Monthly Archives: August 2015

Photo of Oven Bird Warbler

Photographing an Oven Bird Warbler in the Brambly Wood

Photographing an Oven Bird

Deep within the dense brambly Allegan forest, I found an enclave of warbler species that could scarcely be seen dodging in and out of the foliage. In this rich space, I saw flashes of blue winged warblers, yellow rumped warblers, yellow warblers and chestnut-sided warblers identifiable (just barely) through my dark, noisy and blurry photos.

Photo of Oven Bird Warbler
Oven Bird Warbler, Finally Showing Himself (mostly).
ISO1600; f/8; 1/1250 Second

ID Photos

As it is with most of my surprise bird encounters, my 500 mm lens with 1.4 extender was resting on the car door. The tall grasses in front of the dense brush were a hindrance to locking down focus. I took as many shots as the lens would allow, mainly trying to get a closer, identifiable look at what was hiding in there.

Thankfully, one brave warbler was curious enough to come out into the open long enough for me to get off a burst. The Oven Bird Warbler.

A Ground Foraging Warbler

A stocky warbler with dark streaking spots on its breast, the Oven Bird looks and acts more like the larger Swainson’s Thrush. Its wing and back feathers are a dull brown-olive color. A reddish brown crown bordered by two stripes sits on his head.

This warbler gets its name from the domed shaped (oven-like) nest it builds amongst the decaying leaves, moss, and grasses near roots and fallen trees. Like all warblers, (and some bird photographers) the Oven Bird abandons Michigan for warmer winter climates.

Achieving Focus Lock

A major challenge on this shoot was locking down focus. I had the focus limiter switch on my Canon 500mm 4.0L II IS USM telephoto lens set for the longest available focusing distance. Consequently, the lens took way too much time hunting back and forth from “4.5 m to infinity”.  I quickly changed the switch on the lens barrel to the “10m to infinity” setting. The hunt time was reduced substantially because the lens no longer tried to focus on the tall grasses closest to the camera.

Photo of Oven Bird Warbler
Oven Bird Warbler
Looking Vulnerable and New; Perhaps a Juvenile.
ISO2000; f/8; 1/1250 Second

Revisit this Enclave with Video

As much as I love photographing warblers, it’s hard to get photos with beautiful creamy backgrounds because of all that brambly wilderness in the spaces they call home. Since the warblers are mostly uncooperative about posing on perches in prime locations, I’ve considered mixing things up next time by turning on the little used video component on my fancy cameras.

Turning on the video component on both of my cameras (Canon 5D MarkIII and Canon 7D Mark II) is easily done with a flip of the switch. But sadly, a camera resting on the window of the car door is not a steady enough mount to engage video. Shaky videos just make me nauseous.  To do it right means waiting for a windless day and setting up the camera and lens on my most sturdy tripod.  Shutting off the audio component is a must because 1) the little mic on the camera is substandard, making audio an irritating distraction and 2) the bird will likely not vocalize much this time of year.

So, my mission in the next few weeks is to research how best to video birds and then make a good video of the the migrating warblers who stop to rest and replenish in our yard.

I’ve got a lot of research to do.

Read this post to learn more about locking down focus.

Read this post about photographing the Swainson’s Thrush.

 

Photo of Blue Winged Warbler

Photographing Blue Winged Warblers

Searching for Blue Winged Warblers

Photo of Blue Winged Warbler
Blue Winged Warbler, After
Preening. Looking
Shiny, Foofy, and New.
ISO1000; f/8; 1/1000 Second

Both the male and female Blue Winged Warblers are tiny, brightly colored balls of energy, tempered only by their quiet and bashful natures. Since the summer began, I have made a point to drive to a mostly deserted country road in the Allegan Forest next to a cluster of dense, brambly foliage at the forest edge. There, I watch and wait for a nesting pair of Blue Winged Warblers to appear. I know they’re in there because I have photographed many a blurry snapshot of their distinctive eyes as they stare at me from the thick brush. Those eye markings are hard to mistake. Looks like someone took a dark eyeliner and drew a heavy black line from the outside corner of one brown eye, past the pointy beak and through the other brown eye. Quite a striking attribute when drawn atop a bright yellow face.

