Beauty Magnified–Zooming In On Birds

Zooming in on Birds

Birds move fast.  That’s why photographers often create a natural looking perch above a feeder, or play recorded bird sounds to lure a bird in front of the their tripod mounted camera.  There’s nothing wrong with a tripod or staged bird photography but recorded bird calls interrupt the bird’s natural behaviors.  Foraging, mating, and nesting are disrupted  and the implications are serious for some species.  At Little Piney,  I don’t use recordings for the purpose of photography.  I’m usually on the move, just as the birds are, so I use a hand-held 600m zoom lens. photograph the birds in their natural behaviors wherever they are. It’s hard to get good clear photos without a tripod so I may take 30 or so to get a few sharp ones.  That’s okay–I love the results!

Here’s what you get when you zoom in on birds–

Drama

Only his the crimson throat of this Ruby-throated Hummingbird is in focus but that’s the most stunning part.  The color is not edited in this photograph.

Surprises

I couldn’t see what was happening on the wire when I took this photo.  Looks like Baby Bluebird is having a chat with the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

Expressions

Curious Northern Cardinal sat for his portrait.

Family Moments–Fathers and Babies

House wrens

Eastern Bluebirds

Textures and Patterns

Baby Eastern Bluebird