Cedar Waxwings and a Lens Fail

While my wildlife photography time has been greatly limited this year I also experience the sickening feeling of aligning the 600mm rig on a Red-headed Woodpecker only to hear a rapid ratcheting sound as the lens attempted to find focus but could not.  After trying the lens on another camera and finding it to perform the same there was only one thing to do; return it to Canon for repair.  I expected the lens back within ten days but this time it took a full two weeks.  Unlike the time when I dropped and broke it two years ago and it took two trips back to Canon to get it right; this time when it came back it worked properly.  With the 600 back I was ready to exploit a flock of Cedar Waxwings that have taken to catching insects on the wing at a nearby creek crossing.  Setting up the camera rig it was only a short time before the colorful little masked bandit birds were perching nearby.

 

These little birds must be observed closely to see the beautiful earth colors of their plumage highlighted by the tiny but brilliant splashes of red and yellow.  So now with the big lens back in business and summer winding down I hope to eek out a little more time for wildlife photography before the autumn elk and whitetail ruts begin.