The migrant birds started to arrive last week and I decided to hike around the canyons northwest of Reno, NV. I started at Keystone Canyon where I found Rock Wrens, Gray and Dusky Flycatchers, and a fly over of a Common Poorwill. I then headed over to Evans Canyon and I was able to capture this Green-tailed Towhee. Photographing birds can be a challenge and on this day it was overcast, which require me to up the ISO. I used a shutter speed of 1/1250s to minimize camera shake and not quit wide open f/4.5 resulting in an ISO of 500. Overcast days requires watching the light meter and when the bird has a light background like in this case I needed to over expose to compensate for the meter reading the lighter sky.
Photo Week 47: Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)
EQ: D7200, 500mm f/4.0 Taken: 5-5-2017 at 9:52
Settings: 750 mm (35mm eqiv), 1/1250s, f/4.5, ISO500, +1/3EV Conditions: Overcast
Warblers are extremely difficult to capture since they don't sit still but they aren't as bad as Swallows and Swifts. Another challenge capturing woodland birds is obtaining focus with all the branches. I use a single point focus, which allows me to control the focus point on the subject and not having the camera constantly changing focus to all the branches.
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)
Settings: 750 mm (35mm eqiv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO500, +1/3EV
Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) Great Horned Owl, immature (Bubo virginianus)
A great find was this Black-throated Gray Warbler, which I first heard calling then I was able to located the singer moving through the Willows.
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens)
ettings: 750 mm (35mm eqiv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO500, +1/3EV
Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
The Turkey Vultures head south for the winter and they came back about 3 weeks ago. Although they are moving their soaring is much slower than the warblers. This one flew by me very low and with the long lens it appears that it flew by at eye level.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Settings: 750 mm (35mm eqiv), 1/1250s, f/4.5, ISO500, +1/3EV
With all the snow and rain this year I'm hoping for another great wildflower show this year.
Drummonds Wild Onion (Allium drummondii)
Settings: 750 mm (35mm eqiv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO500, +1/3EV
Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about the photo or any other leave me a message.