A palm warbler perches on a tree branch in early morning light. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1
Earlier this month I was happy to get some nice views of a wintering palm warbler, while photographing in the city of Redwood Shores, CA. This is a somewhat uncommon bird for this area, so I was excited when I confirmed the sighting after further research. My view was unobstructed and the lighting perfect – about an hour after sunrise with the low, winter sun directly behind me.
I shot quickly and furiously, trying to capture as many poses as possible before the bird flew off. I ended up with about 45 seconds of time before the little guy decided he’d had enough with the paparazzi. The following photos were taken at the same time, in the same tree. Thank God for 8 frames per second!
A palm warbler perches on a small twig of a tree. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1A palm warbler perches on wetland vegetation, showing off its yellow underside. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1
A male hooded merganser extends his crest as he swims through a wetland slough. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/320 sec. at f/5.6
I was lucky enough to find a pair of hooded merganser a few weeks ago at a local birding spot close to my house. While not uncommon to the area this time of year, they are usually seen in very small numbers – usually only in ones and twos. I found this attractive pair in a narrow channel that is usually very shallow, but had recently flooded, providing enough depth for these diving birds.
A female hooded merganser swims through still water, reflected in the early morning sunlight. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6
As I approached, I crouched down and worked my way toward a large clump of tall grass along the channel that could provide some screening. I crept up behind the grass and set up, careful to work very slowly so as not to disturb the pair. The last thing I’d want is for them to fly somewhere else – they seemed to be set up in the perfect position for me. The rising sun was behind me, casting the birds in full frontal lighting, and the channel was narrow enough that the entire surface of the water reflected the straw colors of the opposite shore.
After I set up, I knelt behind my tripod in the mud and goose poop (I often wear knee pads when I expect to shoot at water level) and poked my lens through the grass. They seemed right at home with me there, giving me a full half hour with them as they swam back and forth in front of my camera.
A pair of hooded merganser swim together, reflected in the water. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1/3: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1
During courtship displays, the male fans his crest open, as seen in the first photo. The male seen here had a flat crest most of the time, only displaying his crest once to ward off a curious cormorant, and once while scratching the back of his head with his foot. The female seemed to display her crest most of the time I was watching them. The photo below shows the male with a flattened crest.
A male hooded merganser swims with a flattened crest. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3: 1/320 sec. at f/7.1
Like other mergansers, the hooded merganser has a long thin bill with serrated edges. This helps to grip fish and crustaceans when the birds dive underwater for them. Because of this trait, mergansers are often called “sawbills”. They are a somewhat secretive bird, nesting in small tree cavities hidden away from would-be predators. Hunting underwater by sight, they can actually change the refractive properties of their eyes in order to enhance their underwater vision.
Like other merganser, the hooded merganser has a long, serrated bill for gripping fish. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6
After a while, the mergansers decided they were done with this water channel and it was time to head off to more fertile fishing grounds. I was elated to have had that time with them, in such good photo conditions.
An anna's hummingbird poses long enough for a quick portrait. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1
This week’s photo features an anna’s hummingbird that frequents my front yard. Her favorite perch is the top of a cherry tree, offering her an expansive view of her surroundings. Hummingbirds can be very territorial – I have seen brief squabbles that have sent the loser zooming away to find flowers elsewhere.
An anna's hummingbird poses long enough for a quick portrait. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1
These shots were all taken hand held with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS lens. Although this lens has been available on the market for a long time, it is still a great walking around lens (for wildlife anyway), and is a great asset for birds-in-flight shots. With zoom capability, it is much easier to find and track subjects in air than with longer lenses.
An anna's hummingbird perches at the top of a cherry tree. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering 0: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1
A northern mockingbird perches atop a bush filled with berries. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6
Recently I photographed a Northern Mockingbird perched on a berry bush. It appeared as if he was gorging himself on berries, stuffing one after another into his mouth. Soon after this feast, he flew from the bush to a nearby tree. He began working his mouth up and down, and to my surprise, a berry emerged from his mouth and into his beak, as seen in the photo below. After he ate one berry, he again worked his beak up and down, and a second berry emerged.
A northern mockingbird perches on a small branch with a berry in its mouth. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6
I realized that when I first saw the mockingbird chowing down on berries, he was actually stuffing them into his mouth for later consumption. I couldn’t find any notes about this behavior online, but it was quite a sight to see berry after berry magically appear in his beak. However, not every berry worked out so successfully, as can be seen in the photo below.
A northern mockingbird drops a berry as it tries to eat it. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6
