Eight days ago in a remote area of northern Utah I found one of the largest flocks of migrating songbirds I’ve ever seen. They were nearly all juvenile White-crowned Sparrows, although I did see two adults. They were feeding in bushes of several types alongside the dirt road and this time of year the sumac and wild roses were particularly colorful.
Depending on your tolerance for bright colors in bird photography, some of these settings may be a little too bright and colorful. But I like the variety.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I’ll begin with this guy, singing softly in a setting whose colors are just beginning to turn.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I was hoping that this bird would sit up nice and tall to better fill the open space surrounded by branches that frame that space so well. It didn’t happen.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
But to make up for it ‘he’ did the next best thing when he moved forward on the branch so that his body hid the bright, bare twig that we now can’t see behind him. I think he’s still framed pretty nicely.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This bird was the star of the show because he posed for so long on so many different, colorful perches. He spent a while preening and then roused but in the rousing photos I never did get any light in his eye.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
There were more colorful leaves in…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
every direction he looked. In this shot he’s looking toward his next perch, which turned out to be the clump of leaves at the upper left side of the frame.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Boy, that’s a lot of red.
1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The same bird on yet another perch. When he eventually took off, I thanked him for being so patient with me.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I’ll conclude with a juvenile in a yellow setting instead of red. I like his perky pose.
It was a strange morning. I drove many miles to and from this location and spent three hours looking for birds when I arrived. But the entire morning was almost birdless, except for about a 150′ section of these bushes that was literally crawling with White-crowned Sparrows. In a situation like that it’s hard to estimate how many birds there were but my best guess at the time was roughly a thousand.
Feast or famine.
Ron
They’re so beautiful Ron … every single one!!!!
Honestly, I love them all (though 3, 5, 7 & 8 hold particular appeal). They’d each make the perfect living centerpiece for a Thanksgiving table, if only the cute little birdie would stay! 😉
Thanks, Chris. They typically don’s stay very long. The “star of the show” was a major exception.
Well those are sure pretty fall colors and you did get some nice shots of the little birds. Thanks for the posting.
Amazing! I’d love to see that many all together. I see usually one or two juveniles at a time in the fall and I think that’s special. The photos are gorgeous!
Glad you like them, Joanne. Thanks.
Every photo excellent Ron. Really show up in that fall foliage. I was thinking female so glad you identified them correctly for me. I have been seeing lots of them here and was thinking all that looked like that were female. Will have to check Sibley’s just for my own education. Thanks.
Thanks, Everett. Adults look very different from juvies. You’ll notice as soon as you see Sibley’s paintings.
How very, very beautiful. Thank you.
Thanks, EC.
I appreciate your discerning eye. But most photo dilettantes (myself included) would be thrilled to have taken any one of these photos. That noted, by my humble opinion photos 3, 2,6, and 8 are standouts.
Those fall colors are just so rich and evoke a beautiful sweet melancholy that sometimes comes with this season. The setting, in which you experienced this session (the sole flock of birds) somehow adds to this feeling.
Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad you enjoyed so many of them, Michael. Those bushes are near some seeps so they’re like a little colorful oasis in the midst of lots of browns and tans.
We get very little fall color. I’m envious of your gorgeous leaves.
White-crowns seem to love getting their photos taken. I think they’re tied with Song Sparrows as most obliging subjects.
Then you probably have better luck with them than I usually do, Catherine. For me, they’re just about as spooky as many other songbirds..
These are beautiful, I love the fall colors.
Thanks, April.
It is hard to pick a favorite, Ron. For me the standouts are the little preening sparrow and the last pic of the sparrow with the perky crest! All of the photos are beautiful. How strange that no other birds were found during your trek. Thank heavens for the 150′ of bushes filled with sparrows! I bet the bird chatter created quite a cacophony. Your persistence paid off in spades.
“How strange that no other birds were found during your trek.”
I did find some other birds, Melanie, but very few. Actually, the Spotted Towhee I posted recently was in these same bushes (just not the red ones) at the same time as these sparrows.
Beautiful colors! My favorite is number 4 with his interesting poses and gorgeous leaves. We get white crowns coming through but I have never seen a flock near this big.
“I have never seen a flock near this big.”
I hadn’t either, Catherine – not of migrating songbirds, other than species such as starlings…
‘Twas a fiery feast for the eye ! I especially liked image #4–your
“star of the show”, making a graceful arc with his head and neck against the rosy glow…….what a magnificent day for you after the famine of the last month, and you made the most of it — thanks for
a gorgeous start to this day…….
A “fiery fiest for the eye”. I like that. Thanks, Kris.
Glorious celebration of fall colours – thanks!
Thanks, Burrdoo.
Beautiful foliage to compliment the sparrows….. 🙂 You seem to be encountering a large flocks of birds of the same type at one time this fall (as in the Snipes). Strange even tho fun!
Judy, I hope that trend continues but I’m not optimistic. Thanks.
What a lovely way to start the day. Thanks!
Thank you, Cathy.