California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) - Backyard Photography

I recently spotted a California Towhee (Melozone crissalis) in my backyard. Decided to get a few photos of it. I am here to share with you the two photos I took. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos! I was hoping to have a bit more photos in this blog post, but I don't have that many interesting things I can take a photo of in my backyard.

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To view my best backyard photos for 2014, use this link. To see my best bird photos for 2014, use this link. To see all of my 2014 backyard photos, use this link.

These are all the photos for today. Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Birds from Arroyo Del Valle Trail (Pleasanton, CA)

Today I have several bird photos I have taken on Arroyo Del Valle Trail in Pleasanton, CA. These photos were not from one trip but from several trips. Since I live pretty close to the trail, I take walks on the trail pretty often to exercise, and also to get some wildlife shots. I hope you enjoy viewing these.

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best photos of birds in 2013, use this link. To see my best photos of Pleasanton in 2013, use this link. To see all of my photos from Pleasanton in 2013, use this link.

California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)

Date Taken: 1/19/2013

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) in flight.

Date Taken: 2-1-2013

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) in flight.

Date Taken: 2-1-2013

Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)

Date Taken: 3/8/2013

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) guarding its nest.

Date Taken: 3-8-2013

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) in flight. 

Date Taken: 3-8-2013

Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Date Taken: 3/21/2013

These are all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing them. Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Lake Chabot Regional Park

I took a friend to Lake Chabot Regional Park a while back. Here are some photos from the trip. I didn't end up taking too many photos as it was too windy. Lake Chabot Regional Park is located in Castro Valley, California. If you are from the area, this park is a great exercise spot with lots of long trails! I hope you enjoy viewing these photos!

I meant to do the photos from my white water rafting trip today, but I ended up uploading these. >.< Sorry, been having a lot on my mind lately with school and stuff. School has been very stressful for me, which is why I ended up uploading the wrong photos after such a big delay in my posts. Oh well, please enjoy these, and I will upload those photos next time!

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. View my best photos from Lake Chabot Regional Park here. View all of my 2012 photos from Lake Chabot Regional Park here. 

Sticky Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus)

I'm not very sure on what flower this is. If anyone knows, please comment below!

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Wild blackberries in the park. This is a close up photo of its flower.

This is a close up photo of the blackberry. These berries are edible once it turns black or almost black. These berries in the photo is not very ripe yet. They taste very good! :) I've ate them before. Generally, in the wilderness, you should never eat any berries you don't recognize! They may be poisonous. These berries, I do recognize, told to me by a park ranger it's safe, and tried before so I know it's safe.

I usually don't do portrait shots, but I thought the tree's shape looked really cool and shooting it in portrait was the only way to get the most out of it. 

Some landscape of the lake.

Another shot of the lake from a different part of the park. I got some lens flares in this one...

This is all the photos for today. Hopefully I don't forget again, in the next post, I will have more photos from my white water rafting trip! I hope you have enjoyed viewing these photos for today. Please don't forget to share my blog posts with your friends! If you would like to get notifications next time I post, you can "Like" me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Arroyo Del Valle Trail Photos

Today I got more photos from Arroyo Del Valle Trail. The trail behind my house. Enjoy! The first 19 photos is from last year November.

Pleasanton is located in California.

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best bird photos from 2011, use this link. To see my best Pleasanton photos from 2011 and 2012, use this link. To see all of my Pleasanton photos from 2011, use this link.

Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Not sure what birds those are.

Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

I'm guessing it's a vulture.

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Vulture

I'm guessing this is a American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), but I'm not that sure.

I hope you have enjoyed the bird photos today. Please check back soon for more photos. Also, please share this blog post with your friends and family. If you would like to be notified next time I post, please "Like" us on Facebook. Thanks for looking!

Front Yard Photography

If you have been reading my blog from way back, you know I own pet birds. Sadly, I used to have 5 (2 cockatiels and 3 parakeets), now I only have 2 parakeets left. 2 (the cockatiels) died from disease and 1 (parakeet) flew away. Since my pet birds do spill a lot of food, and I usually leave them in my front yard during the day time, a lot of wild birds have made nests in the bushes in my front yard. They usually come on during the day time to scavenge the food my birds have spilled on the floor. Sometimes I even see my pet birds spill food for them on purpose. I wonder if they can understand each other... Anyways, what a better place to get photos of birds than my own front yard right? Today, that is all there will be. Bird photos from my front yard. Enjoy!

Full Resolution Photos and Prints: If you want to see full resolution photos or buy prints of any of the photos you see, they are up on my portfolio for viewing. To see my best bird photos of 2011, use this link. To see my best at home and backyard photography shots of 2011, use this link. To see all of my at home and backyard photography shots of 2011, use this link.

Today's photos was taken using the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens and a few of the photos was lit up using a Canon Speedlite 580EX II.

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys)

The reason you see so many leaves is because these photos were taken half way through last year December. I got 5 giant trees in my front yard and all the leaves started falling. HAHA A lot of work raking them up!

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys) 

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys) 

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
This ones a fat one...

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Can't see the "crown" on the bird, but should be either a golden-crown or a white-crown. That is the only types I see in the bushes.

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Can't see the "crown" on the bird, but should be either a golden-crown or a white-crown. That is the only types I see in the bushes.

Golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys) 

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophys) 

I hope you enjoyed today's bird photos! Anyways, I might take more soon because it seems the babies hatched! I saw a lot of little birdies flying around and hopping on the ground eating my parakeet's leftovers. LOL So make sure you check back soon! Also, please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar. See you next time!