Mourning Dove (Two Photographs)
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I usually see mourning doves on the ground foraging. This was the first time I saw one in a tree. It was lit from behind, hence the halo and glow. It suits the bird as does the bokeh. One thing about the doves I have found is you can get quite close to them. They seem very confident about their security.
Raging Goose (Two Photographs)
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This is a Canada Goose in full screaming rage. As Canada is a country known for its politeness it’s a wonder why they call them Canadian at all. This goose could be heard down the lake and I am not sure if it was in anger or in fear of some other goose, but it howled and came almost right at me. But on the other hand, it is good comedy.
Showing Off (Three Photographs)
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I had never seen a wood duck dive under water before. As usual when ducks or geese go under they come out and shake off the water making quite a remarkable display. Unfortunately it lasts for less than a minute so you have to be on your toes so to speak. The golden color of the water reflects the cloudy cool day.
Warbler Season (Three Photographs)
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Spring is definitely here when the yellow-rumped warblers arrive. Usually high up in pine trees, very small and very active they are really challenging to shoot. Practice on chickadees help. Even at 500mm, these birds fill a fraction of the screen and are in constant motion. Two days of shooting and I hope to see more warblers, but the season is short and you never quite know when it begins or ends.
Chickadees (Three Photographs)
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Every time I hear the name Chickadee, I remember the W.C. Fields film with Mae West “My Little Chickadee” and how in his inimitable voice pronounced Chickadee with a long e in more than one short film. We share the same birthday but he was long before my time. The birds for their part are everywhere and with the bad weather more apt to eat out of your hand than not. I like them because when there are no other birds to shoot they step in.
Goose in A Mirror (Three Photographs)
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There is a phoenix like quality to this bird. In our area these Canada Geese are harbingers of spring and they stay almost until the lastminute as the cold descends in fall/winter. Their noisy call is a background to the warmer days of summer.
Backgrounds (Three Photographs)
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The gull is certainly impressive but this is an article about backgrounds. These three shots of the same bird against three different backgrounds help to explain a couple of things. Books and articles on bird photography always suggests the cleanest background is best, an ideal that is hard to get. What we want is an interesting and a complimentary background. The first is as close as I could getfrom my vantage point of a clear background. The second shot gives a more textured but essentially clear background. The third makes the background part of the photographic subject, and it‘s my choice as it is more of an artistic photograph than the first two that are more birding photos. Your view may differ.
