Nature clicks #211 - Scarlet Tanager (yes, again!)

 

Well, I should have waited another day with my post from yesterday about the Scarlet Tanager. I had some better opportunities today and the best thing is that I got an image of both, the male and female Tanager. I have been a lot closer to the birds today and gave the composition some better thoughts (no branch sticking out of a head!… ;-)   ). There is so much action going on here in the woods at the moment. Birds are here in abundance and it is just a matter to decide what bird to focus on. I hope you don’t mind that I chose the Scarlet Tanager again for today’s blog post. Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend!

Nature clicks #210 - Scarlet Tanager

 

The Scarlet Tanager is on my “most wanted list” since I made the first photos in 2011. At that time I made a not very sharp image of this bird sitting on a suet feeder in our front yard. The jinx was broken but it wasn’t a flattering photo. There has been only a small window in time each year that we have seen the Scarlet Tanager. We have this bird here again right now, but despite it isn’t a great photo it is better than the first trial. I cropped it a little because distance was too big and the branch growing out of the bird’s head isn’t a plus either. The bottom line is, there has been some progress but I’m still not 100% happy. Not a bad thing, it keeps me going… ;-)

Nature clicks #34 - Scarlet Tanager

Nikon D200, Sigma 50-500 mm f/4.0-6.3, 420 mm (630 mm FX), 1/125s, f/6.3, -1 EV, ISO 200

Joan and I keep track about the wildlife, especially the birds, that we see in our yard or in the woods surrounding it. She saw it already last spring. I discovered the Scarlet Tanager a few days ago for the first time. Yes, it became only a "feeder image", and the photo is not really tack sharp, and his bill is covered with suet from the feeder, and, and, and…. But I'm OK with that for now. I'm glad I was able to document its appearance here in our neck of the woods.

Nikon D200, Sigma 50-500 mm f/4.0-6.3, 500 mm (750 mm FX), 1/160s, f/6.3, -½ EV, ISO 200

I started the same way with the Baltimore Oriole. First I had only pictures that showed the Orioles at our hummingbird feeders. Now, six years later, I try to get shots that show the Oriole at different locations, with no feeder in sight. It may become a little more difficult with the Scarlet Tanager. But I'm hoping for more since we saw him again today  high up in the trees. It just doesn't hurt to set new goals for our photography…