A spot of cheerful color in a gloom and doom world.
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
Last night I found myself looking through my files in search of something cheery and light. I found a few possibilities but kept coming back to this delightful little Yellow Warbler so I decided to run with him.
Usually this species spends its time in dense foliage but this one was actually hunting for insects on the ground. Here he had popped up onto a cut woody stem near a dirt road in the Wasatch Mountains as he surveyed for juicy bugs. He was still only a few inches off the ground as evidenced by the short green foxtails we see in the frame.
I wish the entire perch were sharp but it was leaning toward me so at f/6.3 I didn’t have enough depth of field to get it done.
Around here it’s still too early in the year for Yellow Warblers but my time spent preparing this image for publication provided a brief but welcome respite from the cares of the world. Yesterday’s earthquake rattled us here in the Salt Lake Valley in more ways than one and many of us are still dealing with the resulting stress compounded by recent world events. We’ve had roughly 50 aftershocks with magnitudes as great as 4.6 after the “main event” but thankfully none of those that occurred last night were severe enough to wake me up and I’m grateful for that.
So thank you little Yellow Warbler. For me there’s no stress reliever quite as effective as time spent with birds. I’d prefer to be out with them in nature but my photos of them are the next best thing.
Ron
I love lemon drops and your photos! I am thrilled to have come upon your site. Thank you!
Yes, this does lift my spirits, thank-you.
Wonderful shot Ron! Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
I think I like the feathery foxtails as much as the bird. Both nice reminders of warmer days ahead. However, I am so disappointed about the blurry perch😉
Happy vernal equinox to all.
Lyle, I have mixed feelings about foxtails. I think they’re pretty when green but after they dry they blow everywhere. In Montana the wind would occasionally fill some of the old buildings with dried foxtails from floor to ceiling. Not kidding. A fire hazard.
Wow, the only hazard I’ve had is them sticking through my socks.
Not to mention what grief they can cause “critters”……. 🙁
This does put a smile on my face. Thank you Ron!
Glad to hear it. Thanks, Jean.
It is a nice splash of cheer!
Haley is struggling with the anxiety of the after shocks. Her apartment is on the epicenter. They hear the aftershocks before they feel them, but they don’t know how hard the aftershock will be until it hits. They can feel everything 2 and up the 3-4 make the house sway. They had 30 aftershocks in two hours after the quake. They were afraid to move from their safe place. They were told to shelter in place.
It was unusually hard on folks who live in or near Magna. Even here in Murray I can hear the bad ones before things start shaking.
Don’t forget your nap, April….
Since 2004 we have been in NE Illinois to welcome their appearance, but this year we must miss it as well as our daughter’s family May 5 Cinco de Mayo annual pig roast and our granddaughter’s 15th birthday Quinceanero celebration. Instead we will probably still be holed up with groceries being delivered, God willing! At least we can walk freely out into the wetlands every morning without seeing a soul.
Ken, it’s a good thing that birding and bird photography can be combined with social distancing. In fact it’s typically more productive that way.
Huge thanks.
We all need generous splashes of visual and emotional sunshine right now.
I am very grateful that the aftershocks let you sleep and agree wholeheartedly that time spent in nature is solace and relief.
Thank you, EC.
Daffodils and yellow warblers – God’s sunshine personified! Love the picture and am amazed you got the whole warbler! They are hard to capture even at high speed! Spring is here in Virginia!
Thanks, Beth Ann. I wouldn’t call it spring here yet but we’re getting there.
What a terrific ray of sunshine!
Yellow Warblers are one of our favorites as they are among the first migrants we see here each fall.
Good to hear you are safe, but can’t imagine the anxiety those tremors would cause.
Stay safe!
That rattling and shaking sure got my attention, Wally. The garbage truck just went by and at first I thought it was another quake. I’m a little paranoid…
The soft “arc” behind his head almost resembles the halo form in
medieval paintings–and I feel–these grim days–that the beauty of
the natural world is holy and comforting……thanks for reaching out
with this lovely little piece of gold.
You’re right, Kris. That arc follows the form of the bird pretty well. I should have noticed it but I didn’t.
That’s really cool. And the natural worl is holy and comforting.
Well…if a bright yellow bird doesn’t cheer you up a little ❗️ And forecasted today, bright and sunny 😁
My morning routine is coffee and seeing what you are sharing with us. I’m appreciating this routine more with everything going on right now.
To all of Ron’s followers, be well and be safe.
Bright and sunny is the opposite of what we have, Diana. I’m jealous…
what a pretty bit of sunshine on the wing. This cheered me up!
Good. It had the same effect on me. Hope it lasts for a while.
Snowed an inch or so here last night and obviously no sunrise yet, so your pretty little Yellow Warbler brings me a ray of morning sunshine. And what a good pick for these pandemic times. We had a small shaker here a few years ago, but like Prescott I don’t think of the SLC area as being earthquake prone. The most severe ones when I lived in So Cal were the Northridge one that ripped up I-10 in L.A. and the Whittier one that was just a few miles away from where I worked in City of Commerce. Never forget those. Hope the after shocks die off soon so you can have restful nights. Thanks for posting this one Ron.
Everett, actually the Wasatch Fault (and its subsidiaries) is considered to be one of the major fault zones in North America. We’ve been fearful of “the big one” for a very long time. And it WILL happen.
I had an aunt and uncle who survived the Northridge quake but there was major damage to their home.
Such a perky little bird! 🙂 Certainly a bight spot to my morning! Thank you for that. Their colors intensify…the black eyes are blacker and the yellow is more pronounced because of them. You were in my thoughts as I heard of the earthquake praying you were fine. On another note…this was my scheduled surgery day for my knee replacement. After having all the prep completed this past week, it has been put on hold indefinitely. At least I am in the early call back group when life returns to normal.
So sorry about your postponement, Kathy. After mentally (and physically) preparing for surgery having it postponed is far more than just inconvenient. I wish you the best in the meantime.
DARN! A bad news thing BUT! Many being put in that boat both here and abroad……… 🙁
Now THAT’S the way to start the morning with a smile…. 😉 He certainly gave you a nice pose between “bugging”…… 🙂 Glad things haven’t gotten worse earthquake wise – certainly didn’t/don’t need that on top of everything else! On we go……
Judy, that was one of the very few times, perhaps the only time, I’ve seen a Yellow Warbler hunting extensively on the ground. It must have been a successful strategy for him but he seemed pretty nervous about being so exposed.
I’m sure – they’re pretty much “bush huggers” here except when on the window sills looking for bugs/spider webs…….
A little burst of sunshine in birdy form! 🙂
Sounds like things are still a-rockin’ and a-rollin’ for you guys, but from what I’ve read there were no major injuries, fortunately.
Yup, there were no significant injuries that I’m aware of, Marty.
One of the worst things was that they closed all of the liquor stores because so many bottles fell to the floors and broke. 🙂
What a waste of good booze! 😱🍸🥃
Delightful! Thanks so much, Ron. The visual equivalent of a lemon drop…
“The visual equivalent of a lemon drop”
Perfect, Alison. Perfect.