I trust you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend and the photographers among you had a chance to aim their lenses at something interesting or learn and play with a new piece of equipment that you found under the Christmas tree.
As mentioned in the last blog post, it was our first Christmas without snow here but the mild weather was perfect for a hike yesterday and for some shooting with the long lens in the front yard today. Seventeen bird species used the stand that holds the perches, bird feeders, and a bird bath this morning and I used their presence to make myself more familiar with the new Nikon Z6II mirrorless camera. One goal was to customize some of the camera buttons to my preference, so I can operate and change settings at the camera on tripod with the right hand only and without taking my eye from the viewfinder. The left hand can remain on top of the lens barrel, helping minimize vibrations during the shooting process.
The American Goldfinch is in its winter plumage but still very pretty. This picture is a composite, actually showing the same bird. I had this idea when I saw both photos side by side on the screen.
The American Robins stay here for the juniper berries on the red cedars that grow on the rocky bluffs of our valley. They use the bird baths frequently and the best chance for a click is right before they jump down to the water from a higher perch.
The Eastern Bluebirds is another consumer of the juniper berries. Today we had three males and one female here.
The third bird that prefers berries during the winter time is the Cedar Waxwing. They sometimes “wait in line” when other, bigger birds occupy the water source.
Today I saw the first Purple Finch during this winter. They spend the summer up in northern Minnesota and Canada and we usually see them only during the cold season. The appearance of this female is a clear message that some real winter weather may lie ahead of us.
All photos: Nikon Z6II, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, FTZ adapter, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head