We arrived home from our Montana trip yesterday afternoon, earlier than planned due to inclement weather. Cloudy, wet weather and muddy roads just don’t mix well with bird photography. We had two nice days of shooting, a few cooperative birds and experienced some wonderful new country (something we try to do every trip).
On Wednesday evening we stopped on a gravel road overlooking a lake with a steep drop off to my left where we scoped the trees growing from the bottom of the slope for birds. There was a small clump of berry bushes growing within a few feet of my pickup which we mostly ignored, figuring we were too close to them for any birds to be there (we were, of course, shooting out my pickup window).
Suddenly this Cedar Waxwing swooped in and landed right in our faces to feast on the berries.
1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 500, 100-400 @300 mm, natural light, 2 leaf tips poking into frame removed
I was much too close for my default 500 mm lens, even without the teleconverter attached so I quickly grabbed one of my other cameras with the 100-400 mm lens. But I couldn’t focus on the bird! My lens limiter was turned on and I was so close that even with that shorter lens it couldn’t focus at that focal distance. I seldom use that lens and almost never need to turn the limiter off so it took me long enough to figure out what was going on that I missed quite a few nice opportunities. I hate missing shots due to operator error!
But eventually I did get a few. Here the bird has picked off one of the berries which it is about to swallow. There was a feather in disarray and sticking out of the right side of the neck, which is what you see behind the crest.
I’m curious about these orange berries. Does anyone know the species of bush? (image taken in southwest Montana at an elevation of about 6800′)
Ron
Delightful surprise, always enjoy seeing this waxwing.
These masked berry raptors never fail to make me smile. 🙂 Wonderful colors and composition.
It really is beautiful, despite the real-life plumage issues! It’s amazing how birds learn to adapt to eating foreign plants, and in this case all the colours tone in, even the berry it is eating – what more could you want. Like everyone else, I’m glad you managed the hassles so that you could share it with us.
Lovely shot Ron. The berries make a nice environment shot, even if it is a terribly invasive plant. Also, nice clean background. I had my own Cedar Waxwing moment this afternoon. A small flock of Cedar Waxwings flew into a Mountain Ash tree. Perhaps it was a juvenile’s first time with Mountain Ash berries, because the berries would squirt out of his bill, 6 to 8 inches in the air. It almost always caught them on the way down.
Even if the shot had been missed, you would have enjoyed a beautiful bird up close and personal! That sort of experience is priceless.
Having said that, sure glad you got a picture so the “Waxwing-deprived” could share in the beauty!
“Even if the shot had been missed, you would have enjoyed a beautiful bird up close and personal! That sort of experience is priceless.”
I agree, Wally. Well said.
I am so very glad that food was much more important than you were – giving you and us the opportunity to see this stunning bird. And feathers out of place add charm in my view. Idiosyncratic appearance – often only matched by behaviour.
This waxwing wanted those berries, no matter how close I was to them, Elephant’s Child. And I believe it may have been feeding some of them to two youngsters. It flew to them in a nearby tree immediately after this shot was taken.
Looks to me like Lonicera tatarica, or bush honeysuckle, which is widespread and unfortunately not a native.
Thanks very much, Betsy. I think you’re right. Google image search on the scientific name brings up photos that look just like this. Curiosity satisfied, thanks to you.
I love the slightly-awry crest — Waxwings are usually so nattily groomed with never a feather out of place.
“Nattily groomed” describes them perfectly, Naomi.
One of my favorite birds!!!
I like’m too, Jerry.
What a gorgeous shot! The pose, the colors of the bird, berries and leaves…I love it! I once saw a flock of these beautiful birds sitting on a branch overhanging an old beaver lodge. The branch was laden with orange berries and the birds were passing the berries down the line to the last bird…then second to last, etc. Eventually, they all got as much as they wanted! Such an attitude of generosity could never happen in Washington, DC…only in birds, apparently.
I’ve heard about that waxwing behavior, Patty but never witnessed it. A wonderful memory for you and I’m glad you shared it with us.
WOW – spectacular photo! And the “disarray” makes it all the more special.
I appreciate the “disarray” comment, Alison. Some folks would have cloned out that feather but I’m like you in that I generally appreciate the “imperfections” of nature.
I have no idea what the berries are, but the waxwing is sensational! Thanks for sharing!
As far as the camera change it only proves that birds are faster than people.
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte. And yes, birds are certainly much faster than I am, anyway.