Today I saw and photographed quite a few different birds in the back yard. Most of them were birds I’ve taken pictures of before, except for the Eurasian Collared-Dove. I’ve seen this pale gray/buff dove with the dark half-ring around its neck in our area several times, but never when I had a camera with me. Today I was out in the back yard when I saw a light-colored flash as a bird landed in the tall pine tree, and then I heard a dove’s coo. I had my camera in my hand and I was finally able to take a picture of the Eurasian Collared-Dove. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 250.
I saw another variety of dove up in a tree–a little Ground-Dove, much smaller than the Eurasian Collared-Dove. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 500.
As always, of course, there were mockingbirds out there today. Here’s one posing on the back of a yard chair. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 640.
The blotchy-looking juvenile male Cardinal paused for a drink at the bird bath. Settings were f/7.1, 1/320, ISO 800.
And a Cattle Egret flew by overhead. Settings were f/7.1, 1/500, ISO 200.
But what I was happiest about was my best photo yet of the pair of House Finches. They came to the bird bath and I was able to get closer to them than I ever had before. They posed very nicely looking at each other. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 640.
Another photo of the House Finches. The female had just pulled up her head from getting a drink (you can see water droplets in the air above her) while the male was considering a drink. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 640.
I picked a lot of tomatoes today. Here is today’s harvest (minus the ones I ate while picking–sun-warmed sweet ripe tomatoes are wonderful). Settings were f/7.1, 1/5, ISO 200.
