Some Birds I Have Seen On Our
Rutgers University Camden Campus

Pictures taken with Panasonic GS19

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Flycatchers - Eastern Phoebe & Eastern Kingbird

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Eastern Phoebe
 


Digital image taken with Panasonic GS-19 at Fine Arts (March 25, 2008).  Mouse click on picture to see video.


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On April 10, 2006, about 5 PM I saw this bird in front of the Robeson Library.  It flew into a small tree.  As I was about to try to get some close shots someone passed by the tree and disturbed the bird.  It flew to a upper branch in a large tree so I didn't bother to record it since, at that distance, the pictures would have been the same as those already here.

On Friday afternoon March 17, 2006, an Eastern Phoebe was spotted by the Fine Arts building.  It flew into a tree in front of the Robeson Library where these images were taken.  I heard the bird first, a soft whistle sound that I didn't recognize.  Then I saw it dart out of the bushes toward a small tree in front of the library.  When I first saw it I thought it looked like a Tufted Titmouse or an Eastern Kingbird shrunk down to the size of a Sparrow.  After checking resource material I believe it's an Eastern Phoebe which is a type of Flycatcher like the Eastern Kingbird.  In the videos you can see the subtle "tail-wag" that this bird does.  Compare it to the Palm Warbler.

Click here for video in Windows Media format Click here for video in Real Media format
Mouse click here to see frames in MS Photo Story format Mouse click here to see frames in Adobe Photoshop Album format (.PDF)
Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  front of Library (March 17, 2006).  Mouse click on pictures to see videos.

 


 

As I was going home Friday March 31, 2006 at about 6:20 PM, I noticed a small dark bird in the tree in the parking lot behind BSB.  As I watched it I noticed a "tail-wag" and thought Eastern Phoebe which I had seen two weeks earlier.  Got out my camera and recorded these clips.  The Phoebe wasn't as flighty as two weeks ago.  It flew into the trees on the west side of BSB and I was able to get some closer images but it kept moving from tree to tree.

Click here for video in Windows Media format

Click here for video in Real Media format

Click here for video clips in MS Photo Story format

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Tail spread just before takeoff.

Silhouette showing V shape tail.

Side view in parking lot behind BSB.

Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  behind BSB (March 31, 2006).  Mouse click on picture to see videos.

 

 

Eastern Phoebe at Fine Arts 2008

Digital image taken with Panasonic GS-19 at Fine Arts (March 25, 2008).  Mouse click on picture to see video.

On March 25, 2008 late in the afternoon I had to go to the Robeson Library.  On my return trip as I was passing the Fine Arts building I heard a flock of Crows overhead and thought "Spring is really here - the Crows are back".  As I continued walking I saw a small grayish bird in the Birch trees by Fine Arts.  I stopped so not to scare it and pulled out my camera and got some nice video of an Eastern Phoebe.  The bird ignored me and went about his job of bug catching allowing me to capture my best images of this bird.  There is an alcove in the building and the late afternoon sun was warming the area.  The bird would sit on a branch and wait for some insect activity.   Since the bird would sit still for a while, I switched my camera to "still" mode and captured some more images.  While the bird was intent on eating and I was intent on photographing, my "pet" Mockingbird spotted me and joined the fun.  The Mockingbird didn't scare away the Phoebe but just politely asked for some raisons.  I stopped to give it some raisons which you can see in some of the frames.  The picture above and the frames below are from this episode - mouse click on the image to see a video.

Video in Windows Media Player format  Video in REAL Media format
Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  at Fine Arts (March 25, 2008).  Mouse click on picture to see videos.

 
     
Digital images taken with Panasonic GS-19  at Fine Arts (March 25, 2008).  Mouse click on picture to see videos.

 

Late in the afternoon of April 3, 2008 this bird was by the Fine Arts building.  It would fly from its perch, snag a bug and return to the perch.  I didn't get any tape of it catching bugs just some of it sitting, looking and waiting.  The video does highlight one of the characteristics of this bird - its "tail waging".  You can plainly see it throughout the video.  There was also a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the same area around lunch time.
Video in Windows Media format
Photo Story presentation  Video in Real Media format

Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  at Fine Arts (April 3, 2008).  Mouse click on pictures to see videos.

 


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Eastern Kingbird

MS Photo Story Presentation
Frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-15 (2005). Mouse click on picture to see video.

On Friday July 22, 2005 I saw one of these chasing a Crow across the street from BSB.

On Friday July 15, 2005 I saw the Kingbird in the tall tree across the street from the BSB parking lot.

On Tuesday June 28, 2005 around lunchtime, I went out of BSB and into the parking lot.  I saw a dark bird fly into one of the thin taller trees.  I thought it was just a Starling or Catbird but then I noticed some white on its front.  I pulled out my camera and with the zoom lens I could see it was a Kingbird - the white band on the tail confirmed it.

Click here to see video in Windows media format  Click here for video in Real Media Format
Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-15 (2005). Mouse click on pictures to see videos.

 

 

On Tuesday May 30, 2006 while I was walking over to the book store I saw this bird on the phone lines at the Law School.  It flew down to eat a bug then went back to sit on the lines.

 
Photo taken with Panasonic GS-19 (5/30/2006). Mouse click on picture to see video.

 

Leaving the building around dusk on June 6, 2006 I spotted a Kingbird in the tall trees that separate the two BSB parking lots.  I shot some video and continued toward the back parking lot after the bird flew off.  While I was walking I could still here its call and there seemed to be others in the area.  I noticed one in a tree a short block away.  Then, as I was about midway through the second parking lot, one of them flew onto the phone lines the parallel the lot and I shot some more video.  The bird was closer than when it was in the tree.  I was getting some good audio.
Click here to see video. Click here to see video.
 
Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  behind BSB (June 6, 2006).  Mouse click on picture to see videos.

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Frames clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  behind BSB (June 27, 2006).  Mouse click on picture to see videos.

On June 27, 2006 I found one of these birds sitting on the fence next to the far BSB parking lot.  I captured some video before the Mockingbird scared it away.



Frame clipped from video Panasonic GS-19  behind BSB (June 30, 2006).  Mouse click on picture to see video.

On June 30, 2006 I again found one of these birds in the same area but this bird look beat-up.  Some tail feathers are missing.

 

 


 

Comparison between Kingbird (left) and Phoebe (right) (both Flycatchers)



 

 

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Ed McHugh, OIT Camden Computing Service.
Copyright © 2004 [OIT Camden]. All rights reserved.
Revised: Friday, May 02, 2008

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