Birds of Rutgers Camden NJ

Pictures taken with Panasonic GS19

Some presentations on this page may require that MS Windows Media Player be upgraded with the following codec to run MS Photo Story videos:
for 2000 and lower WM9Codecs9x.exe for XP and up WM9CodecsXP.exe

back to Main Bird Page

Maybe the best birding day ever

Coming into work on Friday April 25, 2008 I had a unique experience of seeing a host of different birds in the space of about 10 minutes. I first encountered my Mockingbirds. Two came by to squabble over raisons. I put the raisons in a line rather than a pile so both could get some. This was just outside the back door to BSB. I walked around the west side of the building and saw a male Rufus-sided Towhee. The Towhees have been in the area for a couple of weeks. I then spotted an Ovenbird (a Warbler) in the same area - first of the season. Since I was early for work I walked over to the Fine Arts area where I have seen many birds. I wasn't disappointed. I heard a bird singing but didn't recognize the song. I got out my video camera to capture the audio. I was able to see the bird also - a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This bird has been in the area for about 6 weeks now. I was able to get extensive video and great audio. The bird ignored me and came very close while I was taping. During the taping I saw a flash of white which I assumed to be a White-throated Sparrow. I got some good video of this bird later. Also during the taping I noticed some other movement and saw a larger bird on one of the Crepe Myrtle branches. It turned out to be a Hermit Thrush - again the first of the season but who knows since these birds can winter here but they are hard to see. I did get some video of it also. At one point I stopped taping to investigate some noises. It was a Rufus-sided Towhee digging in the leaf litter under the Spreading Yews just behind the Crepe Myrtle. So in 10 minutes - 2 new arrivals (Ovenbird & Thrush), 2 recent arrivals (Towhee & Kinglet), and 2 permanent residents (Mockingbird & White-throated Sparrow) - besides the normal Robins, House Sparrows, and Cardinals that were around.

Ovenbird at BSB -frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 (April 25, 2008 - morning)

Hermit Thrush at Fine Arts -frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 (April 25, 2008 - morning))

Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Fine Arts -frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 (April 25, 2008 - morning))

***

Around lunch time I walk over to the Fine Arts area to see if the birds were still around. They were and I was able to get some video of the Hermit Thrush. There is some extra noise on the video - the ground maintenance group were out with leaf blowers. Along with the Hermit Thrush I found an Ovenbird, Robin and White-throated Sparrow (really bright white stripes on its head).

Hermit Thrush at Fine Arts -frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 (April 25, 2008 - lunch time)

***

I wandered over to the same area after work and taped some birds songs. I couldn't see the bird though. There is a lot of extra noise on the video - there was a large group of young children in the area and their voices echo off the brick of the Find Arts building. This time I again found the Ovenbird, a Robin, a male Rufus-sided Towhee, and a White-throated Sparrow.

Ovenbird at Fine Arts -frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 (April 25, 2008 - evening)

MS Photo Story presentation of the Ovenbird

Video in Real Media format of the Ovenbird

Rufus-sided Towhee at Fine Arts - frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19 (April 25, 2008).

***

The sound of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the morning.

Another version of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

The sound of the birds in the early evening.

*** Go To Top

Hit Counter

back to Main Bird Page