November 2015 – Hyde Park, London
I saw two of these birds whilst in London. The other was in a small pond nearer Buckingham Palace. They seemed a bit wary & solitary, but tolerant of humans.
I saw two of these birds whilst in London. The other was in a small pond nearer Buckingham Palace. They seemed a bit wary & solitary, but tolerant of humans.
These have solid black heads in breeding season, but these were all out of season, and/or perhaps younger birds. They’re common in the water around Hyde Park.
This birds are a lot more striking in breeding season. This one was settling down for a long winter.
It’s a bit special for an American to finally see the “original” birds, with no prefix attached. This one, is simply “Coot”.
A number of these were congregating near the ponds in Hyde Park.
This female was hanging out at Mt. Angel Abbey near Mt. Angel, Oregon. There was a male nearby as well, but they were both rather camera shy.
I was happy to spot this Bullock’s Oriole, but not happy that I wasn’t able to get any closer. This bird was acting aggressive toward other small birds in the area, which makes me wonder if there was a nest involved. I might have to go back to investigate.
These little guys just go, go, go… it’s rare to see one sitting still the 1/1000 of a second needed for a decent photograph.
Thanks to a passing stranger for spotting this bird in a tree with the sun behind. It was hard even to look at, much less photograph, but I managed OK.
A colony of Purple Martins patrols a stretch of wetland at Fern Ridge Reservoir near Eugene, Oregon. This one is immature… it’ll take on the more distinctive purple color later in life.
My only sighting & only photo… and I only saw this for a fleeting moment. Strange how these birds can live amongst us, but remain so hidden.