Yesterday morning in the Wasatch Mountains I triumphed over strong winds, impending dense clouds and an unnecessary road construction nightmare caused by UDOT and actually got a few (very few) keeper photos.
I was quite late getting to my birding area because UDOT hadn’t marked a road just off the freeway with “road closed” signage which resulted in me taking four, count’em – 4, different freeway exits (one of them twice) in a highly frustrating effort to reach my destination. Finally on the fifth try and after winding around interminable back roads in a neighborhood I was able to get there.
Thankfully I found a few birds to calm my jangled nerves.
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 Yellow Warbler with insect prey was one of them. He’s side lit and not facing me but in this case I actually think both of those potential image-killers worked out just fine.
In the photo as it came out of the camera both the brights and the darks were somewhat intense but a little more processing than I usually do on my images mitigated both issues (this is one of those photos that reminds me of why I shoot in RAW rather than in JPEG.) I chose a vertical composition so I could crop to eliminate some cluttery and distracting twigs out of frame to the right.
Though it seems a little early I have to wonder if the bug was meant for chicks in the nest since the warbler flew off with it instead of eating it immediately.
Ron
So nice to see. I heard my first warbler yesterday but could not spot it, but will get out again for a search. Hearing baby birds in the neighbourhood so it may not be too early where you are.
Very nice prize for having negotiated the cornfield maze! BNA/BOW has certainly expanded horizontally, but I have found that many of the NA species accounts need updating.
Very nice feather detail.
You say it’s a him, so the insect could be for the incubating female, per BOW. Awesome reference which I now subscribe to because of your mentions.
Yup, it could be either one, Lyle. I think Birds of the World, including its predecessor Birds of North America Online, is the most comprehensive online bird reference available. I believe I’ve been a subscriber for at least 10 years now (although for three of those years I had free subscriptions.)
The detail in this splash of light and colour is incredible.
I suspect that not gobbling down that tasty morsel is a give away and there IS a brood of hungry youngsters nearby. A giveaway that anyone with less experience would probably have missed.
Thanks, EC. I’d bet I’m right but with birds you rarely know for sure.
True, but your guesses are better educated than most.
UDOT must have attended one of Caltrans’ talks on how to stymie, bewilder, and confuse. I’m like Laura, I much prefer slow moving traffic over stop-and-go. And, of course, I prefer to have my closed roads and off-ramps labeled early enough to make a proactive decision. 🤬
I’m enjoying today’s photographic gem. You were able to capture so much feather (and insect) detail, even in the shaded portions. Those are some skills, my sensitive friend! 🙂
The whole image with the bright yellows on the right and the portion in shadow on the left make me think of phases of the moon. I find that no matter what the phase, as long as I see a little bit of reflected light, my eye will complete the sphere.
“make me think of phases of the moon”
That’s a very interesting comparison, Marty. You’re right.
In my experience UDOT is usually pretty efficient on the planning side so this surprised me, and angered me more than a little.
It’s UDOT’s propensity for shady business dealings that has bothered me more in the past.
Sorry about the roundabout, I heard about the frustrations.
The warbler is beautiful!
My weather app said both yesterday and today would be cloudy and windy, so I got up at 6am fed everything and went back to bed till 8:30. Other than the wind it looks like a nice sunny day with a few big fluffy cumulus clouds. I guess I need to just go photograph, it has been a month since I have taken any photos besides with my phone.
You never know until you go!
“You never know until you go”
That’s my mantra too, April – especially given the typical (in)accuracy of forecasters.
What a little beauty! And your nits aside, I love this posture. The variations in color, all sharp as a tack, really delight me. And of course, I love the insect in his beak! Just GORGEOUS!!
I had a battle with a scorpion in my garage last night. I lost, so it was good to see the warbler’s battle won. I’d gone out to get a cold bottle of water at 3:00 a.m., but I went out barefoot because my feet were swollen and shoes were painful. When I got to the garage fridge, there it was, walking toward me and I couldn’t do anything but sidestep him and scurry back into the house, making sure the door was closed! The last time I went out barefoot, there was a HUGE roach-like critter challenging my ownership of the house. And when I say HUGE, bear in mind I’ve lived over half my life in Texas!! Lesson learned!
Traffic is one of the few things that can set me off mightily. As long as I’m moving, albeit sometimes slowly, I can handle it. But a full stop, yeah, NO! And if I’m headed out to go hunting with a hungry hawk, yeah, BIG NO! A) I have a hungry hawk and B) I now have to be very aware of exhaust fumes!! The general lack of traffic is one of the big plusses to living in the boonies 😉
And remember, when the grass is greener, it could be that there’s a lot more crap over there fertilizing it! Just a thought 😉
Thanks, Laura.
I’ve never been able to go barefoot without lots of discomfort, even when I was a kid. My feet are just too sensitive.
But then I’m a sensitive kinda guy… 🙂
I used to live barefooted, but not now. It hurts like the blazes now but not as much as with shoes. Soooo… SIGH!
Then we have something else in common, Laura. Other than very short periods when I have no practical choice (tilling the garden for example} I haven’t worn real shoes since May of 2017 because of nerve damage in my feet.
Except for sleeping I live in my Birkenstock sandals.
I trend to like those side-back photos…especially with a catch light in the eye and some nice feather variations as you have here. He is a beauty. I really like the ‘warbler season’; seeing all the variations of colors in these little ones offers a nice change of pace.
I enjoy warbler season too, Kathy. I just wish we had more varieties of them like folks in other parts of the country seem to. The grass is always greener…
What a gorgeous shot ! The drama of the side lighting really adds
power and punch to both the form and the feather texture– I’m so
glad that you got a real keeper to reward you for plowing thru all of
that frustration .
Kris, in the old days I used to discount side lit images almost out of hand but I’ve really learned to appreciate some of them, including this one. Thanks.
It’s interesting that the only lighting some bird photographers are arguing for is dead-on front lighting of the sort you might get with on-camera flash, which in other forms of photography is considered flat and uninteresting.
Excellent point, Steve.
Love it with that position to the light and the resulting colors and shades. Perfect catch eye and very sharp insect. I think the insect is headed to the chicks. Road construction season is here and it doesn’t matter whether it is UDOT or ADOT or any other DOT, they are all the same. Your tenacity and perseverance paid off.
Thanks, Everett. I damn near just turned tail and headed for home instead of continuing to try other exits and other routes.
Beautiful little Warbler! 🙂 Ah, “construction season”……..MDT Travel and Weather Map is covered with the icons indicating where it is…… Has to be done in a limited season BUT it IS frustrating/infuriating to deal with 🙁 Local birds screaming this morning at a young GHO in the spruce probably fairly newly fledged and wet. Weren’t sure we had any again this year….. VERY cloudy and dark so can’t get a good look…..
Judy, lots of construction is one thing but when it’s done unprofessionally causing unnecessary traffic problems it’s much worse in my opinion.
So jealous of your owl chick. My cousin on the MT farm sent me a recent photo of one being raised on the floor of a granary right next to their house. I so wish I was there!
What a ordeal. Sounds like the Los Angeles freeways. Glad you found your destination, and were able to get great shots. Love this one.
Thanks, Jean. I don’t do well in traffic, especially when it’s caused by ineptitude (in this case UDOT’s).