Welcome to my newest series, it’s for the birds.
I am not sure just how many posts I will share on this subject, but if it is a lot, I will sneak in a post or two somewhere along the line with a different subject, lest our avian friends become boring.
The symbol of America is the Bald Eagle. Benjamin Franklin wanted our symbol to be the wild Turkey. I am a student and admirer of good old Ben but come on now. The Bald Eagle gives us a sense of power, brains, grace and courage.
If only we could all learn from the Eagle!
I am perhaps a rare purveyor of this species in that I find both the immature birds and the fully adult ones, to be beautiful.
Below we in fact have a bird within its first five years of life, and then a mature bird. Remember, Bald Eagles can live a long, long time.
No matter our subject, photography is about light, and below, on a bitter cold morning on the Mississippi River, we find am example to two birds in great light.
Portraits are great, but sometimes a little action is nice.
Eagles fight a lot. Sometimes over the territory in which they live, most often over the best hunting or fishing space.
Below we have a mature bird and a younger one squabbling over what’s below the water.
I found a nesting pair of “Baldies” alongside a lake one day and what an enjoyable day that became. It meant action, still and behavioral shots all at one location.
Of course, eagles are not the only birds of prey. In these parts, that being, mid to lower Wisconsin, we receive a visiting population of Rough-legged Hawks every winter.
Mixes of different poses are always welcome.
Hawks & eagles may be large, but small Kestrels are predators too. Dinner (a vole I believe) does not look inviting.
My time in bird photography was not limited to hawks or eagles. Even the most common and to some people least desirable of birds, to me were just as important. Such as the common Crow. Once again, good light helps make any picture more special. Behavior and/or action also help.
Once again, common can be good. Male Cardinal at a bird feeding station.
Geese from the most common, to the lesser seen, always make great subjects for the camera.
Waterfowl, including this male Northern Shoveler duck, can make for beautiful imagery if the water has that gentle rolling wave quality, in addition to some nice light from the sky.
Let us close our first round of bird photography with a wild male Northern Bobwhite Quail. I love these guys whether they are foraging for seeds, or unwittingly posing for the camera. In many ways, the birds are the artists and we just share that art.
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May God Bless,
Wayne
Earth Images Blog by Wayne Nelson 