flying circus

It was bound to happen.  If nothing else, I am persistent and a bit too predictable, so it won't surprise any of you that the camera came out of its bag to be pointed in the direction of the flying circus of hummingbirds at our feeders.  These amazing birds arrive around income tax filing time, with male broad-tailed hummers leading the pack.  The rufous are the last to depart for points south, in mid to late September.

Comparing notes with friends, we realized that there weren't as many anywhere in northern New Mexico this year, and their presence seemed to fluctuate.  On the 4th of July, just in time to represent the orange-red part of the color spectrum, the Rufous hummingbirds arrived, but it was not until the last two weeks that we saw a dramatic increase.  The population blasted from around 250 birds to roughly 360.

How do we know the number of birds?  Here is the formula -  8 ounces or one cup of liquid consumed in a 24 hour period represents 40 birds.  According to a documentary film on hummingbirds, they need to feed every fifteen minutes.  Imagine the traffic surrounding four, one quart feeders.  It is a non-stop flying circus, with creatures relentless in their pursuit of C&H (California and Hawaiian Sugar Company with the added irony that the chemical composition of sugar is C12H22O11).  After the rufous join the mix of broad-tailed, black-chinned, and calliopes, one feeder is guarded by the ultra-territorial rufous, making it more difficult for the other birds to get to it.  Occasionally, the numbers of others are so great that it becomes impossible to guard, but the rufous don't let it happen too often.

ever diligent...

...and in action!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

teenage bird brains

The blog title for today's piece was not meant to oxymoronic, as some might think.  I don't know the origin of the expression "bird brain" but it certainly does NOT apply to the Corvid family.  This intrepid bird family includes ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, and every last bird in the group is brilliant.  Since it is fledging time, we are seeing some outrageous behavior from the latest ravens to leave the nest as they become part of the outside world.

Like most birds that survive the fledging process, new ravens look almost exactly like their adult counterparts with exception of shorter tail feathers.  I like to call them teenagers because there are definite similarities to human teenagers.  Seriously.  Several summers ago, we saw two ravens playing soccer with a rock.  There were lots of rocks around but they were passing the same rock back and forth to one another, not missing a beat.  And like human teenagers, ravens are starving - constantly - and do not hesitate to make the fact known to parents who are keeping watchful eyes on their young.  They are insatiable!  And because they have a real sense of play and curiosity and have not yet learned to be completely leery, they are easier to photograph.

I mentioned their shorter tail feathers.  But the feathers on their heads sometimes give that just shaven, "buzz cut" look.  Check out the punk do on this raven.

And another view....

By now, you know I cannot resist details, and ravens' feathers are some of the most beautiful.  The color almost becomes an iridescent blue.

And finally, what a wild, abstract image they make.  There are endless layers of rhythm and design here.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

 

Bird photography kindergarten

Wildlife photographers are incredible.  I have always admired them and their abilities, regardless of filming location.

The wildlife shots I am able to wrangle generally are a matter of trying to place myself in the right place at the right time, and luck.

So this week, I decided to take a new piece of equipment in hand and make an attempt to photograph scrubs jays in flight.  Knowing something about jays, from observation and from having read the story by Mark Twain about the blue jay and the acorn, they respond almost immediately to anything that vaguely resembles food.  Matter of fact, some of the first photographs I shot appeared to have huge smudges of white and yellow in them.  A closer look revealed bird seed flying out of their bills as they departed the feeder.  Jays pack so much food in during each trip to the feeder that some seed is bound to be lost in flight.

But back to the photography.   Like a fledgling bird, experimenting with and then trying to perfect the specifics of flight, I am a fledgling photographer when it comes to photographing birds in flight.  I began "bird photography kindergarten" this weekend.  What I really wanted was to photograph the backlit curved flair of the wings.  Perhaps it is due to the long tail feathers, but the jay feather configuration seems much more dramatic than that of other birds of similar size.  As you can see in the photographs below (made during six different shooting periods), each landing is divided into parts, with its own critical and intricate moves.

Patience and the ability to sit on the ground (or wherever) is certainly helpful.  Good hearing, to determine the difference in the heft and frequently of wing beats among the assorted species of birds in residence is essential.  And timing is crucial.  I began by focusing the camera, holding it and waiting for a bird to appear in the viewfinder.  Eventually, I realized I needed to anticipate the direction or place from which the birds would be flying, look in the viewfinder with one eye and scan the landscape with the other.

It is quite obvious I have yet to wear the kindergarten mortar board.  The results are not as acute or focused, nor what I would hope to eventually achieve with a heavier lens and handheld camera.  But it is a start!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image