Nature Blog Network Wildlife Photography Blog Fatbirder's top 1000 birding websites

Welcome to the Pine River Review. Our sight is dedicated to our little homestead located along the Pine River tucked inside the Chippewa Nature Center's 1400 Acres of wild in Michigan's lower penninsula. We love to share our pictures, video, comment, and our own homespun music. Step inside our world as we celebrate this beautiful nook!


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Ahhhhhh...Leftovers!






 

    After the eating binge so recently concluded (and the decimation of Meleagris gallopavo  achieved nationwide) I am ready again to sit still and pick through the bones of my recent photo sessions. 
    A Brown creeper searching for insects is a fairly rare sight climbing up and around the trunk of the maple tree just outside my living room picture window. You will often catch me laying in wait with my camera cradled on the sill, the pane slid barely open. It is no coincidence a couch is parked right underneath. There is a wonderful confluence of terrains with the river, forest, and farmlands all close by, there's no telling what may perch for a moment in this particular tree. 
    I had been chasing the elusive Northern flicker popping back and forth between the trees until it showed up foraging for insects in the boulder pile at the base of the aforementioned maple. I happened to be at my post by the window and suddenly my heart was thumping.
    My super thin depth of focus at 5.6f, was part of a grand compromise with an ISO of 400 to achieve a shaky shutter speed of only 1/320. Finding focus on the energetic bird wasn't a sure thing, fortunately I had a few keepers. 
    Thank heaven for good pictures because describing the Flicker, appreciating its confusion of dots and dashes, would take a thousand telegraphs a thousand years.     






A Red-breasted nuthatch is a new neighbor, my first sighting ever just this Autumn. I'm pretty sure he's flying solo.



A male Downy woodpecker in his quest for nourishment.

    I have intentionally left this picture small in hopes you might click to enlarge it. It has a micro-focus on the Wax-wings right claw, nothing else on bird or background is clear. Somehow my eye travels right to that very spot and freezes. Up to size and spread across my 15" monitor I think the effect is kind of riveting.
   



    The pale bandits have cleaned the cherry tree of fruit and will not be back until there is a fresh harvest. That won't be for a good long time but even so, there will be others, the great diversity nature favors, and I shall be waiting for them by the window.



 

20 comments:

  1. The waxwing in flight is a great shot - I'm not really one for rules, and if there are any for bird shots I think this breaks them all! But it's still s great shot. I think there is a lesson in their somewhere!

    Cheers and thanks for linking to WBW - Stewart M - Melbourne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are three rules for taking effective bird photographs...
      unfortunatly no one knows what they are!

      Delete
  2. The Waxwing looks great in flight.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful collection of birds, Springman!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stunnning shots, each one as beautiful as the next. I enjoyed that very much!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I adore that shot of the Flickr looking over this shoulder...Awesome detail!! All stunners.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very lovely birds. Pattern on their body is amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So that's the secret. I need to bring a couch and window frame with me on my hikes so that I can get those great bird photos. Cool!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Living in a bird sanctuary doesn't hurt either!

      Delete
  8. Beautifully photographed birds. I'm pretty far south and I haven't seen many birds at all. I enlarged the small photo and my eye went straight to the focus on the foot. So cool.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful birds and breathtaking captures as always!! I do love being able to get "up close and personal" with the birds on your blog! Terrific!! Good to see you back!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. David, exquisite images! But, then your images always are!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wonderful post. Very good job on the Flicker! As for the Waxwing, that's why YOU have the camera! You get to focus on anything you want. I like the result - by the foot being in focus, you get a sense of the bird's speed in flying away. Nice work.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a shame I can't pick up lifers via the internet!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, Oh, I see you got that Anonymous comment, but published it;') I delete those.
    Your images are wonderful as always...love that little Brown Creeper. I saw one the other day, made a mad dash to grab my camera, and it was gone. I cannot see enough, or say enough good things about the Cedar Waxwings...magnificent, and I stand jealous, missed the whole lot this season~

    ReplyDelete
  14. First of all Dave, that photo of the Brown Creeper is astounding! You gotta be quick to image those guys before they climb around the backside or fly to another tree. The Male Northern Flicker is gorgeous too and it appears that the Red-breasted Nuthatches are having an irruption year everywhere. Plus, ya got me on the waxwing foot, it's like an eye magnet ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fantastic shots of beautiful birds. The Waxwing shot is brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good results here Springman - best of all fabulous bird.

    ReplyDelete