the feeder. I had on camo bibs and jacket and watched them fly to a tree close by and just put my head next to the camera which was on a tripod and just looked out of the corner of my eye to see when they would come and get some seeds off the ground. They always landed on a branch before going to the ground and I was lucky enough to aiming at the right branch. They never did stay long and if there was any movement they were gone.