Feeders are awesome because not only do you get to see a bunch of birds in one spot, they tend to either stick around or come back repeatedly, so you get lots of chances for great photos.
So it was, when I and my partner in birbing went to the Richmond Nature House. The joint was full, mainly with juncos and chickadees, though there was the occasional finch, Song Sparrow and Fox Sparrow. However, the latter two mostly stayed on the ground, and since the sun was getting pretty low, they were in the shade and I’m not so happy with their photos.
(I heard at least one Anna’s Hummingbird hanging around the feeders, and saw a bit of movement in the trees now and then, but couldn’t get good shots of them either. Boo.)
Oh, and a Downy Woodpecker lady!
These birbs would be exciting enough, but then I saw a rare Red-breasted Nuthatch also partaking of the feast! I’d never gotten a good shot of them before — too fast, too small — but this one modeled like nobody’s business and gave me my best nuthatch photos ever!
Next: Terra Nova and the sun was getting very low indeed!
The chickadees along the southern trails were extremely aggressive, even flying right at our cameras! And since they also reacted to my pointing finger, I finally twigged that they were just flying at anything that looked like an outstretched hand. Sadly, we had nothing for them!
There were also some golden-crowns…
And this time, I managed an Anna’s photo! The light wasn’t great, but the bird certainly did its best.
Conclusion: a nice and productive day, making the most of what light we got. I’m especially pleased with my nuthatch photos, and at least one will go on my store.