More images including my first Painted Bunting of the season

The skies have been generally overcast as anyone knows who lives up here in this area, but I try.

I couldn't get closer to this painted bunting and it was very dark last evening, but I tried to pull him out with some fill flash without overpowering the colors.



This cardinal was at my feeders but he seems to be missing some tail feathers. Close call with a cat, Cooper's hawk or perhaps just another cardinal.



This Carolina wren gave me nice pose. I found it actually at the Dallas Zoo in the gorilla enclosure. I hate that line running through the background but I just couldn't clone it out to my liking.



Here are a few more hummingbirds in flight....same one, different images. It was readjusting before heading back into the feeder.





Did I post these last two? I can't remember.

:loveya:

So I need to know: is your hand really that steady holding your long lens, or do you have a stabilizing lens?

lens with IS. Other times I use a tripod. For shorter focal lengths just the steady hand. :hi:

I appreciate you taking the time to look.

Thank you.

Always beautiful stuff. :thumbsup:

Glad to see 'em!

:woohoo:

:thumbsup:

:sigh:

the colors sure make it look like candy, eye candy at least. :)

thank you

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

I would never have guessed that you used fill flash in that first pic...it looks totally natural.

And the rest? As I said: awesome!

So glad to see you posting again...

Thank you for all of these!

:hug:

:) :hi:

I have been told by an experienced birder that it is best to look for them in relatively open areas. Do you find that to be the case?

with some wooded areas with water nearby. At least that this how I have seen them. The places where I go, always have pastures with thick wooded areas where they go to hide if need be. That was the case here.

I have never seen a painted bunting. Are they rare?

Thanks for sharing!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is using some of my white tailed hawk photos in its species account that is available on line, but it is a pay site. I also had this published in Birder's World magazine. This appeared recently. It was a quick account of one of my photos.

That were hanging around this afternoon! Mississippi kites were at my birdbaths and swooping down from the oak outside my window. They were about 30 feet from my window for almost an hour!

But my cameras were in Panama City since my dear hubby lent them to his brother. I had the film Nikon here but no lenses. ;(

I hope the kites are back tomorrow - they usually hang around for a while.

Great picture and what an honor to be published in Birder's World! Congrats.

I hope to get more pics this season as well of them. The nest in my area during the summer.

I expect they do, though. I wish the swallow tailed kites stayed around more but we are on uplands mixed hardwood territory which is not what they like, apparently.

But if you ever head towards Tallahassee, Florida and want to do birdwatching/photography, let me know. We have a 60 acre farm with great bird habitat and get lots of birds pretty much all year round.

I just may do that. If you use Facebook, send me a PM.

Those are great! You know how much I love close-ups. :-) Thank you for posting them! :-)

Beautiful birds.

I will try to get caught up.

Thank you.

:D

Hi,
Wow, I am no birder so have not even seen a picture of a Painted Bunting before, what a beautiful bird. I'll have to look up their range, doubt if they come this way. Have you ever been to Nebraska to see the yearly migration of the Sandhill Cranes?

Thanks again for sharing.

Peace

I hope you have a lovely spring-keep posting!

I may have a reason to go to Arizona next year, and if so, I hope I can see one..

Your best bet on seeing them is in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Lousiana on the east coast from northern Florida up through the Carolinas. Thanks for commenting.