TODAY WAS THE DAY…


Baltimore Oriole

…we are always looking forward to every spring. Finally four more bird species arrived from the south. About three days later than usual we had “first of the year” sightings of male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, two male Baltimore Orioles, a male Scarlet Tanager, and a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. After the snow last weekend I expected a delay in their arrival time and being away almost the whole week, I’m happy they waited for my return from a business trip. I had the camera out on the porch this evening and at least the oriole and the tanager gave me a chance to take their picture.

We had a slight overcast that sucked up a little bit of the light but at the other hand made it soft overall. The MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender came out of the photo bag and was the essential tool for making the colors of the bird’s feathers pop.

Scarlet Tanager

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender

GIVING ME A DIRTY LOOK


Chipping Sparrow, Little Maquoketa River, near Durango, Iowa ------------

There was another “first of the year” bird encounter in our yard yesterday. The first Chipping Sparrow has arrived. Every year in the past we had a pair raising their young in our woods. This one seemed to give me a dirty look and say, are you kidding me with all the snow on the ground by mid April? Well, I should have answered, I don’t like it either, but it definitely helps with exposure while taking some pictures…😏