December 2008

Wingscapes Update

Happy Holidays!

I was in contact with Wingscapes support, and I thought I had the camera working. I got some pics, but then it stopped working again. I pointed the camera in the opposite direction, because the exposure seemed better with the winter lighting. Here are a couple of pics, 3 in the snow, and one of the many chickadees. Wingscapes support is closed for the holidays, but they said that they will replace the camera, if I cannot get it working.

Picasa released an update, and it is very nice! You can view the pics from your computer in a Picasa window. If you do not have Picasa, I recommend it!

Titmice

Last time I had a pic of a robin, so I bought a platform feeder for them. So far, nothing has touched it. Checking into this, it is possible that my robin was in migration, and simply passing through. On the other hand, they are known to over winter. I will keep food available and see what develops.

I have often seen dark eyed juncos feeding on the ground, but I have never caught a good pic of them. In continuing this trend, the Wingscapes camera caught this.

I had to crop this tufted titmouse at the birdbath as well as this chickadee. I walked out to clean the birdbath, and I saw a pair of titmice and several chickadees. I went in to get the camera, and the battery was dead. So I grabbed the other camera, but it only has a 3X lens. I knew they wouldn't let me get close enough, so I thought that I would take a pic, move closer, take another, and keep doing this until they flew off. Good plan, but I hadn't figured on a jogger running past! After the first pic, they were gone. So this is the best that I could do.

Well, I had the Wingscapes camera for about ten months, and it appears to have died. It passes it's self test, but don't get any images. Without images from the Wingscapes, there isn't a Backyard Birder! Until I get this working, the updates will be few and far between.