Just joined the forum. I have really gotten into birding and bird photography over the last couple years. Certainly a challenge and one full of frustration and occasional rewards. So how about we post our top 3-5 shots, the ones we are most proud of along with the story and location if desired. Birds are amazing, energetic and quick and difficult to catch. Once you start photographing birds I think the next step is bird behavior, trying to catch them in some interesting acts. I am just moving on to that from static bird shots so I don't have a lot of them but give me a year...

Let's see your proudest bird photos...don't have to be the BWCA





Right here in the Twin Cities, Lebanon Hills Regional Park. Spotted a Cedar Waxwing and when you find one you usually find a bunch of them. Initially took some shots from a distance but knew that wasn't good enough - snuck up on them through the woods, probably spent a very stealthy half hour taking shots and got some nice ones. Love the shot.





Great Blue Heron, shot on a lake near Park Rapids, MN. I have never had a lot of luck shooting birds in flight but this one turned out pretty good. Like the shadow on the water.




Goldfinch at Fort Snelling State Park.




Sandhill Cranes near Sherburne Wildlife Refuge, saw dozens of them, stopped along the road for some shots of this pair


Big Bog State Park, September 2015. More Blue jays than I have ever seen before, literally hundreds of them. they were gorging themselves on acorns, sometimes putting two or three of them in their throats before flying away to store them somewhere.


Loons at Savanna Portage State Park


Immature Bald Eagle in Northern American Highlands State Forest


We backpacked in to a site at Kathio State Park and were treated to the antics of numerous red headed woodpeckers while we were there

Good to see ya Lindy. I love birding but don't have the technology to get good pictures of them yet. Can you tell me a bit about your setup?

That loon picture is amazing.

I got this Red Shouldered Hawk eating a frog in my backyard in Mason, OH. He/She was very tolerant and let me get very close.

this big boy hid behind sticks every time he did his courtship display. birds love to not cooperate. se minn.

My birding patch is Voice of America park in West Chester, Ohio. This Song Sparrow was very cooperative for a photo shoot last week.

Hooded merganser family.



Indigo Bunting


Robin on a -16 degree day.


Gold Finch


Grackle. They often get a bad rap, but I think they are gorgeous.


Blue Heron


Female Ruby Throat

Warblers can be tricky to identify. I have been going through old bird shots and for the life of me can't tell if this is an immature or female Yellow Warbler or something else?

Edit: upon further research I believe this is a Pine Siskin.

We saw these loons on This Man Lake around 6:30 AM on August 23, 2016. They passed by our camp a few times.

quote mooseplums: " "

What a great Osprey picture that first one is!

quote mooseplums: " "

What a great Osprey picture that first one is!

Here's a few.
Nothing like Mooseplum's pic, but love the way this Osprey's colors are displayed as it glides above:






How about an eagle:






And a Great Blue Heron:

quote ozarkpaddler: "

quote mooseplums: " "

Thanks....the second one is the Angry Birds version.
They were taken during spring migration. The lake had just opened up, and there were about 5 ospreys in trees above the lake, and they weren't shy







What a great Osprey picture that first one is!"