ROGUE WOMAN: Photo Phriday: Back to the Birds

Friday, March 5, 2010

Photo Phriday: Back to the Birds

I have not been able to go birding for quite some time. On my doctors suggestion I had to take a leave of absence. You see my huge camera, gigantic lens, and tripod paired with the excessive amount of photography I was doing caused me to rip some of the tendons in my elbow. Although I have been continuing taking photos with my all purpose lens (which is MUCH SMALLER and lighter) I have not put on the big lens. It almost makes me cry the fact that it sits so sadly in my camera bag and I was unable to take it out. Technically I COULD have taken it out but the doctor used the damn threat that if I kept taking photos the way I was the painful tendon could become permanent.

So like a good girl I obtained and I waited.

Yesterday the sun shone bright and I decided to take out my camera for a short test drive and see if my, what I hope is, healed arm is really healed. I did not overdo it, I only stayed out for two hours, a majority of that time was spent hiking to the spot I wanted to shoot from. Although I did not get excellent shots and I felt a bit rusty I am proud to say that the arm still feels great. I am hoping by slowly getting back in the field with my camera and being careful to baby my arm with an added support of a brace that I can prevent from injuring my arm again.

I decided to head to Madrona Marsh because it was close and because it was a small park. I can walk to my car in about a half hour so if my arm DID start hurting at least I would not be stranded miles away. Unfortunately for me I didn’t know that the marsh was being cleaned today, which means that there were many men dredging out dead vegetation to allow for more growth.

Basically scaring MOST of the birds away and making the brave ones that stayed a bit more edgy. I decided to make the best of my lemons and I got some ok shots.

There were a TON of Anna’s hummingbirds thrilling their mating calls, they mate very early in the season and I was able to get shots of many males as well as one female.

313. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

313. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

313. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

313. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

313. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD

And then I also spotted one lone Allen’s hummingbird hanging out on a wire.

318. ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD

The Bushtits were eating in this amazing red flowering tree and I sat for QUITE some time attempting to get a shot of one sitting still long enough (which is hard to get with a Bushtit because they are on speed), in the sun and facing me. I was able to get one of the three sadly. I thought I had gotten a good shot but most were blurry. Damn bird, this was the best one.

410. BUSHTIT

I caught a Red Winged Black Bird singing in the reeds, I don’t remember his song sounding so beautiful, I guess that is what taking some time off can do, make you hear things in a whole new light.

567. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

The butt shot of this Yellow Rumped Warbler shows where they get their name. The spot is unmistakable and I can tell it from a long distance off. There is no mistaking this guy for another, he is unique.

YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER

There were only a few water ducks in the swamp. This Mallard paused from shifting through muck to check me out.

18. MALLARD

The American Widgeon is one of my favourite ducks. Although shy of the camera, therefore making him hard to capture, I love his bold eye shadow line and bright blue beak.

3116. AMERICAN WIDGEON

These last two shots were my favourites of the day. This one of a Shoveler although taken from a long way off makes me smile. He is doing what he does, shovelling through the water for tiny bits of food and I also just love the colors and composition of how this one came out.

21. NORTHERN SHOVELER

The other shot was taking as I was leaving the park, not because I wanted to but because the sun was setting and I was losing my light. I paused for just a few moments to take this photo of a Snowy Egret holding and waiting for a fish to swim by. I just love the colors and the way the light is caressing his back. It is simply beautiful.