My first Yellow Warbler of the year and I caught him at takeoff. With this species, quality takeoff and flight shots are highly unusual for me.
Because of our unusually deep snowpack in the mountains this spring, both the birds and this photographer have been later than usual in getting into the high country. Yesterday morning I made my first trip up there this year and Yellow Warblers were the most common songbirds I found.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This male was unusually patient and cooperative for a warbler but while he was perched here I wasn’t particularly fond of the shadow across his lower back. And because he was a tiny, flitty and incredibly speedy warbler I knew I had virtually no chance of getting him taking off or in flight. Compared to my reflexes they’re just too fast, especially when I’m close.
But every once in a great while the photography gods smile in my direction.
My Canon R5 is set at a burst rate of 12 frames/second (I don’t use the even faster electronic shutter), which means that when I try to take a single photo I often take two because I don’t get my finger off the shutter button fast enough. This shot was meant to be a single photo, but two of them fired off and…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
this was the result of the second, unintentional, shot.
In a nanosecond the bird had launched himself horizontally and I even had plenty of room in the frame on the right for a composition that works for me. I like his feet pushing off, his slightly raised wings and the way the horizontal branch seems to be leading him out of the frame.
Shots like this are one of at least three reasons I typically use faster shutter speeds than most bird photographers. Even at a SS of 1/5000, his feet are moving so fast they’re more than a little soft (at f/5.6 that softness may also be partially caused by insufficient depth of field).
I’d rather err on the side of too much shutter speed than too little.
Ron
Lovely shot!!!
Be still my heart! Beautiful.
Take Care,
Kaye
Thank you, Kaye.
Beautiful bird.
I agree, Jimmy.
EC’s comment says it all!
🙂
KAPOW., And WOW.
Straight out of Marvel Comics… 🙂
I’m so enamored of those yellow toes/feet/soles, and the amazing power in them! That is a really special shot, and not least because it is so unexpected. How wonderful to capture that otherwise unforeseen-to-the-naked-eye moment.
Hearing/reading about the smoke drift from poor Alberta/BC does not bode well for any of us in the western states, I fear. 🥺
“I’m so enamored of those yellow toes/feet/soles”
That’s exactly why I wish they were sharper, Chris. If they were just run-of-the- mill bird toes I wouldn’t care as much.
Our smoke is supposed to begin clearing out today, until the next whim of the prevailing winds.
“Run-of-the-mill bird toes” … 😂
These pictures – today’s and yesterday’s of the mockingbird – are just wonderful – capturing activity that we could never see. The horizontal takeoff reminds me of a swimmer pushing off the blocks – but that is so slow that I can see it.. and the vertical take off of the mocking bird is so remarkable that it reminds me of nothing. Thank you Ron.
Thanks very much, Frances. I like your swimmer analogy.
What a lovely ray of sunshine! His body went from puffball to torpedo in the blink of a camera shutter. Birds are amazing!
So glad you and Serendipity didn’t invite Ol’ Murph to your party. 😀
Thanks, Marty. Ol’ Murph caught up with me very soon after I took this shot. Didn’t get much after that.
The bastard! 😈
With such apparent force I wouldn’t have been surprised if he broke the twig he launched from. Love the orange soles of the toes. If birds have soles.
I scrolled through several hundred Macaulay library photos (there are 158K) and saw just a few flight photos. None as good as yours, IMHO. Gave me just an inkling of what you have to do when sorting through your photos.
I sure don’t see many flight/takeoff shots of them either, Lyle. Which is a big part of the reason I was so happy to get this one.
Zoom! Love the horizontal position of his wings aligning with his tail and feet! He looks the yellow Porsche Carerra (used) I have my eyes on! Sleek!!!
Yellow Porsche Carerra. Flashy!
https://presskit.porsche.de/models/en/the-new-porsche-911-cabriolet/photos/on-location/911-carrera-s-cabriolet/porsche-911-carrera-s-cabriolet-color-label-racingyello.html
Yes that’s it! Yellow stitching on the interior
leather! Convertible! Sweet!
That is an awesome horizontal take off and something I rarely see with the larger raptors and eagles that I so often photograph. Almost always some lift in a take off. Super photo of one of my favorite birds.
Thank you, Everett.
Priceless, Ron! I bet he stuck the landing!
Diane, I don’t know if he did or not. He just disappeared in the bushes.
When I put eyes on that second photo I whispered out loud to myself. “Oh wow!”
These unintended surprises in photography can be the most gratifying.
Really nice catch!
Michael, my initial reaction was pretty much the same as yours. I had no idea I’d even caught him in frame until I reviewed my photos on my camera screen.
He looks as if he’s being fired out of a cannon– it’s so impressive that those delicate-looking legs can give such a power-assist to his launch……what a
“capture” !
Kris, I keep wanting to call this bird “bullet-meister”.
NEAT! They ARE fast, beautiful little birds! 🙂 Amazing horizontal position you captured in the 2nd shot.
Noticed a couple here yesterday as well as wrens.
Still winning on bird feeder even if a few Grackles still try to get leftovers. YES! Unless, of course, Grosbeaks show up this year…….. 😉
Smoke cleared out some over night – WAY too early for that. 🙁 Has been bad for a week or so now.
Thanks, Judy. We’ve been getting that smoke from Canada for the last 4-5 days. I’m sick of it already.