Early Birds

[tameigh]

These are really good. I don't care for the vignette effect though. I am jealous because the day I took pictures of robins, I set up and waited near a sumac grove while they were nearby hoping to get shots with the robin and sumac in the same frame, and they passed through in about 20 seconds. I wonder if they need to be really hungry to eat those berries. They seem to last all winter ignored by everything else.

[ScoutR]

Thanks Tim: I've done a bit of research since taking these shots, because I've never really noticed birds at the Sumac trees before.

Anyway it seems that because the berries stay on the trees right through the winter, the birds use them as an emergency food when nothing else is available, which is the case with these poor early robins. I've also seen a few Red Wing Blackbirds at the Sumacs but the blackbirds seem to be finding lots of other food sources. It's the Robins that are swarming the grove. I doubt you will find them there though unless they get caught in a storm like they did here. As soon as the snow goes away, they will be back looking for other food I'm sure.

Wendy