Friday, January 08, 2010

Northern Cardinals


Spending some time at the birdfeeders today I pushed the envelope and set up even closer to the feeders than at any time in the past. Most of the birds soon accepted my presence with the exception of the red-bellied woodpeckers; they fled immediately after landing and would not return until after I had retreated to a more comfortable distance



Natural appearing bird photography requires good perches and this dried broken poke weed stem provides a photogenic perch for birds awaiting their turn at the feeder. A pretty female Northern Cardinal obliges by posing ever so nicely in the soft evening light. This may be my best ever female Cardinal image.




A male Northern Cardinal perches on a natural hollow branch feeder. A sunflower seed is visible clasp in his beak.

Making use of the naturalized feeders has improved my winter bird photography considerable. My goal now is to continue to press even closer in my attempt to capture more detailed images.

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23 comments:

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

These are perfect.

Montanagirl said...

They are very good. Love the first one. Soft color, and great natural perch for the perfect shot! Coy, don't you use the Canon 100-400mm lens?? Are you happy with it? I have that lens, but sometimes I feel like focusing with it is a hit and miss deal. Of course, that could have something to do with the fact that I dropped it and had to have it repaired. Let me know here (I'll check back) or leave a comment on my blog. Thank you. Mona

said...

Your photos are fantastic. Love the female because her beak stands out so much!

Carletta said...

The cardinals are my favorite bird at my feeders.
You got a couple of terrific shots! The feather detail is beautiful.
Carletta’s Captures.

Michele said...

Incredible photos. If I had the ability to set up feeders, I would be ecstatic to see the bird life around this area but living arrangements just don't make that possible. So meanwhile, I will enjoy spectacular photos as this.. I look forward to seeing what else you can do!

MJ

Jane said...

Wow, lovely shots and beautiful colours too. Thanks for sharing them:)

Snap said...

Super shots! I love the cardinals and the idea of *natural* feeders.

i beati said...

naturalized feeders the very best

Kerri Farley said...

Superb shots Coy! I find that the female cardinals are the birds that are most shy at my feeders. Your capture is amazing!

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

What wonderful shots of my favorite bird.

As the sun sets we will have as many as 20 cardinals at our feeder, it is a sight to see but I can never get a good shot from inside the house. They are such beautiful birds.

EG CameraGirl said...

I'm so impressed! I have tried many times to get a good photo of a cardinal, male or female. No success yet, but I'm still trying!

Allison said...

Cardinals are such pretty birds! Great photos! :)

Misty DawnS said...

Both photos are outstanding, but that first photo of the female is breathtaking. So beautiful and so detailed! Outstanding, as always, my friend.

Coy Hill said...

Mona,

You are correct; my primary wildlife lens is the Canon 100-400mm f/5.6. I find it's focus to be very reliable as long as the area selected to focus on is large enough. Normally it focuses quickly which is an added plus when shooting birds that normally don't sit still very long.

It does seem that you may be having problems with yours. I have used two of the lenses and both performed the same.

Montanagirl said...

Coy, thank you for your input. When I first got that lens it worked great. It was my own fault I dropped it, camera and all. I didn't have the strap around my neck. Repair makes photos passable, but not happy with them. They just aren't sharp. I'm thinking about the 50-500mm Sigma Lens. But no IS with that one. So, I'm still thinking! Mona

eileeninmd said...

Beautiful shots of the Cardinals.

rinzo said...

nice entry.. God bless

Michael said...

Very nice set of pictures. Great colours.

Teena in Toronto said...

Great shots!

I played too :)

Kelly said...

Oh...oh!!! I love them! Beautiful color....the female is so sweet.

nonizamboni said...

Nice job of capturing these denizens of the feeder. You really nailed their colors too!

Rechie said...

love the colors of these birds

mine is scary.I got a snake

Squirrel said...

Fantastic captures!!