# Birding 2023 README

Matthew Gedye
https://blog.gedye.me

Updated: 2024-07-19

202301-eastern-phoebe: Eastern Phoebe photographed at Apex Community Park, 
NC, USA. These are delightful birds that always come just that little bit 
closer than other small birds to investigate.

202301-eb-bird: Eastern Blue Bird. I thought this shot looked quite artsy 
with the dew on the branches. Photographed at Lake Crabtree, NC, USA.

202301-gb-heron: Great Blue Heron at Apex Community Park, NC, USA. My wife 
photographed this one while it was fishing.

202301-rt-hawk-1 & 202301-rt-hawk-2: These are two of about thirty photos I 
took of this juvenile red-tailed hawk at Apex Community Park, NC, USA. It 
is one of my most memorable bird encouters to-date. I watched it for over 
an hour as it eyed out a fish in the shallow marsh before flying down, and 
almost 'pawing' at it like a cat would. Then it picked it up and flew to a 
nearby branch and allowed me to get very close while it was feeding.

202302-pileated-woodpecker: This is the best photo I've thus far been able 
to manage of a pileated woodpecker. Again, it was taken at Apex Community 
Park, but these birds are very challenging to get close to.

202303-northern-cardinal-1 & 202303-northern-cardinal-2: This stunning male 
was one of many that came to visit us at our home in Apex, NC, USA. After 
changing the type of birdseed I used, we were inundated with cardinals. It 
was delightful.

202311-rs-hawk: I consider this particular Red-Shouldered-Hawk to be my 
son's first bird. He was days old, maybe two weeks when we took him on his 
first bird walk to Apex Community Park (NC, USA) and found this beautiful 
specimen.

202312-bald-eagle-1: Winter is eagle time in Apex. I can't say for sure if 
this was one of the same breeding pair from the year before, but they 
nested in the same tree. This was incredibly high up, I'm shocked the 
camera took such a clear photograph. We weren't long for leaving the US 
when we took this photo and even today, I'm astounded by the bird life at 
Apex Community Park.

202312-bald-eagle-2: Trying to capture flying birds is never easy. I put 
the camera away after getting this one, and then just sat on a bench and 
watched it soar. Stunning birds.

202312-barred-owl: New Year's Eve 2023. I was determined I wasn't leaving 
the US without seeing a barred owl in the wild. I couldn't believe our luck 
when my wife happened to overhear a pair of women talking about an owl 
while we were out walking at (you guessed it) Apex Community Park. My wife 
ran over to where the bird was supposed to be with the camera, and sure 
enough, there it was. We stayed immersed in that moment for well over an 
hour (until the owl had had enough and flew off). A wonderful sighting. For 
sure one of my favourites in the US. As we rounded back to the carpark we 
saw the eagles referred to above^. Maybe our best ever birdwalk. We were 
convinced our baby was our good luck charm.

202312-gb-heron: Sometimes with common birds, the fun in photographing is 
trying to get them from different angles. (Apex Community Park, NC, USA).

202312-rb-woodpecker: I tried forever to get a good shot of a red-bellied 
wodpecker. This is the best I managed before we moved, but at least it's 
distinctive red racing stripe is visible.