Brian Smith

A view over a small creek that curves out into the bay. Mud bacnks are bare with Mallard to the left and right. The small birds in the further mud bank are Least Sandpipers and a raft of Scaup and Buffleheads in the distance. The sun is lighting up the sky under the mist across the Bay in Richmond.

#TidesOutTuesday, and not right out, but mud banks visible on the little creek near home. Mallards close, some Least Sandpipers in the middle distance on the left and Scaup and Buffleheads farther out - and the early sun creeping under the mist. #Birds #EastCoastKin #Photography 🪶

Thanks Rob! I was tempted to just rotate a Western Bluebird shot as I've seen so many lately ;).

An Oak Titmouse, bill pointing up, hanging on a branch that is at 45 degrees so the bird looks vertical from tail to bill. California Live Oak is the tree.

#BirdoftheDay is #HangingAround and this Oak Titmouse 'en-pointe' on a thin branch in a California Live Oak. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

A Harbor Seal, just head above the water, with the head of a fish.

A Harbor Seal, just head above the water, with the head of a fish.

A Harbor Seal, just head and tail above the water, with the head of a fish in its mouth.

A Harbor Seal, just head above the water, with the head of a fish.

A mammal feeding in the harbor for this set, and a Harbor Seal enjoys a fish supper. There were a couple about, and the gulls were looking for scraps too. I'm not sure what the fish was. White Sturgeon maybe? #EastCoastKin #Photography

An American Crow, with an acron between its feet pecking to get inside.

An American Crow, with an acron crumb on its bill, and the rest of the acron still held with its claws.

An American Crow, with an acron between its feet and about to peck to get inside.

An American Crow, with an acron between its feet pecking to get inside.

Another in the 'feeding' series I started recently - this time an American Crow and an acorn - often in a similar position with a clam. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography. Next will be a mammale feeding, and not the human kind.

A very close up of a Western BlueBird's eye and bill.

Using #MacroMonday as a lame excuse to post yet another Western Bluebird picture from the weekend. If only they had yellow eyes! #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

A Snowy Egret against dark water. Pickleweed in the foreground. The Egret's head feathers are standing up making a little plume. Yellow eyes and surrounding yellow along to the black bill are catching the sun.

For Alan & Rob's #BirdoftheDay and a #YellowEyes of the Snowy Egret. Taken over the weekend as the sun was low against a nice dark background. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

A Western Bluebird on a branch with another branch passing in front and casting a shadow across its ches. the head is turned to its right, eye catching the sun. Blue sky, bright afternoon sunshine.

#BlueSkyMonday and yes, yet another Western Bluebird. Yesterday they were in the same tree, catching the late afternoon sun. #Birds #EastCoastKin #Photography

A Red-shouldered Hawk, that had been perched on the wire, takes to the air. The yellow feet can be seen just releasing the wire, and the back and of the body and the wings are swept up. The head is pointed in the direction of flight - so not visible to the camera.

Late for #Birdonawire, in more ways than one. A Red-shouldered Hawk takes to the air. #EastCoastKin #Birds #Photography 🪶

A Great Blue Heron, standing on one leg on a deck, water in the background reflecting the golden grasses at the bank of the creek.

#Stunday, and Great Blue Heron's are always stunning, but loved the background colours too on this one. #Birds 🪶 #Photography #EastCoastKin

Love the way DPReview started their "Gifts for Photographers" newsletter with the Leica Q3. At nearly $8K I'm not expecting that in my stocking - but who knows? #Photography

Beautiful Hans, and they must rate as some of the most differently coloured pairs in the bird world!

A female, lower left, and male, upper right, Western Bluebird on bare branches with just a few leaves left at the extremeties. Out of focus greenery behind, strong sunlight.

