Northern Cardinal
Yikes, another day without sunshine! Time again to do some shooting in the “backyard studio”, means putting the tripod on the balcony and waiting for birds who would use the nearby elm tree as a perch before they finally approach a bird feeder.
Northern Cardinals seem to stick together during the winter and since several weeks we have a conclave of about 25-30 that are attracted by our sunflower seeds. The trick is to stay put and let them approach you. If you make a sudden movement or any noise they will fly back in the timber and the waiting game starts all over.
Dark-eyed Junco
The Dark-eyed Juncos spend the summer up in Canada and when they disappear we know spring is not far away. Most of the time the juncos scratch on the ground, looking for seeds or droppings from a bird feeder. Those ground pictures are often not so clean and background can be a problem. Well, they need a break once in a while too and if they perch in a tree or bush you have your chance to get a photo of one of the most handsome birds.
Tufted Titmouse
I’m very happy to see so many Tufted Titmice this winter. I knew they had a very good breeding season last year here in our woods. The Tufted Titmouse is not as shy as some of the other birds. The problem with them is that they hardly stay in the same spot for much more than a second, unless they try to crack the shell of a sunflower seed. The titmouse holds the seeds with its feet and hammers relentlessly with its beak until the shell cracks open. The keeper rate for sharp pictures is a little lower than usual during that procedure… 😉
The overcast is not really bad. Yes, it mutes all colors but it also creates a soft ambient light. With the snow on the ground some of the light is thrown back at the birds from underneath. A little hint of flash, and I mean a real small amount of light, concentrated with the MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender makes all the difference.
All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender