Okay, so technically some of these shots are from 2016, but I didn't want to mess too much with my alliterative title attempt...lol! When I was looking through my photo archives yesterday for my Thursday Tree Love post, I noticed a shot of a bird that I'd completely forgotten about. Mostly because it was taken back in 2015 with my old camera from a distance, so the quality wasn't all that great. I know I shared it to a local birding group on FB for an ID, but since it wasn't a particularly good capture, I didn't post it on my blog, even though it was a "first" for me. After scrolling through my old shots a little more, I realized I could do a Flashback Friday First Feathered Friends with five different ones from that time frame (aka when my family started referring to me as the Crazy Bird Lady).
And what exactly is a first? Here's an explanation from the site Bird Searcher -
YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR FIRSTAny true birder will always remember, and probably excitedly tell you all about, the first time in their life they saw a bird. Not just any old bird; but their first correct identification of a species of bird which they have never seen before. This first-in-your-life bird is referred to as a “life bird.” Or simply, “lifer.”
Have you ever seen a Florida Jay? No, not yet? Well, the first time you do see a Florida Jay, that would be a lifer for you. You’d tell your birding buddies that “I saw a Florida Jay, it was a lifer for me!” But the second time you see a Florida Jay, it wouldn’t be a lifer because you’ve already seen it.
And yes, in some cases I'm sharing photos from another time I saw the same bird, which means they aren't a "lifer" but it was still the first time I saw/ID'ed that particular one, so it's still a "first" (especially since this is just a post for fun, and not a birding report... 😂 ).
Lastly, these were taken with my old Olympus camera for the 2015 shots, and my Nikon for those in 2016, in my Durham New Hampshire yard. I also cleaned them up a ton bit on PicMonkey.
Flashback Friday Five First Feathered Friends From 2015 and 2016
Gray Catbird
I heard this Gray Catbird (on May 23 2015) before I saw it and it took a few before I spotted it hiding in a pile of branches.
I actually captured a little bit of audio back then, just before I saw it...
After that first shot, it then nicely hopped down to the ground so I could get a clearer look.
Cowbird
A female Cowbird calling for her mate on May 30th, 2016.
A female Cowbird blending in with a Shagbark Hickory Tree, June 11th 2016.
A male Cowbird posed pretty for me on June 1st, 2016. First on this shepherd's hook...
... then standing on the edge of the water bowl in the Avian Eatery.
Indigo Bunting
This is the one and only time (so far) I've had an Indigo Bunting in front of my camera.
I have seen this brilliant flash of blue a few other times since this day (May 25 2016) but never got the chance to get a better shot.
Scarlet Tanager
Late afternoon (around 5pm), a not-so-clean window, and my old camera combined to make this a less than ideal capture of a Scarlet Tanager on May 30 2015.
The next time I saw one the following year on May 15th, it stayed high in the treetops.
Although my Nikon was able to get a clear enough shot that you can tell Mr. Tanager was busy grabbing an afternoon snack!
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
And this is the shot that prompted this post - a Yellow-rumped Warbler (a Myrtle, not an Audubon's) high on a tree top on May 3 2015
This is the same shot, but cropped so you can get a slightly better look at it (and it's similar to the one I used to get an ID). And yes, that blurry bit to the left of its head is a bug flying past - it makes me wonder how cool this shot would've been if I had a professional camera. Still, I can't complain!
Hope you enjoyed my Five First Feathered Friends From 2015 and happy Flashback Friday!
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