I think photos of birds are nearly always enhanced by berries in the setting. Even if the berries aren’t sharp.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Ten days ago in the Wasatch Mountains I was waiting in vain for a male Black-chinned Hummingbird to make a second appearance in this serviceberry bush when a House Wren showed up instead. Usually ‘his’ tail was hidden by the berries at lower left but when he turned on his perch a couple of times he raised his tail which allowed a better look at all of him.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
He broke into song several times but I was shooting through a narrow tunnel of leaves and berries so I had difficulty getting really sharp shots of him. Oh well, his tail was hidden anyway.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
He didn’t give me much pose variety, except for this one and I can only guess what he was doing to cause it. I think he was scratching the left side of his neck with his left foot and he lowered his left wing to do so. The pose lowered his tail so we could see it better and I like his wide-eyed look.
I probably have better photos of House Wrens than these but I like the berries in the setting and it’s been over a year since I posted any photos of the species so I figured it was past time to feature them again.
Ron
Another charmer. You are right about the berries – and that ‘wide eyed’ look.
Thanks, EC.
Fun series, Ron. The berries DO add to the picture. House Wrens ARE a challenge to photograph unless one can catch them in the open scolding something…….. 😉 Must have been scratching in the 3rd shot – his position is a bit “strange” for just sitting! 🙂
Thanks, Judy. I found one “scolding something” this morning. It was me that it was scolding but the darn bird was in shade.
House Wrens have been a difficult photo subject for me, even though they nest in one of the bluebird boxes on the property. You no sooner get a bead on them and they are gone. Our wild Serviceberries grew on a small tree and were not plentiful. They ripened in June, true to their nickname of Juneberry.
Kenneth, after a sparse serviceberry crop last year, this summer they’re plentiful. It’s the songbirds that eat them that seem to be scarce this summer.
great series ron, thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Charlotte.
Very nice setting for sure and although a plain bird I have always liked House Wrens and enjoy seeing them when and where they show up. Very nice photos.
Thank you, Everett.
I, too, really like the forms and colors that the serviceberries add to the shots.
Do the wrens feed on serviceberries ? If so, they must be in “wren-heaven”
( sounds much more appealing than “hog-heaven ! )……..
Nope, they don’t eat serviceberries, Kris. House Wrens are carnivores, feeding mostly on various insects.
Never considered the berry factor, but I am with you on this.
The tail is a tad soft on that first shot. Was this due to depth of field or perhaps motion?
Always enjoy the photos, and the narrative. It is the whole package.
Michael, the tail softness was caused by insufficient DOF. Thanks for the kind words.