I enjoy watching birds and listening to their songs. I also enjoy taking bird photos and recording bird calls and songs. Still Birding is where I share my bird photos and recordings with you.
I hope you are inspired to look closely and listen carefully to the birds where you are. Enjoy the incredible beauty that flies all around us, and think of birds as nature’s messengers of grace. We did not ask for them, nor did we ask for their incredible beauty, but, WOW! They are all around us!
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
It was luck that this beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker landed nearby and close enough for a portrait. Here are more photos of these beautiful Red-headed Woodpeckers.
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
This House Finch is the first I have seen in my yard this year. He arrived looking spiffy!
Red-bellied Woodpecker Misses His Landing (Melanerpes Carolinus)
Even birds have those days when the simplest thing seems a challenge, like this Red-bellied Woodpecker’s missed landing.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird in Flight (Archilochus colubris)
Capturing a great “bird in flight” photo is challenging. Many believe hummingbirds are the most difficult birds to capture in flight. Ironically, although hummingbirds can fly at speeds of 30-40 MPH in any direction, even upside down, for a simple reason there are brief moments when they are more easily photographed in flight: they also hover. Of course, the “One Out of a Thousand Rule” applies to hummingbird photography (for every great photo, you may shoot about 1,000 that are not great), but your one beautiful capture is worth the clicks.
Northern Cardinal female (Cardinalis cardinalis)
You’ve heard of “bird on a stick” photography, which is exactly that, a bird on a stick. This female Northern Cardinal cooperated nicely by perching on an interesting, high-quality stick. “Bird on a stick” photos are so much easier than “bird in flight.”
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)
This picture of a Purple Finch is one of my favorite photos. I took this standing in my back door.
I always feel like the beneficiary of great luck when I manage to capture a photo of a bird that’s worth sharing. You see, many of the images taken before and after the worthy photo of a bird are simply embarrassing. I offer the single fine photo of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird from about 100 taken immediately before and after. This little one seems especially worthy of sharing.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird male (Archilochus colubris)
I enjoy the silent partnership required between a bird’s presence and my best efforts with shutter speed, aperture, focus, ISO, and a steady hand. All these elements must come together in that sudden fraction of a second when the lighting is good, the bird’s head is tilted just right for the lens to capture the “catch light” in its eye, when the bird is engaged in an fascinating activity, and when the elements of design fall into place with the bird’s posture and position in the frame. I call it a partnership, but these little buddies aren’t aware how vital their participation is to our success!
This male Northern Cardinal’s head is nearly bald. He’s okay and the lost feathers are not a sign of disease. Birds molt. They lose their feathers and, as you can see, this guy is already growing replacements. When next Spring arrives and it’s time for him to flirt with his lady Cardinal, he will have a regal head of feathers again.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
This Great Crested Flycatcher landed on my fence, paused for the photo, and then flew. I got lucky and I appreciate his brief moment before the lens.
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
Fluffy Female Northern Carinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
While the male Northern Cardinal above is molting, this female is fluffing up!
Most birds are small and fast, far too fast for us to see all their beauty. I love discovering unexpected details in an enlarged photograph that my eyes have never seen before in the natural world. The yellow eyebrows of the White-throated Sparrow were a happy surprise.
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
This guy puts the fluff and the “Tuft” in Tufted Titmouse. When I see one zipping by or jumping among the limbs of a bush, whistling its two-tone salute, it often looks bland and two-tone gray (hence the “bicolor” in its scientific name).
But this little one fluffed up and showed off! Tufted Titmice are truly beautiful birds when we have the chance to see them up close.
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
Birdsong Recordings
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Northern Mockingbird
Tufted Titmouse
Common Nighthawk
Carolina Wren
Canada Goose
Xeno-Canto.org is a website for sharing recordings of wildlife sounds from all across the world. Xeno-Canto was started in 2005 by Bob Planqué and Willem-Pier Vellinga. Xeno-canto is maintained by a small team of admins with crucial assistance from Naturalis Biodiversity Center, and all of the xeno-canto community. Xeno-canto is run by the Xeno-canto foundation (or officially “Stichting Xeno-canto voor natuurgeluiden”), a charity (Dutch “ANBI”) from the Netherlands.
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