![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/green-tailed-towhee-3474b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"green-tailed-towhee-3474b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThis is about as close as I’ve ever been to this highly secretive species.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/5000, 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<\/em><\/p>\n Four days ago while I was photographing the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird in the mountains this Green-tailed Towhee appeared nearer the base of the same serviceberry bush. In this species sexes are alike but this bird is most likely a male because it’s nesting season and only females incubate eggs or brood nestlings. Males often feed their mates on the nest so he may have been scrounging for food to deliver to her.<\/p>\n He was so close he almost filled the frame. I’m pleased that the flowers at upper left and most of the branches are sharp, even at f\/5.6, but I’m still undecided if the mass of white flowers behind the bird is a plus or a minus and I wish I had a little more room on the left for composition purposes. But I’m pleased with the sharpness of the bird and the excellent detail at this close range. His tail between the forks of the branch makes me smile and I love his raised red cap.<\/p>\n I’m always amazed at the huge difference a minor change in shooting position can make when you’re this close to the subject. In Mia’s shots of this bird only the tip of its tail had any white flowers behind it and she was shooting from the back seat of my pickup only 3′ behind me.<\/p>\n Shooting angle matters!<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is about as close as I’ve ever been to this highly secretive species.<\/p>\n