Yesterday morning I spent some time in the mountains looking mostly for songbirds. The focus limiter on my lens and I had a couple of disagreements which I inevitably lost so I botched several of my most promising photo ops but I thought this encounter with a Yellow Warbler turned out to be a fun and interesting one.
Yes, this series includes yet another vertical takeoff. Four days ago I posted a Yellow-rumped Warbler doing the same thing but the two warblers were using different hunting techniques. The butterbutt was hawking insects from the air while this Yellow Warbler was picking off stationary prey from the foliage.
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
He spent quite some time digging around in this leaf cluster looking for tiny insects before he came up with…
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
this tiny snack we can see near the end of his bill.
A huge crop of the previous photo reveals that the “bug” (aphid?) was actually stuck to the tip of his tongue.
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
When he began to look above him for another promising twig to land on so he could continue his search for food I fired off a quick burst in hopes of getting a takeoff shot.
I usually fail miserably in these “spray and pray” situations because warblers take off so damned fast but I find that if I try hard enough, often enough and if I have enough shutter speed I occasionally get lucky.
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
This time I managed to keep him in frame as he launched vertically although I wish I had a little more room above him for composition purposes. Those little buzz-saw wings must have really been churning since a shutter speed of 1/4000 didn’t get them any sharper than this.
Oh well, the most important parts of the bird are plenty sharp enough and the wing softness appropriately and accurately depicts incredibly fast motion.
I’ll take it.
Here’s another composition of the same photo if you prefer. I think I like this version best, in part because it includes more of the perch he just left.
Other than catching this warbler at takeoff I had another dose of serendipity in store for me yesterday. It’s usually a complete waste of time for me to even think about going shooting when the weather radar shows masses of clouds moving into the area, as was the case yesterday morning. But for some reason I went anyway and it turned out that I had good to great light for almost the entire morning.
They say that mountains make their own weather and whoever “they” are, they’re right.
Ron
Delightful post, Ron. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets came to mind. I know they must be getting a snack in all of that frenetic foraging, but it’s never seen by my eyes!
The 4th picture is beautiful. Fun to watch I bet!
Very enjoyable post. The praying part seems apt; he reminds me of some corny movie where people are being raised during the rapture.
I’m suspicious…You didn’t happen to bait the Yellow Warbler with that aphid?
Ha, not a chance, Lyle. With my eyes I wouldn’t even be able to see the damn thing without some kind of optical aid.
Like Marty I was drawn to the feather detail.
In awe. In wonder. In delight.
Many thanks.
Thank you, EC.
It’s impossible not to love yellow warblers … or any yellow bird. Or any bird, for that matter! 😉 These photos are amazing, and the last “lift-off” is my favorite. Everything about it says “spring” and — in spite of the world’s misery — you just can’t help but smile. So thanks for brightening our day, Ron!
I agree, there’s something a little extra special about yellow birds, Chris. Thank you.
Lovely photos, the spray and pray seemed to work!
Sometimes it does, April. I have some confidence in the spraying but none at all in the praying part.
A bright yellow rocketship! 🙂 Lovely. Lovely. Lovely.
In the super-closeup, I’m marveling at the feather detail more than the insect. I keep forgetting about the variation in feather structure within a single bird.
Thanks, Marty. I always notice fine detail like that. It’s one of the many reasons I enjoy bird photography so much.
Thanks Ron
Seems like a lot of work for such a tiny snack
Diana
I’m sure it is but to them it must be worth it.
What a little jewel beauty! I’m continually amazed at the sheer athleticism of birds (and most critters, too)! That makes me wonder what would happen if we had to do that to feed ourselves. We’d probably starve to death–or maybe we’d adapt. Or maybe, Darwinism would take over like it might now. Who knows?
Again, thank you for brightening my morning! Yellow is at the top of my list of favorite colors (along with that lovely brick red of a redtail’s tail–especially as it’s bathed in sunshine!).
I know what you mean about the tail of the red-tail in sunshine, Laura. It’s dazzling.
That’s my absolute, double-throw-down favorite color! Crayola never made THAT color! 😉
Up Up and away ❗️ Nothing like a bright yellow bird to start my day 😁 Thanks❗️
Must get ready for a FaceTime doctors appointment….this should be interesting 🧐
Good luck, Diana. I haven’t done that. Yet…
Well, us photographers/nature people do have an advantage, if we live in an area that allows us to get outside without a problem, during these tough times. Love your shots of a warbler that so far, is way to fast for me! Great shots, great patience my man, congratulations!
Love the vertical!! Wonderful light – so lucky that you took the chance and went out.
Me too, Joanne. Thanks.
I too like your second version 😍. Speed is definitely their middle name. You were so fortunate to get the leaping …I truly envy you. This is an exciting time of year with these warbles…you never know what you might get. I spent time last evening photographing these along with Palm and Yellow-Rumped feeding on insects nestled among the blossoms of an old maple along a stream. The Yellows would alternate zipping to the stream for sips of water but they were way too fast for me…only blurs of yellow. I had to wait for them to settle on twigs.
“Fast” epitomizes warblers doesn’t it, Kathy.
When I’m photographing them my “go to” ISO setting is 800 and even so I had to use f/5.6 to get 1/4000 shutter speed, which wasn’t quite enough for the wings when he took off.
Beautiful! 🙂 The vertical composition is my preference…..captures the “whole picture” to me…… 🙂 Amazing how one, tiny, aphid would be worth the energy to capture it! Take LOTS of them to make a meal……..
“Amazing how one, tiny, aphid would be worth the energy to capture it!”
That’s what I keep thinking, Judy. It sure explains why they seem to always be such voracious feeders.
The colors in your post today express the essence of Spring !
I especially liked the composition of the second shot—the branch curving
over “butterbutt’s” back cups him/her in an endearing way…..
Thanks, Kris. I agree with you about the spring colors.
Just to be clear, this bird isn’t what many folks call a “butterbutt”. That name is often applied to Yellow-rumped Warblers like the one I posted 4 days ago.
I really like the vertical composition. It downplays the lack of “air” in front of the bird, perhaps by reducing the space on the right to compare it to.
Thanks for your take on the composition, Mary.