Lesser Goldfinch III

The third of my "5" Star Lesser Goldfinch photos is a male sitting on one of our pomegranate trees that happened to be flowering. I especially like the composition which puts the goldfinch off center but balanced with the flower:

Lesser Goldfinch Male

Lesser Goldfinch - II

With the abundance of Lesser Goldfinches here at The Azure Gate comes multiple opportunities for photos. Here is another "5" Star Photo of a female Lesser Goldfinch:

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch

We have between 40 and 60 Lesser Goldfinches around all the time. Many nest here. So, I don't really have to travel far for a photo. In fact, I can get very close. Here is a female that you can just about count the number of feathers on. I love the clarity in the photo. Plus it is a very sweet bird:

Female Lesser Goldfinch

Leopard Lacewing

Continuing alphabetically with my "5" Star Photos we come to the Leopard Lacewing butterfly. This is one of my favorite photos; wonderful color in both the butterfly and the flowers -- but not overwhelming; very pleasant and peaceful colors. It comes from India, South China, and Indochina.

Leopard Lacewing

Killdeer

Returning to my "5" Star Photo series -- in alphabetical order -- we come to the Killdeer. The Killdeer is found throughout North America often wintering as far south as Central America. Killdeer are considered "shorebirds" often wading in very shallow water and marshes. It is very "sandpiper-like" in that regard.  However, they can also be found far from water in open fields and grasslands. 

Killdeer

The Joys of Birding -- or so

Once again the ability to accept defeat has surfaced. I spent the last two days photographing --- well, not necessarily photographing -- with some "birding" friends. Thursday we visited: Florida Canyon, Madera Canyon, Montosa Canyon, Amado WTP, Rio Rico Ponds, Kino Springs. Friday we visited WOW Arizona and Incinerator Ridge on Mount Lemmon. What a nice list of birds including townsend's, hermit, yellow, and red-faced warbler; western wood peewee, yellow eyed junco, several vireos, stellar jays, black hawk ---- oh, the list goes on .... 

The best birding spots were Florida Canyon and Mount Lemmon by far. However, I must admit that I didn't come home with one photograph that I would rate a four or five. 

But all those birds were quick looks. Gone in a flash -- or darting around on the backside of bushes and trees.  I wish that birds --- well, didn't have wings. It would make photographing them much easier. On Incinerator Ridge you are walking beneath a forest of pine trees. Unfortunately not much light gets through. Add to that the "flightiness" of birds and you can understand the difficulty.

However, we did see a Berylline Hummingbird in Madera Canyon at Chuparosa Inn. And, there were plenty of hummers including Allen's and Costa's at WOW Arizona. The hummingbirds were my best photos of the past two days. Here are a few:

Berylline Hummingbird

Allen's Juvenile Hummingbird

Costa's male and female fussing

Broad Billed Hummingbird

Black Chinned Hummingbird

Kestral on a WireKestral

Now, back to my alphabetical series of "5" Star Photos. Next up, the Kestrel. I would have liked to have gotten a photo of a Kestrel in a tree, but it seems the only time I see them they are on a utility pole or fence. Of course, the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum occasionally has a "Kestrel Show" where they have one strapped to someone's gloved hand. I've got a couple of really good photos there. But, alas, that's not what I do. My photos are supposed to be Exclusively Wildlife. So, this is the best I can do. It's still a nice photo. Good detail, good color. So I am pleased in that regard.

So, the (American) Kestrel:

Kestrel