Little birds are hard to photograph. It's just that simple. It seems the smaller they are the more active they are (think hummingbirds). Well, here's a bird that is barely bigger than a hummingbird, and although it is common in the bushes along the Tuolumne River, it's harder than heck to get good shots. It's called a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula), and I have wasted loads of digital space trying to get decent pictures. I salute anyone who got great pictures of these birds in the days of photographic film!
I got tempted into trying to get a shot once again on my river walk today, and the results were the same as always, blurry or nothing at all. Then the impossible happened...the bird paused. Even though we were in the shadows, I got a few shots in focus and up close. The bonus was that it was a male, and I got a half decent shot of the usually hidden "ruby crown". The red feathers are most often displayed during the breeding season when the male is showing off.
Next time? Let's do this in the sunshine!
Wow! World's most cooperative kinglet!
ReplyDelete