How Long Should A Photographer Wait?

I pull off the road at the opening of a small 3′ x 3′ passage into the brush. There within, I can see a little secluded space, amply lit by the morning sun, where the warblers just might leave the comfort of their nesting area to perch on dead and peeling branches. (It would be so exciting if there are Blue Winged fledglings about.) My eyes are weary from raking the foliage, looking for the ever-so-slight warbler movement (like softly falling raindrops) on the interior branches. I wait….. how long should a photographer wait?  It’s 7:30 a.m. and I make a pact to leave by 8:00am- if I don’t see any action.

It’s past 8:00 am and I’m still waiting; still hoping. The light continues to softly illuminate the perch on which the lens in trained. I think I see second hand movement- reverburation from the forest floor. Blue Winged Warblers commonly build nests on or near the ground, but so do many other forest dwellers.  It’s impossible to know because I can not see through the low lying brush. My lens is resting on the storage bin that I keep in the passenger’s front seat. No need to worry about twisting and contouring my body to maneuver the lens..my only focusing option is to follow the light through this small and under-grown portal.

I see a flash of yellow. The male Blue Winged Warbler is bustling about, within partial view. Tentative and watchful, he knows I’m there and looks me over with those eye-lined eyes. Somehow, I pass inspection because he hops onto the peeling branch right in front of the lens and begins preening. He’s so tiny, and a good 20 feet away. I will have to do some cropping- but other than that I’ve got a perfect shot.

Photo of Blue Winged Warbler, Preening
Blue Winged Warbler,
Taking Pains to Groom His Feathers.
ISO1600; f/8; 1/1000 Second

Healthy Feather Grooming

Birds groom themselves multiple times a day. Good feather maintenance is essential to survival. The preen gland (uropygial gland- located at the base of the tail feathers) supplies the secretions needed to keep their feathers in optimal flying condition. Birds rub their bills and heads with these secretions and then methodically slather this mixture all over their feathers and feet, picking out unwanted dust, dirt and parasites with their beaks. (No doubt somewhere in the parasitic mix, are beneficial organisms essential to healthy feather grooming.)

Before flying off, this Blue Winged Warbler takes a few minutes to show off his freshly groomed plumage. His feathers look like they were professionally washed, blow-dried and styled. And then he is gone.

Warbler Waiting

More times than not, I find myself waiting for birds long past the time I pre-set in my mind to move on, and coming back home with nothing. For warbler waiting, all it takes to keep me on task at one location is a slight foraging movement. It’s not an efficient use of my time, but my self imposed deadlines fly by and I enjoy the sights and sounds that come with a glorious day in the woods. This time, I have beautiful Blue Winged Warbler photos to show for my patience.

To read more about photographing preening birds, please visit this post.

Photo of Young Yellow Warbler

Photographing Birds That Have Flown the Nest – Part II

A Most Dangerous Time for Birds

The birds in our Certified Wildlife Habitat® are mostly “Temperate Altricial Birds”. They are helpless, naked, and dependent after hatching…..not unlike human newborns. When these fledglings finally do leave the nest, they stay hidden in the brush as best they can, peck at an insect once in a while, remain motionless when threatened, and depend on the parent to stuff food in their faces. Soon enough, the parents have to stop feeding them in order to direct resources to the new nestlings or to migration readiness. The fledglings must then survive on their own.

Photo of Young Yellow Warbler
Fledging Yellow Warbler,
looking very new.
ISO800; f/8; 1/1000 Second

NOTE: Altricial means requiring nourishment. Altricial birds are very different than “precocial” baby chicks; those who hatch from their protein rich eggs in a more developed fledgling state. Precocial baby chicks are mobile almost immediately, feed on their own and are not waited on in the nest. Quite a different set of responsibilities for the parents.

