Birds
Birds were my first interest in nature, and they are still my favorite subject. They can, however, be frustrating to photograph because they like a lot of “personal space.”
Quick Notes:
Cuckoos
In Pennsylvania we have two species: Yellow-billed and Black-billed.
Fowl
By Fowl, I refer to Gallinaceous fowl, basically, hereabouts, turkeys and grouse.
Herons
Waders and fishers of both standing and flowing water. The Great Blue Heron is the most common, although I have never gotten a photograph of one that I am proud of.
Hummingbirds
The Ruby-throated is the only species of Hummingbird normally found in Pennsylvania. They are a challenge to photograph. I have never personally found the happy medium between the artificial look of freezing all motion in their wings (about 1/2000 sec.) and my personal dislike of blur.
Loons & Grebes
Loons and Grebes are regular winter visitors. They are almost totally aquatic.
Raptors
Wary birds, many of these photos were taken at fairly long range and significantly cropped.
Shorebirds
Not a lot of “shore” up here in the mountains, these are birds of ponds and lake mudflats, swamps, and even church parking lots.
Songbirds
Songbirds is a shorthand name for the various species that used to be called the perching birds: flycatchers, vireos, sparrows, finches, orioles, swallows, jays, etc. Although they are also songbirds, I have created a separate category for warblers.
Warblers
Warblers are the (usually) bright-colored, tiny little birds that return from South and Central America every spring.
Waterfowl
At this point, only ducks. We get a number of Canada Geese that breed on local waters. I have even seen a couple of swans.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers may be my favorite birds. We have seven woodpeckers (one is a sapsucker) ranging in size from the impressive Pileated to the slightly larger than a chickadee Downy.