Sometimes the perch is almost as interesting as the bird.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
A Red-breasted Nuthatch hanging from a Douglas-fir cone five days ago in the Stansbury Mountains. It’s a frustrating place to photograph birds because I can’t maneuver my pickup to get anything but strong and contrasty sidelight. And for some reason these obstinate birds always seem to have their brighter ventral surface facing the sun and their darker dorsal side in shade which aggravates the problem. So I had to fiddle-fart around with this image more than I like during processing in order to make it look as good as it does.
This bird and others were caching the seeds for use in winter and sometimes they were caching them in the same tree that was bearing the cone the seed came from. But this isn’t a seed in its bill – it’s part of the bract that they apparently have to remove first to get at the seed. Usually they would drop the bract or fling it to one side and then go after the seed still in the cone but occasionally they flew off with the bract in their bill.
I find myself enjoying the good look at the cone almost as much as I do the bird. Douglas-firs aren’t true firs and unlike their namesakes they have conspicuous 3-lobed bracts or “rat tails” protruding beyond each cone scale, the middle lobe being pointed and the outer two flat. The bracts give these cones a unique look that I enjoy seeing up close like this, especially in association with such a handsome little bird using the cone as a food source.
I do wish the nuthatch had been in better light though.
Ron
Note: The function of cone bracts is not well understood.
Fabulous shot, processing, etc.! The feather detail is pretty spectacular.
Interesting information about the Douglas-fir. I always love learning something new. I guess you can teach this old [female dog] a new trick or two. 😉
I learned some of that Doug-fir stuff too, Marty – while doing a little research for this post.
What a terrific shot! The detail is outstanding
Thank you, Arwen.
I would imagine the three spikes are to help the seed get a purchase on the ground when it falls. 😀
The function of cone bracts is not well understood…
Like so many things. Which I find (simultaneously) both exciting and disturbing.
And love the photo of the contrasty mind-messer.
Apparently some tree species have colorful bracts to attract birds for seed dispersal, EC. But I think those colorful bracts are the exception.
Very interesting that the bract may be a food source. Who knows, you may have documented something new to science!
It puzzled me a little, Lyle. I saw and photographed them flying off with bracts several times. Who knows, maybe they dropped them almost immediately after they left.
Great catch! I love these little guys…often see them at our sunflower feeders…haven’t seen a Brown Creeper in many years…there are so many birds I don’t see anymore…
I rarely see Brown Creepers, Patty. But there’s been one of two of them on this tree and an adjacent Mountain Mahogany every time I’ve been there.
This is a great shot considering.
Red-breasted Nuthatch have always been obstinate! They seem to consistently frustrate me – bad light, I seem to have the wrong camera position, or their diverse sense of humor, when they see me coming, do a peek- a-boo antic behind the trunk of a tree. Brown Creepers, when I rarely see them, could care less and go up and down the tree, but not the Red-breasted,.
So I completely empathize!
Dick, there have been a few Brown Creepers on this tree also but they’ve been even more uncooperative than the nuthatches – mostly because they stay in the deep shade in the interior of the trees.
VERY cool photo of both the bird and the cone! 🙂 I didn’t realize the Nuthatches cached seeds. Never thought about the purpose of the bracts other than to protect the seed a bit since I know most of these type of trees are wind pollinated – a sight to behold at times with the Blue Spruce we have! 🙂 Seems we ALWAYS have back lighting particularly on the raptors here…… 🙁 Blast from Canada coming in – N wind and rain ahead of it – UGH!
Judy, yes they’re wind pollinated but birds, especially those who cache, spread their seeds so that’s an advantage for the tree. I read that bracts in some species are actually colorful to attract birds.
I love this photo for both the bird and the food source! And I love that I learned at least three things I didn’t know when I woke up!
I learned a thing or two also, Mary. When I originally published this post I’d referred to the tree as a Douglas Fir but an “old forester” among my readers sent me an email pointing out that the correct name is Douglas-fir. So I made the correction in my text. I like to get things like that “right” so I appreciated the heads-up.
An interesting tidbit I learned in my ‘Tree class’ years ago…there are two varieties of Douglas-Fir native to western North America. The coastal Douglas-Fir which has it’s bracts pointing towards the tip of the cone and the Rocky Mountain Douglas-Fir which has it’s bracts usually reflexed back(as in your photo). There are a few other differences but that is the one I remember most.
This is a beautiful photograph. Contrasty light and all!!
I’m glad you like it, Joanne. Thanks.
Such a sweet bird! Not exactly a shy bird but I always feel they just don’t give a darn if you are photographing them…a mind of their own…catch me if you can! 😊 On a side note, I’ve been keeping up with your posts but not able to respond…too much traveling, but your posts give me a welcome break while I sit in waiting rooms. Loved everyone of them…well maybe not the ‘barbed wire’ one (couldn’t bring myself to look at some of the pictures). A perfect example of man’s inhumanity to man and animal!
Good to hear that, Kathy. Anything that relieves the agony of waiting rooms is a good thing in my view.
Beautiful shot Ron. I love the way these guys are always upside down when you are taking their picture. Speaking of light, and light in the wrong direction, I was following a male Belted Kingfisher around our Goldwater Lake the other day and every time that elusive guy stopped for a quick rest he did it with the sun behind him. I think I had about five or six good opportunities and not once did he stop in a favorable lighting.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Yup, birds have a way of doing that to photographers, Everett. I’ve mentioned before that I think they might do it instinctively and deliberately (Northern Harriers are notorious for it) because with the sun behind them they can be seen less clearly by a potential threat and they can see that threat more clearly.
Wonderful!
Thank you, Nancy.