Morning Dove Portraits | a 7 Image Story

May 17, 2020 | 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Mourning Dove, Mourning Dove Portraits, Nature, Nikon 1 V3

Morning Dove Portraits | HowdyMorning Dove Portraits | a 7 Image Story   This Morning Dove hung around the deck for a long time.  It seemed to pose in several positions like a model in a photo shoot.  Even the red and green background from the crab apple tree made the images appear like they were shot in studio with a backdrop.  Maybe, the Morning Dove knew a camera was clicking away on the other side of the glass window.  Sometimes, it seemed to say: “notice my beautiful feathers!   All these images were captured within a couple of minutes.  Unfortunately, all photo shoots must come to an end.  After awhile, it flew away to raid the birdseed feeder.

Howdy  Great day for a photo shoot!  The late afternoon light is beginning to get nice, even though it’s strong enough to cast a shadow.   Another Take  Time to continue the photo shoot!  This time is more about being a bit coy; for a Morning Dove, that is.  Say What   Photo shoots would be wonderful if not for those meticulous photographers.  My left side is more photogenic than my right; don’t you think?  Break Time  Finally, it’s time for a break.  Being a high fashion model can be tiring.  Makeup & Preen After a nice break, it’s time to clean up and makeup before the next photo shoot.  Show Time  Back to work at the photo shoot!  Photograph my left side again please.  Time to Go  All good photo shoots must come to an end.

Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Morning Dove Portraits.

Click any image below for a slide show.

Backyard Winter Birds | a 7 Image Story

Feb 2, 2020 | 7 Image Stories, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Backyard Winter Birds, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Nature, Nikon 1 V3, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Robins, Starling

Backyard Winter Birds | Morning Dove PortraitBackyard Winter Birds | a 7 Image Story   Each winter the snow provides contrast and background for backyard birds.  Even though the same bird species tend to feed at the backyard bird feeder each winter, it’s still a challenge to get nice images.  The Nikon 1 V3 with the AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR lens attached via the FT-1 Adapter really helps get close-ups with it’s 2.7 crop factor.  My Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | a 7 Image Story post goes into some depth on using the Nikon 1 V3 for bird photography.

Robin Enjoying Snowfall   Some Robins are hardy birds.  They were my mom’s favorite bird.  She called them Little Robin Red Breasts.  She always thought spring would soon be upon us, if she saw a Robin in late winter.  In those days, we did not see Robins stay all winter like we do now.

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker   Seems like the red-bellied woodpecker should be called a red-headed woodpecker.  Notice the rose coloring on a red-bellied woodpecker’s breast.  When this species was first named, the red-headed woodpecker name was already used to name a different bird.   The flighty Red-bellied Woodpecker brings bright colors and exciting action to bird feeders.  Around here, only one bird, the Blue Jay, will chase the it from the feeder.  They are attracted to bird feeders, near wooded areas, containing a bird mix including suet or sunflower seeds.

European Starling Eating Snow  The Common Starling’s winter coat displays many colors as the winter light shines through it.  Their feathers make a winter day more colorful.  They are loud, boisterous, loud birds that travel large flocks.

Female Downy Woodpecker   The Downy Woodpecker is really cute as they rapidly move up and down a tree.  Capturing a close up becomes really difficult even with a long lens.  Like many species of woodpecker, they have a rise and fall flight style.  In the warmer months, they are really noisy with their shrill call and tree pecking.

Male Dark-eyed Junco   Dark Eyed Juncos are common around here.  They seem to like the nearby woodland areas as well as the bird feeder.  Mostly, they feed on the ground under the bird feeder, then make their ticking calls as they fly up into the woods or bushes.

Blue Jay Profile   The Blue Jay, a common songbird, is familiar to many in northern Illinois.   Native to North America, at least some Blue Jays stay around all winter. They are very aggressive and sometime attack other birds.  Still, they are beautiful against the snow. They mainly feed on nuts and seeds so they show up every day to the bird feeder; particularly, when snow covers the ground.  Blue Jays are well known for their intelligence and tight family bonds.  Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes each year, but little is known about their migration.  Young jays are more likely to migrate than adults, but adults also migrate. No one has determined why they migrate, when they migrate, or why some migrate while others do not.

Backyard Winter Birds | Male Cardinal   Male Cardinals cheer us up during the winter months with their brilliant red body. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they stay breathtakingly beautiful against winter’s snow. Northern Cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on or near the ground, often in pairs.

Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Backyard Winter Birds.

Click any image below for a slide show.

Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | Morning Dove

Feb 13, 2019 | 7 Image Story Posts, AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR, Birds, Daily Image 2019, Mourning Dove, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 V3 for Birds

Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | Morning Dove

Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | Morning Dove   Morning Doves tend to stick around all winter.  They are beautiful calm birds that are easy to photograph.  An old photography guideline says to always have the eye in focus.  A closely related guideline indicates to almost always show the eye of the critter in the frame.  Birds like this Morning Dove can be challenging to capture even with a long, fast lens.  The Nikon 1 V3 with the 70-300mm lens allows for a 810mm effective focal length.  It’s a long, not so fast lens at f5.6, but a very sharp lens.  For the whole story with all images, see Nikon 1 V3 for Birds | a 7 Image Story.