Simply said, I love this pose.
1/4000, f/5.6, 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
Yesterday in the Wasatch Mountains Yellow Warblers were the species of the day and this one was unusually cooperative. He allowed me 47 shots as he posed, preened and warmed in the morning sun. In my experience with Yellow Warblers that’s unheard of with this frenetic little species.
For some reason this pose just grabs me. The drooping wing with perfect head turn in nice light is a combination I rarely get from any warbler but the pièce de résistance is that distinctive humpback look that I don’t believe I’ve seen before, at least not to this degree. When grooming many birds raise their rump feathers but this plumage bulge is on the back instead of the rump. To me it almost looks like he’s trying to hide a golf ball under there.
I believe this pose was the result of both preening and sunning behavior. Birds often raise their feathers in full sun to expose plumage and skin to direct sunlight in order to maintain feather health. Sunning can dislodge parasites (feather mites in particular) because the excess heat encourages the insects to move to other places in the plumage which gives birds easier access to them during preening. This guy was alternately sunning and preening.
To one degree or another this bird kept those back feathers raised for the entire time I was photographing him and I like many of those shots too so I’ll likely post some of them in the future.
Yes, the setting is busy but the bird is large in the frame and so colorful it’s easy for my eye to separate him from the clutter.
And I do love that pose.
Ron
PS- Sometimes bird sunning poses can be pretty extreme. Check this one out.
Even birds know exercise is good. Sweet little bird, and a great capture.
Thanks, Jean.
WHAT a charmer.
Though birds sunning themselves (or bathing) always melt my soft heart. Thanks to the link to the other extreme sunner too.
Thank you, EC. Glad you enjoyed the link.
I love this image!!! These little yellow shafts of sunlight are very special to me from my mountain backpacking days…one of the black birds I raised, used to lift “his” feathers like that to let the sun hit his skin…he spent too much time in the house–or trying to get in…so really needed the sun and vitamine D…
Thanks, Patty. Yes, birds sun for a variety of reasons and what you mention is one of them.
Beautiful, I as well love that pose. It’s like he wanted you to be able to capture his best angle 😉 Birds have always fascinated me for some reason. So interesting to watch. Right now I have a robin (she comes back every year faithfully to lay her clutch) I’m worried about her this year though, it looks like she may have a fractured/maybe even broken foot and I can’t get close enough to take a look as she only partly trusts me I suppose, even though she knows I wouldn’t hurt her or her babes, I do wish I could figure out what happened to her, worrying for the babies that are due to hatch very soon.
Not much you can do to help your robin, Megan but don’t worry too much. Birds can be resilient as evidenced by my post of a few days ago of a Yellow Warbler with something weird going on with its ankle. One of the commenters, a retired orthopedic surgeon, said it looks like a fracture that’s healing very well.
https://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2019/05/26/yellow-warbler-takeoff/
I couldn’t resist a limerick after pondering your photo and story:
In the annals of Warbler behavior,
This pose does plumage a favor
What looks like a hump,
Or some would call bump,
Isn’t one feather mites savor.
Lyle, since you brought the subject up my mind went three places:
1. Dirty limericks I heard as a kid growing up in MT.
2. The famous pelican limerick beginning “A wonderful bird is the pelican”…
3. How easy it would be, given the “hump” and the “bump” in your limerick, to write one about our current President. Man, could I be creative with that one!
😏
In my neck of the woods just catching even a fleeting glimpse of a Yellow Warbler–generally just a tiny bright spark streaking through dark foliage–is a big treat so I think I enjoy your shots of them as much as any of the birds you shoot. This image is no exception.
They’re generally that way around here too, Jim. A long lens of high quality, loads of patience and shooting from a vehicle sure helps though…
It’s. So. Fluffy! 😉 Love this shot — and the extreme pose in the link. Interesting information as always!
Thank you, Marty.
It almost looks like a jointed doll with the wings and head in those positions. I find it charming!
“Charming” – I agree, Arwen. I should have used that word in my text.
It’s fun to see behavioral shots like this. I have a photo of a Steller’s Jay on our deck rail in nearly an identical pose as the bird in your link. I also took a photo of a junco on our deck leaning at about 45° With feathers raised to maximize sun exposure. A junco also has black skin which also helps make parasites uncomfortable and dislodge more quickly to seek shadier plumage. You could watch the bird alternately sunning and preening to grab and throw off free moving parasites.
Your photo was fun to see. I’ve never seen this “humpback” position with the feathers looking smooth. Usually I see a ruffled appearance. Thanks for sharing this wonderful photo.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Dan. And even happier to see you online more often now. Hope that’s a sign that you’re feeling much better.
Thanks, Ron. I am feeling much better, but still a long road ahead. I think Barbara posted more for my CareBridge subscribers last night so I won’t add more here. Your shots are a great window to the natural world I will soon begin to be out in again someday soon.
I read all of Barbara’s Caring Bridge posts but I the update directly from you.
Beautiful and colorful photo Ron. My first thought reading your headline was Humpback Whale in Utah? 🙂 I certainly hope that the hump is the result of grooming and not a physical deformity. The bird is so vibrant that I did not even think about the clutter until you mentioned it. I have yet to see one this clearly, but of course I have to get closer than you do. And Wow,that photo in your PS is certainly stunning. Thanks for including that.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Everett, he kept those back feathers like that for so long that I also wondered if something was wrong but his behavior was normal and he seemed like a perfectly “happy” little warbler.
That IS an extreme pose! 🙂 Beautiful little bird – can be tough to capture. Love the sunning behavior on the link. Clucks sun and I’ve thought one was dead more than once! 😉 We’ve got a LOT of smoke from the fires in Northern Alberta this morning – some yesterday BUT. It’s MAY! 🙁 Does NOT bode well for the coming summer!
Dammit, I’ve been very worried about that smoke. I saw a map of it a couple of days ago and at that time it had only come down as far as the highline (about highway 2). Guess it’s moving south.
Seems to be this side of the divide – so far……..
Amazing shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Good morning Ron. The colorful warbler is stunning, and quite a pose! Have a nice weekend.
Thank you, Trudy.
Definitely a beauty! A most appealing pose. Thanks for the info on parasites. I find these yellow warblers that don’t have a distinct eye ring to be ‘eye-catching’ for lack of a better word. That black eye just pops right at you. Glad you had a good birding day. warblers are moving through at a fast pace. I even noticed them in MI yesterday as I took side roads home.
Thanks, Kathy. Parasites can be a huge problem for birds, feather mites in particular.