Saturday, February 28, 2009

More Sax Zim Bog Species




Today's featured species are Chickadees. Been traveling all week with my seasonal position with the Dept., thus my belated post. These Chickadees were some of the additional species photographed in Sax Zim Bog. The top two birds are common Black-capped Chickadees. The bottom image is the Boreal Chickadee. Although the Boreal Chickadee is not a great image, it is rarely seen in the lower 48, one of the few birds living completely within that boreal biome of Canada. Wanted to show everyone the diversity of species. Blue Skies.

11 comments:

Twisted Fencepost said...

These pictures are beautiful. I'm so jealous of your camera equipment.
You really know your birds!

Anonymous said...

I am so happy to have the chickadee's around all year to enjoy and to photograph too.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Ken: I love this little bird but they are always on the move. Love the image on the bottom, how special.
Thanks for your visits.

Philip said...

What cute little guys !!excellent captures !! another great post from you

Unknown said...

Beautifully composed series. The 2nd one is such a beautiful pose. I guess you used the flash on the 2nd image, I might be wrong.

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

That is the cutest little bird Ken.

Kekiinani said...

I have to admit these are the cutest little birds. Of course your images of them are awesome.. :) :)

Unknown said...

Chickadee's are one of my favorite little birds. If you've ever heard their song, it matches their cuteness. The top pic is my favorite, great color.

Atanasio Fernández García said...

Hey Ken, you've captured some excellent images of these species of Chickadees! If it is not a hassle for you, I would greatly appreciate that you helped me with some doubts about the identification of these birds (I do not know very well the birds of North America): In the first two pictures I think this is a Black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus), but it seems that there are differences in plumage color on the flanks, and the bird of the second image shows plumes-feathers ocher. The last picture I think this is a Chesnut-backed Checkadee (P. rufescens), but when I consulted the distribution of this species in my "Fiel Guide to the Birds of North America" I found that is located primarily on the west coast, rather away from the State of Virginia. Is this another species of Parus? Best regards and thanks!

Ken Conger Photography said...

Atanasio,
Appreciate you being so attentive to the bird coloration. As mentioned in the post the top two birds are indeed Black-capped chickadees, with some color variation. Male Black-capped chickadees have been documented to have brighter white plumage than females, larger black patches, and more dominant plumage contrast between the white and black regions. The bottom/third photo is a Boreal Chickadee. As mentioned in the post these birds are rare in the US and I was fortunate to see one in Minnesota. Boreal Chickadees are gray-brown above and whitish below with white cheeks, a black bib and brown sides and flanks. They are different from the Black-Capped Chickadee by having a brown cap. Hope this answers your question.
Blue Skies,
Ken

Atanasio Fernández García said...

Thank you very much Ken, you've clarified my doubts perfectly! Now I have already learned to distinguish the Chestnut-backed Chichadee and the Boreal chickadee. Next time I will not forget to click on "read more"! Regards and thank you very much!