#Mr&Mrs is the #BirdoftheDay, and yes, I do have a Western Bluebird picture for that. I'm on a roll. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

A marshy area of grasses and pickleweed with a Great Egret seen from behind, heading towards a Snowy Egret looking forward and not yet aware of the companion. The 'Behind you' reference is to British pantomimes where often a ghost or some other baddy would appear behind the speaking character, and the audience were encouraged to shout 'behind you!'. Invariably by the time they turned the ghost/baddy had hidden again. A Panto definition from the Fremont Players in Seattle "It's a holiday tradition in England - everyone goes to a Panto at Christmas! They occur in every venue imaginable, from village halls to major London theatres. It is one of the few forms of theatre that caters to all ages, from 2 to 102. Taking its roots from commedia dell'arte, it is a very stylized form of theatre with stock characters and scenes. Stories are based loosely on traditional fairy tales, but there's always enough saucy humor and contemporary references to entertain the whole family.​ A big part of Panto is the audience participation. Just as in the spirit of melodrama, there are set call-and-response moments when the audience is encouraged to join in."

With panto season approaching I thought this appropriate. Behind you! A Great Egret flying toward a Snowy Egret. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography. More Panto info for those unfamiliar in Alt.

Not at all! I see them very occasionally, then see them everwhere all day. May not see another one for a while.

A Western Bluebird against a very clear blue sky. Perched on a wire with head tilted a little to its left. Catching the sun in its eye.

#BirdonaWire is the #BirdoftheDay theme - er, I've got a Western Bluebird for that. Did I tell you I saw lots of Bluebirds yesterday... #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

A Western Bluebird with three House Finches on a bare tree, with just a few leaves.

Close up on a Western Bluebird showing the orange/red chest between the blue head and lower parts.

A Western Bluebird from the back, looking over its right shoulder.

Two Western Bluebirds, male mid-right and demale lower left, on a bare tree - out of focus background.

How many is too many pictures to take of Western Bluebirds? Asking for a friend... #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography #Bluebird

A view from the hills of China Camp above San Rafael Bay, looking over the Richmond Bridge, with the Oakland BAY Bridge and Treasure Island in the distance. Just to left of center, above the horizon is an airship, LTA Pathfinder, the largest aircraft in the world, that was on a flight from Mountain View and was around 30 miles from where I was standing. Look for the 4 cranes angled right, then just above the next vertical crane to the right.

Another #Scape, and a #BayScape, and it wasn't until I got this on the big screen that I saw the LTA Pathfinder, the largest aircraft in the world was flying in the distance. You'll need to go bigger to see it, just above the first of the vertical looking cranes, to the right of the 4 cranes.

Thanks David!

A Western Bluebird against a blue sky

A Western Bluebird sitting patiently for me. Quite a flock about today #birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

Thanks Emma!

A Heermann's Gull, mostly grey with darker back, a red bill with a black tip. Head mottled compared to the more regular body. Black legs and feet.

Another shot of the Heermann's Gull that was giving me the eye, this time head in profile, for #GroundedGulls the #BirdoftheDay theme for today. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography

A picture taken looking across the San Francisco Bay from San Rafael towards Richmond. The Richmond Bridge just visible far right, Marin Island on the right too. A bollowing cumulus cloud in the center, dark and menacing, lighter clouds around it and a layer just above the land. Monochrome.

#Scape to the weekend, and a #cloudscape across the Bay. The clouds were wonderful yesterday morning and #BWFri works with this shot too I think. #EastCoastKin #Photography

So beautiful Michal - wonderful framing of the tree. Love the colours!

Thanks Jenna!

Thanks iolanthe!

Thanks!

Got it, and I am fortunate that this was just a few minutes walk from home. I usually go for 1/2000 at least, maybe 1/4000 if it is a Kingfisher. For this one I was at 1/1000 but it hadn't moved far.

A Red-shouldered Hawk in flight, date palsm behind. A little out of focus, and motion blur.

Thanks Loretta. It was my 70-300mm on my XT-5, a square crop from center top of frame, to be honest I've started to get dissapointed in it, unless the birds are as close as this one was. Do you have a long lens for the OM? The next shot didn't hold focus, but still has something about it. #Birds

A Red-shouldered Hawk launching from the top of a small tree towards a prey on the ground. Blue sky in the background. Wings in a 'v' shape, blurred at the extremes from movem,ent - head and eyes sharpely in focus.

One for #FlyDay and also for my feeding series from my walk yesterday. I was watching this Red-shouldered Hawk that had seen something in the undergrowth. It swooped down into the bushes - came out empty handed, and soon hounded by crows as it flew away. #Birds 🪶 #EastCoastKin #Photography