A Little Variety

Yellow Warbler

After spending so much time sitting or standing waiting for action it was time for a change of pace. The warblers were constantly on the move and in the branches this morning.

Technical: manual focus, 500 mm lens, cropped

Birds of May

What a month!  After a long winter the birds came back strong.  I spent almost the entire month  doing still photography using the 100-400 mm lens, handheld.  It was a refreshing break from being locked to a tripod and less frustrating than waiting for video action.
Birds of May can be seen at: May 2013 Birds

American Redstart

Another first image, what a spring!  Redstarts have been everywhere and highly visible because of their orange wing bars and constant flashing of their tail as they flutter from branch to branch.  According to the Cornell Bird website this behavior is used to flush insect prey off branches and leaves so it can be eaten, seems like a lot of work.

Bay Breasted Warbler

Another in the series of warblers from last week.  Spring woodlands have been more brown than green so the colorful birds have been very welcome subjects. Another image shot hand held with the 100-400 lens, image stabilizer on. Since starting shooting Canon video it has become my favorite lens for both wildlife stills and video.  With the 7D crop factor it is a 640 mm lens, remember when a 600 mm lens was financially out of reach.

Black Throated Green Warbler

What's in a name? In this case it is very descriptive but that's not always the case as in the Magnolia Warbler which acquired its name from the tree it was first seen in.  Photographed in the backyard.

Black and White Survivor

This warbler hit the window yesterday afternoon and after recovering in the grass a couple hours was good to go.

Magnolia Warbler

I don't know if it is the weather or just the coincidence of me being outdoors when the warblers pass through but I have never seen the woods alive with warblers like this year. Technical: Captured with center point autofocus, cropped for subject placement, in this case vertical.

Warbler Week

Warblers have been moving through Burnett Co. this week, ranging from the common yellow warbler to some  that are only seen on an occasional basis. Technical: cropped vertical, 400 mm handheld.

Yellow Warbler

The warblers have arrived, trees are alive with movement.  The challenge is locking focus and getting a decent shot without background clutter or a bird sprouting a branch from its back. Technical: slight cropping, 500 mm lens on Canon 7D