Going out into nature for a photo shoot or bird watching by car is one of the activities that can be done without putting anybody at risk. All images created today were shot from the safety of my car. This seems to be an easy task because a foam roll on top of the rolled down side window provides usually good lens and camera support. Today a typical seasonal problem made getting a sharp picture quite difficult. I’m talking about heat shimmer. When the cold air above the ground mixes with air already warmed up by the sun the effect is the same as viewing through exhaust gases from a jet engine. It is maybe not as strong but looking at a bird or critter through a long lens compresses this effect. With other words, I came back today with a lot more unsharp pictures than usually.
The birds get ready to mate and this Song Sparrow was singing his heart out. They look at their best at this time of the year. So, why taking a picture in the cluttered environment of a ranking plant? This is the habitat where this sparrow will spend the summer and where it will raise up to three broods per season. The Song Sparrow can be found in most parts of North America. We see them mostly at the edge of water bodies, like the Mississippi River, with open grassy feeding areas.