![\"cedar](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/cedar-waxwing-0418-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a01\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f\/4, 1.4 tc, natural light<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Typically I find them at the tops of conifers when they’re not quite as close as I’d like for quality images.\u00a0 Waxwings are notorious for not showing much detail in their very smooth plumage but side light tends to bring out the fine shadows of the feathers and allow us to see more detail.\u00a0 This pose shows the red, waxy growths on the tips of the secondaries that waxwings are named for.<\/p>\n Until recently this was about the best I had done with the species but a few weeks ago a brief encounter with a single bird changed my luck for the better.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/60, f\/29, ISO 500, 100-400 @ 320mm, natural light<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n I had been photographing other birds along a dirt road when this waxwing popped up out of nowhere and landed on a berry bush very close to me.\u00a0 It was so close that I had to quickly grab my other camera with a zoom lens attached and in the excitement I inadvertently moved the mode dial on the camera from aperture priority to shutter priority – thus the wonky settings and\u00a0slow shutter speed.<\/p>\n You’ll notice that the bird had a feather askew on the right side of its lower neck in a place that I imagine would be difficult to reach while preening.\u00a0 The waxwing spent a few moments gauging the potential of danger from my pickup which\u00a0was very close to the berries it was after…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/1250, f\/6.3, ISO 500, 100-400 @ 300mm, natural light<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n and then apparently decided that the berry reward was worth the risk and went for the gusto.\u00a0 There were\u00a0many berries right beneath its feet but for some reason it had its eye on one further away\u00a0that it had to reach for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/1000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, 100-400 @ 300mm, natural light<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0It quickly reached out and plucked the berry and held it in its beak for a few seconds.\u00a0 In this image the berry is in shade…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/1250, f\/6.3, ISO 500, 100-400 @ 300mm, natural light<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0but I did get a couple of images with it in better light.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n