I say “rare” because over four days this was one of the very few times I photographed either adult sapsucker when it wasn’t plastered against the nest cavity entrance.
1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
This was one of the pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed last week in Idaho as they were feeding a single chick in their nest cavity. The adults would fly in and land at the cavity, stuff insects down the throat of the youngster and then leave the area almost immediately. I had very few opportunities to photograph either bird doing anything else.
But this one surprised me when it flew to one of the branches of the nest tree and posed for a few seconds. I like this image because it’s such a different pose than I usually got and I also enjoy the similar angles of the bird and the vertical branch at right. This is most likely the male of the pair because it doesn’t have any white under the chin as the female often does but that trait is variable so I can’t be certain.
To my eye two areas of the background of this shot look suspiciously like I might have done some amateurish cloning back there but I haven’t. All I’ve done to the image is crop, adjust exposure slightly and selectively sharpen the bird and perch.
Ron
Note: We’ve been having some issues with an overloaded server so until we can get them resolved I’ll only be posting one or two images per post. Hopefully it won’t take long to solve the problem.
Nice photo! Love the shadowy tail peaking out from under the branch!
Thanks, Joanne.
This thing has been upgraded and is now slow as hell, everything is different or gone (including my comment)and I hate it more thsn ever…
Now I see it, but didn’t until I wrote the second one….I KNOW IT HATES ME!!! There’s no other explanation!!
Hang in there, Patty. You’ll get that thing figured out!
Looking at the work in Nature’s art gallery always pays dividends. Each time I look I see more.
Love the careful choreography of the sap-suckers pose. And am very glad that it did get a short breather from parenting responsibiities.
It was a short breather indeed, EC – but every little bit helps, at least theoretically…
Ron, thanks for a beautiful photo. The red color really stands out!
You’re very welcome, Alice.
This is a beautiful shot, and from my experience (which is limited) an unusual pose for this bird. Red-naped Sapsuckers are fun birds to watch.
Thanks very much, Susan. I agree.
I empathize with you…my grandaughter upgraded my iPad and everything familiar is changed, gone or slow as hell–now have a screenfull of unwanted imojis thst I keep hitting by mistake….aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!p. Good luck to us all!!!
Yup, let’s spread the luck around, Patty.
An excellent shot of a beautiful bird! Not only is its body angled with the tree branch, the white stripe follows that line, too. Very cool. Glad he accommodated you while getting a much-needed rest!
Ha, I hadn’t noticed what you said about that white stripe, Chris. Thanks for pointing it out.
I love their stubby little legs and long toes. Amazing how nature is so adaptive.
With all the heat the server probably lost a dedicated machine. My son has been working on similar issues.
April, the server isn’t malfunctioning, it’s just that my blog has become too big (too many files) so it’s looking like I have to move my blog (it’s complicated).
And you’re right about those stubby legs – they remind me a little of kingfisher legs.
Sorry to hear moving servers can be complicated! 3/4 of the conversations at my house are tech related.
Such a clear image! It looks almost 3-D — like I can reach out and touch the bird. Fantastic shot! The “echo” of the branch is the icing on the cake. 🙂
Glad this parent got a little off-duty time, no matter how fleeting. 🙂
I thought I might be reaching a little to notice and like that similar “pose” of the bird and the branch, Marty. Glad I’m not alone!
I really like that your images are so sharp that one can see that there are red feathers fading down into the black patch under the beak and also under the eye–it’s so subtle that it’d be
impossible to see on a moving bird and from any normal distance . For reasons like that, I look forward to your blog every day–and with it, comes beauty and an education !
Sharpness is very important to me, Kris, so I appreciate that you notice it. Soft images drive me nuts(er…).
Sensational shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
This is a very handsome picture. I like the color and texture of the feathers, as well as the composition.
I’m glad you like it Robert. Thanks.
Nice! Beautiful pose and it’s bill lining up with the branch is great! Hope the server thing gets sorted out 🙁
Thanks, Judy. We’re working on the server problem but the solution will be a little complicated. Wish us luck…