Photo of Fledging Dickcissel
Fledging Dickcissel, looking rather
vulnerable and watching for a parent.
This Little Bird is Perched Out in the Open,
Making Him an Easy Target for Predators.
ISO1250; f/11; 1/1000 Second
Photo of Parent and Young Yellow Warbling
Yellow Warblers, Parent and
Fledging. Sometimes the Only Way to ID a Young Fledging
is to get lucky and photograph it with a parent.
ISO1600; f/8; 1/1000 second

Achieving Self Sufficiency

Fledglings face what is probably the most dangerous part of their lives. They are too big to remain inconspicuous in the nest. Their survival depends on the number of predators nearby, the weather, rate of growth and overall strength, and how competent they are at learning to forage for food and hide from danger.

It’s fascinating to watch and photograph these young birds as they beg for food and work to strengthen their flight feathers. Some of these photos show chicks that look extremely vulnerable, while others show fledglings that are clearly on their way to self sufficiency.

Young birds have to mature fast.  Migration is just around the corner.

Photo of Common Yellowthroat
Juvenile Common Yellowthroat
Warbler.
ISO1000; f/8; 1/1250 Second
Photo of Fledging Female American Redstart Warbler
Fledging Female American Redstart.
ISO2500; f/8; 1/1250 Second

Young Birds are So Cute and Fluffy, But…..

For the birds’ safety, it’s prudent to keep your distance when photographing young birds. I do not search out or photograph birds still in the nest. When photographing birds that have flown the nest, I generally use my longest lens and stay hidden in my car or behind a blind. Young birds are rarely alone, and I don’t want to frighten them or their caretakers away.

As you can see from the photos, I found most of these fledglings hidden within dense foliage. I stayed in my car, rested the camera on the door window and maneuvered my long lens as best I could to get past the greenery and lock focus on the birds.

The Experts at Whatbird.com

It may be easy (and amusing) to recognize that a bird is young by its looks and behavior, but it is often difficult for me to identify the species of a young fledgling, especially if it’s a warbler. Young birds can look very different than the adults of the species. It helps if I look around to see if I can spot a caregiver and protector- and then photograph and ID that bird. I upload the photos to WhatBird.com for definitive ID before posting.

An excellent article on Fledging survival can be found at this link.

 

Photo of Male Cardinal Feeding Fledging

Photographing Birds That Have Flown the Nest – Part 1

So Many Fledglings To Photograph

It all progresses pretty fast in the bird world (and ours)  … mating, nesting, (2 or 3 times) – and then migration comes around again.

This time of year, the parents are looking haggard and spent…. but they keep at it, even feeding the fledglings who are as big as they are. (Is it possible that these birds are doing double duty….. feeding the begging fledgings while at the same time gathering food for the nestlings?)

Photo of Fledging Red Bellied Woodpecker
Fledging Red Bellied Woodpecker
Nestled near a Tree Trunk, Looking for a Parent.
ISO4000; f/5.6; 1/400 Second
Photo of Immature Cardinal
Immature Cardinal- Black Beak Instead of Red.
ISO1600; f/4; 1/640 Second

Flown the Nest

A fledgling is a young bird who has grown enough to acquire its initial flight feathers and has flown out of the nest. They look babyish and are unsure in flight. Inexperience and immature feathers make them especially awkward when taking off and landing.

There are lots of fledglings of many different species to photograph in our yard. Young birds fledge as soon as 7-11 days after hatching. These curious young birds have not yet learned to feed themselves. They look so new, so vulnerable as they ignore the camera (and potential predators) and follow their parents around begging for food. It takes them a couple weeks before they can fly confidently and acquire food without parental help.

Photo of Two Fledging Baltimore Orioles
A line of Two Fledgling Baltimore Orioles,
Waiting to be Fed by Male Parent.
ISO1600; f/4; 1/640 Second
Photo of Male Cardinal Feeding Fledging
Male Cardinal Feeding his Fledging.
ISO2000; f/4; 1/640 Second

The light is not optimal in my heavily shaded yard, but I will continue photographing the newbies as they struggle to become independent.

Until next week…….