Plus a “lifer” for me – a Warbling Vireo.
1/6400, 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
Of course “he” wasn’t really smelling the flowers but I thought it looked a little like he was. He had been feeding on some of the common mullein seeds lower on the flower stalk but eventually he worked his way up top where he seemed to take at least some interest in the flower. I thought it made for an interesting photo, in this case enhanced by the fact that there’s only a single flower (or two) on the entire stalk.
I cropped the image fairly narrow and you’re about to see why.
1/5000, 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
The only reason I’m including this photo is for the nice look it gives us of the backside of the same bird. I’m not particularly fond of the out of focus sagebrush at right because it’s a little too bright and distracting and too close to the face of the bird for my tastes. Both Black-capped Chickadee photos were taken in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago.
I’ve often said I’m not a traditional birder because I don’t keep lists but I guess I keep something close enough to a list to know that I’ve never captured decent photos of a Warbling Vireo, until a week ago today – also in the Wasatch Mountains. And for me that defines a “lifer” – it isn’t a species I’ve never seen before but one I don’t have decent photos of.
1/4000, 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 wish it had been closer and a more attractive setting would have been nice but I got a clear shot of a species I’d never photographed well before so I was happy to get it. And just seeing the vireo was a treat. It gave me about a half-dozen shots in about this same pose before it took off.
Lately my mornings have mostly been occupied by appointments of various kinds and that trend will continue through Thursday of next week so my bird photography schedule has been shot all to hell. But the timing was good because I had several weeks of good shooting in the Wasatch Mountains beforehand so I don’t have to post quite so many older photos while all this “stuff” is going on (I consider these three shots to be new ones).
I like photos from my archives too – in fact I adore many of them but I prefer not to post them too often. “Old news” and all that…
Ron
WOW! A lovely series of that cute Chickadee and a Lifer! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Ron, the ones in your archive are new to those of us who haven’t seen them. It seems like most of your recent photos from the archives have been ones you haven’t posted before – so they are as new to the viewer as ones taken yesterday.
Chickadees and Golden Eagles….couldn’t be more different, but both make my heart soar…especially love first shot of chickadee, dee, dee—-and shot of warbler(so sleek, subtle and smooth)…HOW IS THE FINGER????
Thanks, Patty. The finger is doing wonderfully. All that’s left of the injury is a tiny little scab about the size of a pinhead – other than that it’s completely healed. To be honest I’m amazed by how quickly and how well it has healed.
Wonderful!!!
A week of appointments? Sigh. I hope they are all on time, painless and deliver good news.
I was entranced by both birds today. And smiled at you including a butt shot (well sort of a butt shot).
Thank you, as always, for brightening the start to my day.
I actually liked that (almost) butt shot, EC – except for the bright sagebrush of course. Thank you.
I did too. Rather a lot but I am much less picky than you are.
What’s old to you is new to me. 🙂
Good point, Arwen.
lovely photos, I feel like I always say the same compliments. I will have to get out the thesaurus and find new adjectives.
I saw warbling vireo for the fist time yesterday at Silver Lake. I was not sure what it was until I got home and looked it up. I watched them, and attempted to photograph them for about an hour. They had an interesting feeding behavior. They would start in the middle of a branch on the willows and glean for insects until they reached the very tip top of the branch and then fly down midway to a new branch and glean up again. The behavior was so ritual I was able to track them with my camera. No clean shots they were always in the leaves.
Good luck with all your appointments. I don’t envy you, I did the same the summer I had a TIA. I was off for test, results of test or new specialist after the tests. It ate up my entire summer off from school.
I have to look them up to be sure of the ID too, April – or ask someone else who knows relatively obscure bird ID better than I do.
That must have been fun watching and documenting that feeding behavior. I’m jealous.
Great photos, as usual. Warbling Vireos are a relatively common summer resident here so I see them frequently (and hear them much more frequently). Bit after all these years, I still have only one really bad photo. They have a nice song, but it feels like they are bragging about how well they can see me while staying hidden behind a leaf.
Well that was a mess. The last name is Gleason. Where Gkeasib came from I’ll never know, but it proves I shouldn’t do two things at once – In this case, type and follow an ongoing conversation. Sorry about that.
