![\"western](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/western-kingbird-7716-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The nest was in the sagebrush at the left in the frame.\u00a0 It was difficult to catch her in flight in good light\u00a0with nesting material because she was usually either shaded by the sagebrush when I could get her in focus or she came into the nest with her back to me.\u00a0 This shot worked out because\u00a0she hovered very briefly in the sun before turning\u00a0into the nest.\u00a0 We’re always very careful about the potential for nesting disturbance (and we never disclose nesting sites)\u00a0but these birds are acclimated to vehicles and in the time we spent with them her work was never interrupted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I had to chuckle because the male acted almost like a work supervisor.\u00a0 He spent much of his time on this perch very close to the nest as the female worked her cute little tail off.\u00a0 Usually he simply observed but once when the female flew very close to him he…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n spread\u00a0his wings and chittered away at her in apparent encouragement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Here you see the nest at the bottom of the frame.\u00a0 The female would fly in with the nesting material, arrange it to her liking and then “shmoosh” it into place as she adjusted and rotated her body in the nest cup.\u00a0 That behavior was appealing to watch but very difficult to photograph from my vantage point.\u00a0 Then she would leave the nest explosively for her next load of nesting material.<\/p>\n Western Kingbirds have an orange-red crown patch that\u00a0many folks are unaware of and is not often seen but I noticed it a couple of times and was able to get this single, relatively sharp shot where it could be seen as she left the nest.<\/p>\n Our photography session yesterday morning was particularly enjoyable because we were shooting with our new friend and photographer\u00a0Wade Haskell.\u00a0 It was Wade who introduced us to the wild horse herd <\/a>in the west desert that I posted about last month.\u00a0 Good times!<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yesterday morning we photographed an industrious female Western Kingbird as she worked at constructing her nest. In this species the sexes are similar but only the female builds the nest. The male hung around nearby as he watched over the laborious construction process and offered his mate encouragement (that was good of him don’t you think?).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n