I’m not yet tired of cold and snow but this morning I felt the need for some temporary brightness and color. And Yellow-rumped Warblers were my subjects of choice.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Three months ago I spent several days photographing migrating Yellow-rumped Warblers at a park near my home. They were using a tree that hung over a pond as a launching pad to hunt insects buzzing the pond’s surface. There was often a dozen or more warblers in the tree but most of them were usually too far away and/or buried in branches and twigs. Given the cluttered setting few of my images had clean backgrounds but this one came closer than most.
This pose demonstrates why some folks refer to these birds as “butter-butts”.
1/5000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This vertical composition is one of the better shots I was able to get during any of my sessions with these warblers. This bird actually posed for me on the same spot on the branch for about 3 seconds, which in my experience is highly unusual for this flitty species. I like the diagonal perch, the head turn and the relatively clean background.
For photographers who may wonder about my blazing-fast shutter speed, there was two reasons for it:
- I always like to attempt action shots (take-offs, jumps, fights etc) when given the opportunity and these small subjects move very fast.
- These birds were constantly moving in and out of shade which changes my SS since I shoot in aperture priority. So as usual I chose to err on the side of too much SS rather than too little when they were in bright light.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…
Ron
Excellent detail, Ron andI love the new name! happy New Year!
Gorgeous portraits of these beautiful birds. I especially like the second one.
Thank you, Susan.
The male is beautiful, the yellow is striking on the almost silver body/head. Not sure I have ever seen on in NE
!
Ted, based on their range map they seem to be in your area in the summer. Keep your eyes peeled next year!
An absolute charmer.
We are having a grey day here (a wasted grey day since we are not getting much needed rain), so this beauty is more than welcome.
Thank you as always.
Isn’t that frustrating, EC? – the expectation of rain when you need it so much and nothing happens. I know the feeling well.
Love both photos! You can really see the yellow in the neck feathers in the second photo.
The first time I saw any kind of warbler it was two yellow warblers in the backyard (They seemed big for warblers, but they might have been normal sized and I don’t remember well. Does anyone here know if yellow warblers are bigger than most warblers, or if it was just my imagination?). “Butter-butts”are some of my favorite birds. Lots of personality, and nice colors. In my experience they’re not very skittish, but maybe they act different out here.
“In my experience they’re not very skittish, but maybe they act different out here”
Levi Maybe I said that just because I don’t get many opportunities with them and the few times I do they never seem to cooperate – a frustration kind of thing.
And yes, Yellow-rumped Warblers are significantly larger (by weight) than many other warbler species, though not all.
There’s a spectacular beauty (she said redundantly)!
You wrote, “…bird photography is an avocation of choices–each has its positives and negatives.” Ah yes, truer words have never been written/spoken! Overall, that’s true of life in general 🙂
“Overall, that’s true of life in general”
In so many aspects you’re absolutely right, Laura.
Love the 2nd shot. Thanks Ron!
You’re very welcome, Jean.
Love the posing one. It’s a very cheerful photo.
Beautiful shots Ron, of a female and male.
I can remember in the Fall some years ago having 5 mist nets full of Yellow-rumps (Myrtle) Warblers. It was a shame that my students missed Vespers because of all the date needed to be collected and birds released!
thanks for the color on this dreary day!!
Thank you, Dick.
Beautiful! I am not very familiar with these birds. I don’t think I have seen one in the wild. Perhaps I did and thought it was a goldfinch. I will have to be on the lookout next spring when riding the Jordan River Trail.
April, These birds were photographed a stone’s throw from the Jordan River.
Yes I know the pond and I also like the ponds at what I believe is called the Redwood Nature area and Decker Lake Park. The Jordan River Trail is poorly marked. I wish they would sign it better. 2 Years ago I road from Lagoon to Utah lake. It took all day because I got lost several times due to their poor map and signage. I even picked up a fellow traveler who was using his phone who was equally lost. Between the two of us we made it to Utah lake then back to Front Runner for the ride to our cars. You don’t know unless you go!
I remember these, and especially liking the image because of the feather patterns on the breast…like the name “Butt- butt” better than Yellow-rumped….
“I think “Yellow-rumped Warbler” is a little long,cumbersome and awkward – that’s obviously one of the reasons folks use other names for many birds.
That’s supposed to read “butter butt” butt of course this ——- iPad changed it at the last minute! God! I hate this thing as much as it hates me!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to my electronic world Patty! 🙂 Computers (which includes tablets, phones and even refrigerators for pity’s sake!) are evil!
Great shots, Ron, love the yellow. I have a question: if you are shooting in aperture priority, doesn’t the camera set the shutter speed? It sounded from your post like you chose the fast shutter speed as well as the priority. Thanks.
“if you are shooting in aperture priority, doesn’t the camera set the shutter speed?”
Yes, it does, Nancy. But I can also adjust my shutter speed when shooting in aperture priority by changing my ISO. Or my aperture. Or both.
That makes sense and you mentioned the night was bright. But why not shoot in shutter priority, then? Or manual? I am asking as a way to learn, having wrestled a lot with this issue. Thank you.
Just saw your reply to Frank.
Yup, that would have been my answer, Nancy.
HMMMM! 🙂 Will have to keep that in mind! 🙂
Nice bright colors in the dead of winter. The good news, the shortest day of the year is behind us and “Halaluya” (sp?) the days are getting longer. We are headed out of the darkness and into the light! Follow the light.
I appreciate the stickiness of your story, but I am stuck on manual. Just different strokes for different folks but don’t fix what’s not broken.
I agree, Frank. I’m pretty much convinced that neither manual nor aperture priority is best overall for bird photography. What really matters is to just choose one of them and stick with it until you become experienced and good at it.
My grandmother always called them Myrt, when I learned birds they were call Myrtle Warblers. I’m not that old just started when I was six. Thanks for the memory
Jo, It’s amazing how many different common names are used for birds…
What a beautiful way to start the day! I love watching Yellow-rumps as they transition to their spring plumage- the variability is amazing, and it’s a sure sign that the rest of our warblers are about to return for the summer.Thanks, Ron!
“the variability is amazing”
It sure is, Diane. I don’t have a lot of experience with them but some of these birds were so different from each other I actually wondered if both varieties weren’t present in that tree – Myrtle and Audubon’s.
Wonderful Ron! Thanks for sharing!
charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
The photo’s are a ray of sunshine on another windy day! 🙂 Small birds are a challenge particularly when they are always moving!
Judy, I watched a video on FB a friend shot in Glacier Park yesterday. The wind was howling and snow was blowing across the road so fast and thick you could barely see it (the road). Sure brought back some winter MT memories!
Ron – very nice shots of a very quick bird. If they were my shots I’d stick to whatever my settings were as well! Hard to argue with success.
Richard, As you know bird photography is an avocation of choices – each has its positives and negatives. I like action shots so much I’ll gladly sacrifice some tiny amount of image quality (slightly more background noise at higher ISO’s) to get that occasional action image.
Thanks for the sunshine! I especially like the first photo shown. There’s a ‘softness’ to the pose that’s warming in itself…
Alison, there are different forms of “sunshine”. I’ll take them all…