Yesterday was “one of those days” in the field.
After a long drive in the dark I spent much of the morning trying to photograph warblers and kinglets but they were buried in the mostly dead bushes and they definitely didn’t want to come out and play. Most of the few shots I did get had busy unattractive settings or the birds were in shade. And to top it all off my best opportunity of the morning, a Red-tailed Hawk takeoff from an interesting rock perch, was ruined by malfunctioning photo gear!
I hope cleaning my electrical contacts solves the problem.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, 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 male Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) was one of the few birds to give me some relatively clear shots. The dead twigs and leaves at left are some indication of how unattractive most of the trees and bushes they preferred were. There were usually living green trees very close by but the dead ones must have provided more of their small insect food so that’s where I found them.
So I didn’t get any photos of the warblers that pleased me aesthetically but I did enjoy this series of two shots for another reason. As you can likely tell by his posture the bird was about to launch himself forward so I fired a short, quick burst in hopes of catching him in flight.
In a way I did and in another way I didn’t, depending on how you define “flight”.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Instead he jumped straight forward some distance without using his wings at all. I’m quite sure he didn’t flap his wings between the first shot and this one because I remember noticing that he didn’t through my viewfinder. It appears that they’re just about to open for the first time in this photo and he’s already traveled quite a distance through the air. I’ve cropped the photo to include the perch he launched from so that distance is obvious.
His pose makes me smile because his leg and foot position, folded wings and overall posture make it look like he’s still perched but the perch is invisible.
When you think about it his performance is an indicator of how incredibly quick little birds can be and how difficult it usually is to photograph them during takeoff.
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I have a love/hate relationship with this photo of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet taken a few minutes later. Because of their incredibly frenetic and shy lifestyle and their very small size I find kinglets to be one of my most difficult subjects. But this one flew down to a spring at the base of the tree and perched on a curved branch almost directly above it for long enough that I was able to fire off a few shots.
I think this image had some nice potential. I like the curve of the perch, the dappled light on the scene with the bird well-lit (including a catch light in the eye), the good detail on the tiny kinglet, the deeply shaded background with hints of greenery and the foot-forward pose with the head down.
But that damned out-of-focus branch to the right largely ruins the effect for me.
Whoever said photographing tiny birds well was easy? It sure as hell wasn’t me.
Ron
Love the detail, Ron and saw my first warbler last weekend so am thrilled they are back. Now I need to brush up my skills because although I have no trouble hearing them, I have trouble spotting them, let alone getting an image!
Thanks, Jane. Warblers are nearly always tough subjects. Seeing and hearing them is our consolation prize for missing the shot… 🙂
Since your image of the Kinglet itself is excellent–and is “the story”– why not just a tight crop on the bird that removes most of the out-of-focus branch? Though once again I find, the faults that vex you bother me very little. More great images…and that second one of the suspended warbler is just kinda magic.
Thanks, James.
If I cropped that tightly the poor composition would bother me even more than the OOF branch does. It would feel like the bird was in a cage or a straightjacket.
IMO the two primary ways novice bird photographers ruin an otherwise nice image is to either add to much saturation or crop too tightly.
Until I read your text I didn’t realize that the second shot of the Warbler was of a bird in the air. I like all three shots, although I have to agree that the blurry branch in the Kinglet photo is annoying. It’s at least somewhat offset by the good focus on the bird. IMHO.
“Until I read your text I didn’t realize that the second shot of the Warbler was of a bird in the air”
I love that you said that, Susan. Yes, that bird really looks like it’s perched until we realize… there IS no perch.
Hi Ron! I enjoyed the photos despite the imperfections. Love those little birds!
Good! Thanks, Joanne.
To see either of these birds is a rarity for me. That you took such fine photos of both minutes apart is incredible. You must have the photographer’s equivalent of a green thumb (plus the obvious patience and skill).
Thanks, Lyle. I don’t know about the “green thumb” but I do know that I got a lot of gnat and mosquito bites during that session!
A very Happy Birthday to you dear teacher.
And huge thanks. I simply adore the final photo. Feathered enchantment.
And yes, the small birds often make greased lightening seem slow and lacking in ambition.
Thank you, EC. Feeling even older than I am!
I hear you. This morning I feel older than dirt. Quite a bit older than dirt.
Oh Ron, it’s so neat to see spring birds in your blog!
Pretty neat to see them in person too, Nancy! 🙂
I love the gray/white branches with the brilliant blue sky! Beautiful!
Thank you, Suze.
Happy 39th, Mr. Benny! Hope the light, birds, and equipment all cooperate to give you some presents today. If nothing else, hope you get something chocolate — maybe with a candle or two. 😎
These are wonderful shots of beautiful birds. The first one is a definite wow with the pops of yellow and blue sky offsetting the more muted greys of the wings and branches. The second shot could qualify as a trompe l’oeil because it still took me a minute to realize he wasn’t perched on anything — even after I read your description!
All that being said, I think the Kinglet is my favorite shot of the three. I love the lighting on the bird, including that little bit of shadow on the top of his head, as well as the detail of the wing and tail feathers, giving a 3D effect. The background color compliments the bird really well. The perch is interesting and there’s an ever-so-delicate spider web running horizontally right at the “ankle” that keeps my eye on the Kinglet.
Thank you, Marty. Believe it or not my doorbell rang soon after 5 PM yesterday and it was one of my ex students from 21 years ago. He remembered that I loved Hershey’s with almonds so he brought me a bar for my birthday. Great kid (approaching 40 years old…)!
Awesome! A tribute to what a fabulous teacher you were — and STILL ARE!
In spite of your problems, excellent warbler shots! Warblers are a test of patience. :>)
Charlotte
Yes they are, Charlotte. Thank you.
The first photo made me gasp in an Oh-MY kind of way, and I took in the overall beauty of the yellow-rumped warbler before going on to read the text. Yes, the little guys provide a challenge resulting in a degree of difficulty that matters here.
Kinglets amaze me, for a variety of reasons, but the tiny-ness of them blows me away. Yes, I’m easily blown away with Nature to the point that humans often wonder what the heck I’m doing. And the answer to that is I’m wondering at the wonder, pondering the magnificence. Thank you for feeding that obsession daily 😉
Laura, With the exception of hummingbirds kinglets are the smallest birds I photograph. Thank you.
The first photo and the third appear gorgeous to me. I didn’t even notice the out of focus branch until I read your description.
Thank you, Mary.
Happy birthday, professor. The invisible branch cracked me up.
Thank you, Arwen – yes, I can almost see it!
Your second photo makes me laugh every time I look at it, it looks Photoshoped.
Me too, April. No PS involved, other than cropping and sharpening.
Great photos Ron. Warblers are such pretty birds. Tree limbs and branches have been a bird photographers dilemma since the beginning.
Everett Sanborn
Prescott AZ
Thanks, Everett. You’re right about “the beginning” but that doesn’t make it any easier to take when they ruin an otherwise nice shot… 🙂
One thing’s for sure – photographing birds keeps you challenged! 😉 The warbler in the 2nd photo sure does look like it’s hanging mid-air……:) The kinglet is great – except for the damn out of focus branch – “how it goes” 😉 Hope the camera problem is solved with a bit of cleaning and it’s nothing more serious!
Ha, “challenges” are the one thing my life that isn’t lacking, Judy!
I’m about to clean my contacts – if we have any light this morning I hope to find out fairly soon if it fixes the problem.