This is one of my roughly semiannual attempts to give my readers a feel for some of the birds I’ve been photographing recently that didn’t make it to my blog. None of these photos are top shelf so don’t expect any award winners but some aren’t bad, others are interesting and a few document some of my frustrations in the field (as always I had more of that type than I could include here).
All of them were taken in the last eleven days.
A Song Sparrow on a diagonal perch. I’ve been attracted to simple images like this that highlight the bird and a single natural perch element that stretches across the frame diagonally since I was cutting my bird photography teeth at Nature Photographers Network (NPN) beginning about 12 years ago.
Another simple shot featuring a male Gadwall and his reflection.
And adult White-crowned Sparrow on an attractive natural perch that seems to mimic some of the out of focus elements in the background.
A couple of Canada Geese in flight. A common species often ignored (or disdained) but I often attempt to get multiple geese in flight that are both sharp – not easy to do with such large birds at my focal length. Here I had the added bonus of getting catch lights in the eyes of both birds.
A Mountain Chickadee in flight, just barely but both feet have left the perch so I classify it as a flight shot. The bird had been facing to our left as it extracted the Douglas Fir seed in its bill from the cone on the left edge of the frame when without warning it twisted 180° on its perch and took off to the right. Damn they’re fast!
After all these years photographing birds I still don’t have a quality flight shot of a Northern Flicker that highlights their beautiful underwing and tail colors but this time I came close. If my shutter had fired a few nanoseconds later it might have happened.
Bird photography is littered with “almosts”.
But my biggest frustration of the last eleven days was this magnificent Golden Eagle perched on an ugly utility pole yesterday morning. My only chance for a quality shot or two was to get the eagle in flight after it took off. It was facing the right direction for that to happen but either the bird thought the wire in front of it would obstruct the takeoff or it deliberately chose to foil my attempt out of orneriness because just before it took off it…
turned around on the beam of the pole, pooped disdainfully in my direction and…
took off mostly away from me. To add to my frustration my lens slipped on the slope of my pickup window lens rest (my usually trusty “noodle”) just as the eagle took off so all of my flight shots were slightly soft.
So that’s how my last eleven days have gone. I hope yours have been better.
Ron
I love everything about the Gadwall shot, including the motion indicated both in front and behind it. (I happen to live on a street named for this duck…Gadwall Circle, but I seldom see one.)
Ron, what a great collection of birds. The Eagle’s behavior is curious, but I know nothing about bird behavior, so can’t/won’t speculate. As your other readers note, a Golden Eagle is always a pleasure to see. Love that beak with the hook on the end. Thank you, Ron
I’m glad you enjoyed the collection, Alice. Thank you.
This entertaining lineup is especially so because they are all birds that occur here in Northwest Washington as well, although the Golden Eagle is a bit uncommon. A nice potpourris. Thanks.
Ha, I think Golden Eagles are a “bit uncommon” almost anywhere you could name, Lyle. That’s part of the reason I was so disappointed that this one apparently didn’t seem to like me, or my camera. 🙂
I’d be overjoyed having any shot at a Golden Eagle. The small bird and duck photos are tack sharp. Thanks for sharing the miscellany.
Thanks, Ken. I’m always overjoyed at the chance for the shot, and then usually frustrated by the results.
It was wonderful and fascinating to see some of your recent birds – and to hear of your frustrations (at shots which would have had me happy dancing).
My current frustrations are mostly ‘puter related. When I send an email it appears in my sent folder. Good. Except it seems that it hasn’t been sent. Mostly.
EC, I don’t know which can be most aggravating – birds or “puters”. I think it’s a tie.
My only wish is that I could use my 400mm f/2.8 + 1.4 teleconverter and get shots as sharp and crisp as you do consistently !!!
Gary, using a teleconverter always messes with sharpness to some degree. When using one with a very high quality lens the price we pay with sharpness loss is usually so small as to be unnoticeable (unless you’re a pixel peeper) but it shows more with a lower quality lens. The Canon 400mm 2.8 has an excellent reputation for quality, speed and sharpness, especially wide open, so I wouldn’t expect any noticeable sharpness loss when it’s used with a tc but then I’ve never shot with that lens.
Keep in mind that I take my share of soft shots. I just don’t let them see the light of day… 🙂
OK, so I’d be over-the-moon delighted to have taken any one of these shots, but alas, they’re all out of my range of ability–WAY out! In fact, to quote John Denver, they were FAR out. LOL!
I lingered over each one of those images, delighting in the wonderfulness of each species and then, and THEN, the eagle! I had to laugh about the eagle’s slice, I’m sure intended to thwart your photographic intentions. Raptors are sometimes like that. They can have wicked senses of humor!
As usual, a special place to begin my day. Thank you!!
I’m glad you enjoyed them all so much, Laura. Thank you.
Beautiful Eagle even if the flight shot wasn’t sharp. Laughed the other day as a large hawk was on the cross across the creek, turned around and did the same thing! In that case I think it wanted it’s face into the wind……… 🙂 Love the Flicker even if you didn’t net it’s wings fully extended – their colors ARE beautiful even if their voices are not! 😉 Chickadees ARE fast and can turn on a dime! Great collection of what’s around at the moment.. 🙂
“In that case I think it wanted it’s face into the wind”
I think you’re right, Judy. There could be more than one reason for that.
yep! 😉 In this case it didn’t take off tho……..
OMG – to see a Golden Eagle and then have it take off in the wrong direction would break my heart or piss me off – whichever would best illustrate my frustration. With our eagles I never mind a messed up takeoff because there are plenty more available, but with a Golden Eagle that is a whole different story. Nice photos all and I like the first few simple photos because they remind me of my own. I really like Canada Geese and take many photos of them, but you are right, they are very much ignored along with Coots, Ravens,Mallards, and some others. Thanks for sharing these Ron.
“to see a Golden Eagle and then have it take off in the wrong direction would break my heart or piss me off”
I had both reactions, Everett – no question about that.
You know, that Golden Eagle poop shot really says a lot!
I’m afraid you’re right about that.
That going away flight shot of the Golden Eagle is neat and it seems to show both talons clustered together, awesome weapons at rest. I like that Mountain Chickadee shot especially, makes you feel like you’re right there. And I really like the Canada Geese shot, I think they make great subjects and they show very well. Love that background color in the Song Sparrow shot and the diagonal perch setting. Keep these babies coming our way if you please.
Thanks, Dave. I probably will…
A golden eagle is always a pleasure to view no matter what the pose. Thanks for all of your efforts.
I heartily agree about Golden Eagles, Cindy.