Fade to Black

[EdV]

As I was organizing and identifying some of my bird images from our California Trip, I noted that a fairly large grouping had "Black" somewhere in their name. (And this doesn't include such black birds as the Common Raven, Pelagic Cormorant and Brant's Cormorant.)

So, in no particular order, here goes. (C&C always welcomed.)

Black Brant. This was the id given by our guide. (Are the Black Brant and American Brant different species?)
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/BlackBrant_1.jpg

Black Oystercatcher. I took tons of photos of these guys up and down the Monterey coast. They are much more cooperative than the American Oystercatchers I find here on the east coast.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/BlackOystercatcher_1.jpg

Black Turnstone. (I shouldn't have confused the Willet in flight for this bird in my Curlew thread.)
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/BlackTurnstone_1.jpg

Black-chinned Hummingbird.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/Black-chinnedHummingbird_1.jpg
Black-crowned Night Heron (Juvenile).
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/Black-crownedNightHeron_1.jpg

Black-footed Albatross (I know I posted this one before).
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/Black-footedAlbatross_1.jpg

Brewer's Blackbird.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/BrewersBlackbird_1.jpg

[canonloader]

All these are wonderful shots Ed. I particularly like the oystercatcher and the little hummer. And I might have to revise my remarks about those guys in Florida having it too easy to include the guys in California. :lol:

[snowyowl13]

Some super shots there. Well done.

[hTr]

Very well done Ed

[nwyman]

Sigh. The birds are lovely. The settings look cool and moist. I think all of the birds around here have left for cooler places where it rains at least once a month.:(

We've had no rainfall since May.

[EdV]

All these are wonderful shots Ed. I particularly like the oystercatcher and the little hummer. And I might have to revise my remarks about those guys in Florida having it too easy to include the guys in California. :lol:

Thanks for the feedback, Mitch. Actually, I did not realize it until shortly before we left for California but the Monterey peninsula is one of the top birding areas in the country standing right up there with Cape May, NJ; I think it is Padre Island area in Texas and South Florida. I think we can back with about 25 new ones and this wasn't really a "birding-only" trip. I have many lighthouse images, landscapes, and other marine mammal images to work my way through/

Some super shots there. Well done.

Thanks, Dan. I appreciate the comment and am glad you like the images. It was obviously quite an enjoyable trip.

Very well done Ed

Thanks, Gary. Always appreciate the comments. Once I dig myself out from under what looks like approximately 1,750 images taken, I've got to get back to the feedback mode myself.

Sigh. The birds are lovely. The settings look cool and moist. I think all of the birds around here have left for cooler places where it rains at least once a month.:(

We've had no rainfall since May.

Thanks Nancy. Believe it or not, this is the dry season on the Central California Coast. Very little to NO rain rain falls this time of year. Of course the fogs that roll in almost every morning help keep things moist. And the high temps were in the upper 60s to low 70s every day there. Now Yosemite was a different story with highs around 105 every day!

[Gary Fairhead]

A very nice series and that Oystercatcher is superb...love it.

[busbyea]

This must be the "Grunge" series..;)

Very creative presentation. Well done.

[EdV]

A very nice series and that Oystercatcher is superb...love it.

Thanks Gary. I appreciate the comment/feedback. I will post an Oystercatcher series in the next day or two. I got some other images that I think are also very good.

This must be the "Grunge" series..;)

Very creative presentation. Well done.

Or Goth! :) Thanks for the comments. I appreciate them.

[EdV]

Before sinking into total oblivion on page 2, I thought I would re-raise the question: Are the Black Brant of the West Coast and the American Brant of the East Coast the same species or different? I was told they are different. They look different. But my guide only lists one Brant.

[mikeb380]

Ed, you have some beautiful shots there, I'm very envious of you. Keep up the good work.
Michael

[EdV]

Ed, you have some beautiful shots there, I'm very envious of you. Keep up the good work.
Michael

Thanks for the feedback/comments, Mike. I appreciate the kind words.

Still no answer to the Black Brant/American Brant question. Are they same species or different?

[ngannet]

Great series Ed. I esp. like the albatross, oystercatcher and turnstone. We get Black Brants over here occasionally as well. Here (http://www.oceanwanderers.com/IntrmBrantNY.html) is a link with some discussion and pictures on Black Brant/Intermediate Brant, etc.

[EdV]

Great series Ed. I esp. like the albatross, oystercatcher and turnstone. We get Black Brants over here occasionally as well. Here (http://www.oceanwanderers.com/IntrmBrantNY.html) is a link with some discussion and pictures on Black Brant/Intermediate Brant, etc.

Thanks for the Brant information, Bob. It was helpful.

As skittish as I have found the American Oystercatchers over in Sandy Hook is as cooperative that these Black Oystercatchers were. I must have at least 100 good images taken across 3 or 4 days in different locations of different birds (at least I assume so).

We also saw a Black Plover up in Elkhorn Slough but the photos I did take turned out pretty poor - too far away.

[Sindri Skulason]

Excellent series indeed. The black Oystercatcher is my favorite here. Outstanding work. :-)

[snappa]

Very nice indeed Ed. I too like the Black Oystercatcher. Oh and the Hummingbird.

[EdV]

Very nice indeed Ed. I too like the Black Oystercatcher. Oh and the Hummingbird.

I'm glad to hear that you like the images, snappa. Thanks for the feedback.

[Cooper911]

Beautiful series here. Though it was difficult to choose, I really am fond of the oystercatcher. Nice work.

[MicheleRF]

I was intrigued by your title so I took a look and so glad I did. Super shots!

[EdV]

Beautiful series here. Though it was difficult to choose, I really am fond of the oystercatcher. Nice work.

Thanks again, Cooper. I like them all but the Oystercatchers are special. I have such a variety of Oystercatcher images and backgrounds to choose from. I am partial to the rocks though.

I was intrigued by your title so I took a look and so glad I did. Super shots!

Glad you looked in and liked what you saw. Thanks for the feedback.

[snowyowl13]

A really nice series.

[EdV]

A really nice series.

Thanks Dan. Glad you like the images.