Zick and I sallied forth with our cameras hoping for a bit of luck. The words of our friend and master digiscoper Clay Taylor echoing in our heads: "Prairie warblers are the hardest songbird to photograph! I've NEVER gotten a good shot of one!"
The prairie warbler as we first saw him.A few minutes after tracking our singing male prairie, we found him about 25 feet high in a sumac/honeysuckle tangle. He sang as he foraged, seeming to ignore our movement closer to him as easily as he ignored our pishing.
Then, as if possessed by a magic spell, he came closer, then closer still. All the while he sang and foraged. And we went into full photo-monger mode. Our cameras clicked and beeped as we choked back our giggles at our good fortune.
Crouching prairie, hidden cloacal protuberance.It lasted just a few minutes, then he was gone. But he'd given us a memorable show. We shared views of our images, high-fived a few times. Then I headed back to the house to work on a book project and Zick headed out to the orchard to continue to try her shutterbug luck.
Here are a few of my best shots from the morning. Check out Julie's blog for her excellent pix.
Spring is here, at long last.
Perhaps a bit curious about the clicking and beeping of our cameras.
Singing for all he's worth from an apple branch.
Prairie warbler badonkadonk. Dig the red neck! He fits right in here on the farm!
Is THIS his best side?
Or is THIS his best side? Or is it the badonkadonk?
You beat me to it, Big Stuff. My post's not going up until Monday. Essentially the same shots from a different perspective: one foot lower. Boy, that was fun, shooting birds with you, without net or blind. Oooh, I think I'm addicted.
ReplyDeleteAmazing shots!
ReplyDeleteI've just started birding (after working at Houghton in Boston for 20 years and being surrounded by field guides) and am intrigued by warblers.
Great pix. I need to get one of them there blinds.
ReplyDeleteNiiiiiice!
ReplyDeleteSweeeet!!!
ReplyDeleteZick:
ReplyDeleteSorry. Did not mean to steal your thunder!
Kev:
Warblers are the best! Especially this time of year!
Zen BF:
I didn't use the blind for these pix--it was just pure luck.
Persistence times effort equals luck.
ReplyDeleteCool photos.
I'm learning lots of good stuff from you and your spouse. The enthusiasm of the two of you is infectious. While lying abed yesterday morning I heard a new song from outside my window. Ooooo-OOOOO-ooooo, ooo, ooo, like a child's train whistle, accented second syllable with two short toots at the end. By the time I got outside to look for the singer, he/she was gone. Based on this poor description, can you tell me who my visitor to southwest Ohio might have been?
ReplyDeleteWonderful Warbler! This is one still missing from my Life List - I'm hoping to get one this year.
ReplyDeletePiddler: Sounds like a Mourning Dove to me, but I'll let BOTB make the final diagnosis.
~Kathi
Science Chimp sez: Mourning dove!
ReplyDeleteu snooze u looze BOTB
pardon me svp
Katdoc, we are all over BOTB's blog, while he eats popcorn with his Hotdog Brother in the living room. Hee hee hee. Shall we gang up on him at the New River festival? Let's!
ReplyDeletePiddler:
ReplyDeleteScience Chimp and Katdoc are right, gotta be a mourning dove.
Sorry for my delayed reply.