I know both feelings well, Dan – of a bird “bragging” about how well they can see me and making typos on a public post. The second one is no big deal but sometimes the first one is.
You must have some astonishing light to get these chickadee shots.
I had some luck in several departments, Martha. But if you’re referring to my astronomical shutter speed in that first shot I was going back and forth between several birds in extremely variable light so I just cranked up my ISO and left it there to give me enough wiggle room for any situation.
That’s the way to do it, all right. The trick is getting the ISO to the setting that gives you speed without ugly graininess. You got it done.
Love the Chickadee photos (except the sagebrush, which hurts my eyes to look at). And I’ve never even heard of a Warbling Vireo, even though I’ve spent a lot of time “reading” bird books. I guess I’ve never seen a Vireo of any sort.
I’m fine with anything you post – old or new – and hope that all your appointments go well.
Susan, Sibley covers 16 vireo species in North America and I believe the Warbling Vireo is the only one I’ve seen.
A great photo is never old news! These new ones are great to see though 🙂 The first one’s a beaut. Two of my favorite things Chickadees and Mulliens combined in one artistic photo. The vireo is nice to see too!
That’s pretty good, Joanne – hitting two of your favorite things in s single photo. Thank you.
Ron, the FB post said ‘Warbling Vireo’ and there was a Chickadee. ‘Has Ron lost his mind?’ I thought. Of course not, this man knows his birds and I knew when I read the full post that you would have explained everything.
I have never seen a Warbling Vireo so it is nice to see an excellent image of one. They are quite rare where I live.
I am concerned about you and your health. Follow doctor’s orders and get through this. I do hope that you have medical insurance to cover all the appointments and treatments. In Canada, we are blessed but I’m not so sure about you Americans. We hear all kind of horrendous stories.
Good luck, my friend. May you be out in the fields and on the hills very soon, doing what you love.
Judy, on FB the lead-in introductory sentence says Warbling Vireo but the title, which is down at the bottom, is actually there.
Not all of my appointments are medical, I’m also dealing with several appliance repairmen and their schedules. Grrrr!
Nice! The chickadee perusing the mullein flower is cute – I’m sure there are never enough seeds especially when they “stash” them….:) Don’t know that I’ve ever seen/heard a Warbling Vireo – subtly beautiful little bird – soft color pattern remind me of waxwings…:) Hot/smoky here……..:(
Thanks, Judy. Warbling Vireos don’t have a lot of color but that white around the eyes is pretty distinctive.
Thankfully, most of our smoke has cleared out for now. Too bad I can’t take advantage of it.
Honestly, I do like the look of that sagebrush in the background of the 2nd image, mostly because of the added “story” it tells of the bird and its environment. The vireo is quite nice too, here in the east the vireo I want to get photos of (White-eyed) seems to be even shyer and more skulking than the Warbling, so great that you were able to photograph yours before they leave!
Xavier, I figured opinions would vary about that sagebrush but it’s just too bright for me. And I LOVE sagebrush.
Wow, “more skulking than the Warbling” – now that’s saying something.
I think the main reason why they seem to be shyer is the fact they live in heavy scrub, I think I’ve only ever seen one or two in the open, and that was only in spring migration when the males needed to establish territory. I mostly like the sagebrush because it adds just a pinch more color to the image. I do understand how you feel about it being too bright though, but it’s honestly not all that bad.
Your first photo is beautiful. 😍 I love the background…soft yet deep colors, and blended to provide a low-key setting for your star. The feathers slightly wind-blown to accent the lean of the twig, and of course a near perfect flower…all five petals visible with no aging brown spots. The overall effect would not be the same if there were more than one. Excellent lighting…yes a beautiful capture, perfect for framing! Kudos on getting the great vireo; they certainly are an attractive bird. The eye marking make this bird.
“I love the background”
As do I, Kathy. But when I crop the image just a few pixels further to the right that effect is ruined for me by the bright sagebrush – thus the narrow crop.
And I agree, the overall effect of the flower would be lost if there were more of them up and down the stalk. Thank you.