Yesterday in the mountains was a House Wren kind of day.
All photos below are presented in the order they were taken.
Yesterday morning while driving slowly on a dirt road in the mountains we spotted several House Wrens near the road and stopped to see if we could get lucky with some interesting photos. I suspect this is the male of a mated pair about to deliver food to his chicks in the nest. He made his trip to the nest in stops and starts – this was the first time I got my lens on him.
I was able to get a few to a lot of photos of him at each stop as he approached the nest with what looked to me like a spider.
I’m not sure why he didn’t fly directly to the nest but eventually he…
did make it. The nest was exactly where I expected it to be, inside a rusty old pipe at the top of a barricade constructed of the same pipe. I could see nesting material inside the pipe.
He entered the pipe with the spider and…
came out without it.
After this both wrens were flitting into and out of the nest so I gave up even trying to keep track of which was which. It was largely a guessing game anyway.
This one spent a long time on this perch singing and…
preening.
But I was closest to the wrens while they were perched on top of the pipe containing their nest so those photos have the best detail.
The pipe may have been an unattractive perch but the wrens like it so I can put up with it. I love this perky pose.
When this bird took off I was actually able to…
keep ‘him’ in frame, which is more than a small accomplishment with these incredibly quick little birds. But in my view the only redeeming quality of this photo is its degree of difficulty because most of the bird is a little too soft.
My session with these flitty wrens was a real workout for the photographer. I was shooting out my pickup window at an awkward and very uncomfortable angle so 35 minutes and 1056 photos later I was almost relieved when the wrens became much less active and I decided to drive down the road and look for other birds.
Now the daunting task will be to get all those images culled.
Ron
Image techs for most of these photos were 1/2500 – 1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500 – 800, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender
Beautiful photos! Perhaps a topic for discussion would be what process you go through when loading your photos, how do you store them meaning what folders. I load all photos to a pre-processing folder by year and once edited I store them in a Post- processing folder usually by location and year. Always looking/thinking of a better method.
Nice selection. Looking forward to seeing the “best of the other 1045”.
Thanks, Lyle, It might be a few days. I like to mix things up a little, when I can.
I love friends and I love these pictures! They are such lively little birds.
Good! Thanks, Joanne.
Yesterday (here) was a doctor sort of day. I would have MUCH preferred a house wren sort of day.
Thank you for sharing the delight and the beauty.
I do hope that your back isn’t giving you too much grief today.
Sorry about your doctor day yesterday, EC. They’re never any fun.
A very fun series, and great closeups of a bird that moves so fast I hardly ever get a great look at it. But I enjoy watching how they search out and go after their intended meal. Your sacrifice to capture these images is appreciated by us all but please take care of that back! 😉
Yup, they’re one of the smaller and faster songbirds, Chris. It’s difficult to get action shots of them but I keep trying.
Great series, Ron. Especially considering how flitty those little birds are. And such a beautiful song comes from such a little bird. Thanks!
Thanks, Kathryn.
Such lovely birds. And I agree with Marty about the appeal of their subtle markings. Our (and your) cup runneth over! 🙂
Thank you, Cathy.
That last shot cracks me up. He looks like he needs a running start for lift off!
Great series, Ron, full of interesting poses. Thanks!
I’m glad you like that shot, Jamila. I just wish it was a little sharper.
I love the perky quick wrens, their movements are very distinctive. I just wonder how hot the inside of a metal pipe will get during the heat of the day, hmm?? Do you think this pipe was a good nest choice?
I have the same concern about heat in that pipe, Terri. Birds have been nesting in that pipe and others nearby for years but this summer is much hotter than normal.
Great series. 1056 photos? Wow!! How do you review that many?
“How do you review that many?”
Painfully, Bob.
Their subtle markings are so attractive — thank you for giving these LBJs their due. 🙂 That’s definitely quite the jaunty pose in the penultimate shot.
I don’t envy you the culling process. Be gentle. 😉
Marty, I took about another 1000 shots of these birds today. I’m a slow learner.
Wrens ARE busy and fun to watch – also VERY persistent when it comes to where they want to build a nest! Like above an outside roll up shade and, one year, an old clothes pin basket by the door! 😄 Don’t envy you the culling process…..
I don’t envy me either, Judy.
Excellent photography Ron. Even the insect is sharp. Can’t even imagine culling through 1156 photos.
Thanks, Everett. It won’t be easy. Or fun.