It all started last fall...
About this time every year I like to clean up our bird feeders and start feeding the birds in fall and winter. After a few days I noticed this little guy at my feeder, thinking to myself WOW never seen this bird before I wonder what type it is? In my beginners wisdom I jumped on Amazon and ordered my first birding book. Birds of Texas field guide by Stan Tekiela. Not realizing at that time, Cornell lab already has an app called Merlin! LOL!
My book arrived the very next day, boy I love amazon prime! Within moments I have identified my first Life List Find!
Eastern Bluebird ( Please keep in mind... this is my first real birding photo. These pics are raw. )
That's it, I was hooked!
I really enjoy riding, always enjoyed camping even as a young man many years ago. Last year I rode over 15,000 on my Honda NC 750X while out motorcycle camping.
So hear I am now thinking... How in the world am I going to explain to my wife about my new combined love? LOL!
BABBY STEPS!
1st. I'm a novice in birding/photography.
2nd. My budget cannot support a $1500 cam frame with a $6,000 tele zoom.
So after several weeks of YouTube I finally felt good about purchasing my first low end cam to start. Remember the last cam I owned was a Cannon rebel X 35 mm film. LOL! 1996
After several choices I was thinking I had it narrowed down to a Cannon XS70 bridge cam. Well... No luck! after Christmas and chip shortage/shipping issues or what ever it was... Really hard to find anything that you could go and put your hands on. Sure Amazon maybe but I wanted to look first. Finally I was able to grab a Nikon Coolpix B600 with 60X optical zoom. Yes I know it's a bridge with no manual mode but for 329.00 don't mind getting it for a starter. There is so much to learn all at once while birding. Yes birding is what I'm planning to do while motorcycle camping. Not bird photography, but bird documentation. For now I'm more interested in zoom than manual. LOL maybe later when this passion catches fire in a full blaze I'll go out and drop a months salary on a cam. But for now this Nikon B600 will do fine.
Hopefully I am blessed with the opportunity to go out motorcycle camping while birding with any one of you here that's willing to put up with me! LOL
I'm really excited to see this group TWT involved in more than just motorcycles. It's good to see others out here who also have more than 1, 2, 3, 4... LOL! Hobbies!
Hope you all enjoy my first 9 life finds!
Until next time!
Keep the fire going and the beer cold I'll be in soon!
Gator.
Please feel free to correct me if my ID is wrong.
Tufted Titmouse.
Northern Cardinal.
House Finch. Really loves the meal worms and seed.
Dark-eyed Junco.
House Sparrow female.
My Favorite! Carolina Wren.
Of course the cause of it all! LOL. Eastern Bluebird.
Carolina Chickadee.
Chickadee's are fun to watch. They grab one seed at a time then fly to a close branch. Then with his short stubby bill he hammers open the seed getting to the meat.
Last pic is not a bird of course. No it's Mr. squirrel AKA tree rat!
Me playing around with the Macro setting. Moss on our fence panel.
This last shot is a mystery to me. Maybe someone can help me on this one? Looks like some type of a nest. We have seen it across the street each fall when the leaves drop.
About this time every year I like to clean up our bird feeders and start feeding the birds in fall and winter. After a few days I noticed this little guy at my feeder, thinking to myself WOW never seen this bird before I wonder what type it is? In my beginners wisdom I jumped on Amazon and ordered my first birding book. Birds of Texas field guide by Stan Tekiela. Not realizing at that time, Cornell lab already has an app called Merlin! LOL!
My book arrived the very next day, boy I love amazon prime! Within moments I have identified my first Life List Find!
Eastern Bluebird ( Please keep in mind... this is my first real birding photo. These pics are raw. )
That's it, I was hooked!
I really enjoy riding, always enjoyed camping even as a young man many years ago. Last year I rode over 15,000 on my Honda NC 750X while out motorcycle camping.
So hear I am now thinking... How in the world am I going to explain to my wife about my new combined love? LOL!
BABBY STEPS!
1st. I'm a novice in birding/photography.
2nd. My budget cannot support a $1500 cam frame with a $6,000 tele zoom.
So after several weeks of YouTube I finally felt good about purchasing my first low end cam to start. Remember the last cam I owned was a Cannon rebel X 35 mm film. LOL! 1996
After several choices I was thinking I had it narrowed down to a Cannon XS70 bridge cam. Well... No luck! after Christmas and chip shortage/shipping issues or what ever it was... Really hard to find anything that you could go and put your hands on. Sure Amazon maybe but I wanted to look first. Finally I was able to grab a Nikon Coolpix B600 with 60X optical zoom. Yes I know it's a bridge with no manual mode but for 329.00 don't mind getting it for a starter. There is so much to learn all at once while birding. Yes birding is what I'm planning to do while motorcycle camping. Not bird photography, but bird documentation. For now I'm more interested in zoom than manual. LOL maybe later when this passion catches fire in a full blaze I'll go out and drop a months salary on a cam. But for now this Nikon B600 will do fine.
Hopefully I am blessed with the opportunity to go out motorcycle camping while birding with any one of you here that's willing to put up with me! LOL
I'm really excited to see this group TWT involved in more than just motorcycles. It's good to see others out here who also have more than 1, 2, 3, 4... LOL! Hobbies!
Hope you all enjoy my first 9 life finds!
Until next time!
Keep the fire going and the beer cold I'll be in soon!
Gator.
Please feel free to correct me if my ID is wrong.
Tufted Titmouse.
Northern Cardinal.
House Finch. Really loves the meal worms and seed.
Dark-eyed Junco.
House Sparrow female.
My Favorite! Carolina Wren.
Of course the cause of it all! LOL. Eastern Bluebird.
Carolina Chickadee.
Chickadee's are fun to watch. They grab one seed at a time then fly to a close branch. Then with his short stubby bill he hammers open the seed getting to the meat.
Last pic is not a bird of course. No it's Mr. squirrel AKA tree rat!
Me playing around with the Macro setting. Moss on our fence panel.
This last shot is a mystery to me. Maybe someone can help me on this one? Looks like some type of a nest. We have seen it across the street each fall when the leaves drop.