the birds that continue to elude me...

This post is dedicated to birds that I really have no excuse for not having shots of by now....

Quite some time ago, shortly after this all started out, I bought a finch feeder after observing a whole bunch of them in a backyard close to mine. Much to my dismay, this feeder sat unattended for a very long time, with all the birds clearly preferring the "yummier stuff" in the other feeder (you know, the black, more expensive, makes a huge mess, gets eaten in .2 seconds by squirrels and grackles stuff). Well, I got a little lazy and stopped refilling the yummy stuff. I had a little song sparrow and some chickadees that started to visit the finch feeder occassionally. Still, I haven't had to refill it since I bought it. But, today, FINALLY! I got my first finch! Woot! But, wrong lens in the camera, memory card plugged into the computer upstairs--didn't get my shot as he was gone by the time I was ready. At least, I think now one has found it so he should be back, now that the lilac tree has filled out enough to block my view of it. So I've seen these guys all around lots, and now in my very own yard, but am still waiting for the (good) shot.

I've also seen quite a few Great Blue Herons (GBHs), but they have all flown off, or I've been in on the bus or something. Hopefully later in the summer I will have more luck with them. I have tons of pics of these suckers from previous years, but that doesn't count!

There's a peregrine falcon that is often on the building across from my work. It's not always around, and the glass is not very clear (despite the window-washing that seems to be going on all the time), and you can't see if from my floor so I have to do this complicated dance to get up to the higher floors since the elevator doesn't go there from where I work. Anyways, despite a much appreciated team effort, I'm still waiting for the money shot (although Sandy took a passable one for me...thanks!). On Thursday night while I was walking downtown I thought I saw it on the top of the roof....I ran into work, grabbed my camera, my tripod, did the dance up to the 23rd...and found none other than...a satellite dish.

Turkey vultures: If the darn things would ever come down to the ground, I might get a shot!

American Crow: I just haven't even bothered.

Alrighty folks, I suppose part of this weekend will be relentlessly pursuing all of the above and more! Hopefully by Tuesday I will have hit 50 :)