![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/willow-flycatcher-7602-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"willow-flycatcher-7602-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nA bird photographer’s intuition.<\/p>\n
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1\/1250, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Three days ago in the mountains I just knew this Willow Flycatcher would do something quick and interesting while I didn’t have enough shutter speed for the situation, and I was right. When ‘he’ took off to his left he only used his right wing during his first wing-stroke and kept his left wing mostly folded against his body, which resulted in two things – an unusual pose that caught my eye and his right wing showing a lot of motion blur. Even the rest of his body could have been a little sharper.<\/p>\n But in this situation I can live with the motion blur because it implies the extremely fast motion you’d expect and draws attention to the unusual position of his right wing relative to his left wing. A head turn that was just about perfect, light in his eye and the flowering mullein at the left frame edge sealed the deal.<\/p>\n To be perfectly honest, I’m not positive this is a Willow Flycatcher. The hint of yellow on his flank makes me wonder if it’s a Dusky Flycatcher instead. Because of their distinctive call I know most flycatchers in this area are Willow Flycatchers but I never heard a peep out of this guy.<\/p>\n As most bird lovers know, getting positive visual ID’s on Empidonax flycatchers<\/a><\/span><\/span> is one of the most intimidating challenges for even the most highly skilled birders in North America. And I’m a rank amateur.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A bird photographer’s intuition.<\/p>\n