Sheila’s Bird Shots…..

Guess where we went today? 

If you guessed to check on our motorhome you would be correct.

Last week’s visit was to remove two, five year old start batteries, which were going bad and this week was to install the newly purchased start batteries. We have a total of eight batteries in our rig, two start and six house. Thankfully, the six house batteries are only three years old!

While hubby was installing the batteries, I mean what could I possibly have done, I was again photographing the beautiful, Western Kingbirds. 

My foray into the Western Kingbirds space was more successful than last Saturdays. No circling or fussing at me. We were still separated by a high chain link fence, but I was able to capture these images.

First- just caught

Second – don’t want to get stung

Third – look what I caught

Fourth – got it by the stinger

Fifth – now got it by a leg

Sixth – still trying to get it in my mouth

Seventh – almost

Eighth – do you see any more

Sheila’s Bird Shots: ~ Western Kingbird ~

On Saturday we took a ride to check on our motorhome, which is stored about seven miles from our home. While there I noticed several Western Kingbirds perched in Cottonwood trees that run along a fence line separating the storage facility from an open grassland.

I wanted to try to capture an image of these Flycatchers. I got my camera and slowly approached the fence so as not to scare them. I stopped not too far away and just stood there hoping they would get use to seeing me. 

After a few minutes, one of the Western Kingbirds flew high into the air and came gliding down toward me. This fearless, striking gray and yellow bird then continued to fly in circles around me as it gave me a scolding.  Loud, buzzing, vocals combined with graceful, acrobatics. How fun.

A few seconds of this behavior and it flew back to its perch. I stood there for a couple more minutes, thoroughly scolded, but not deterred. The Kingbird must have decided I was not a threat, because I was ignored after that.

I was able to observe, their gymnastic flying and hunting abilities as they snatched bugs out of the air. There was plenty of “fussing” between the Kingbirds, I guess reminding each other which Cottonwood tree was theirs.

These photos are my first images of Western Kingbirds. Wish I could have gotten closer.