You haven’t forgotten about Zippy, have you? He’s my little juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird who has been hanging around since Hurricane Ian last fall.
Well, it was another foggy and icky morning. A perfect morning for some backyard bird photography. Zippy nectared as usual at the purple salvias, then he headed to the tall Purple Firespikes growing in the corner of my yard. I was pointing up into the bright white sky, so I dialed in extra exposure compensation and focused frantically as he darted around. I loved the results! His one little red spot has gotten bigger. He moved all around the flower, and he gave me so many great poses that I had trouble picking just a few to post-process.
Have I mentioned how much fun it is to have a resident hummingbird in the backyard? :)
After the golden light faded from my last post, I spent a fun morning in Lakeland enjoying the ducks around Lake Morton. I love visiting that area. You can always find fun light conditions, and the springtime bird plumage is the best!
White Ibis
My first bird of the morning was this White Ibis coming into breeding plumage. The clouds were soft and pink and purple behind him. Look at his bright blue eye. He’s all ready to find a mate!
Wood Duck
This is a juvenile male Wood Duck. If you look closely at his face, he’s beginning to acquire the brilliant colors of the adult male. The sun was still doing the golden-light reflection magic, and he looks like he’s swimming in a lake of fire.
Redhead
The best bird of the morning was this female Redhead duck. Redheads are a good find in Central Florida in winter. She tormented me by swimming in the shadows, then took pity on me and gave me a sun-lit wing-flap!
Mallard
The Redhead wasn’t the only duck showing off for the camera. Many Mallard/Mottled/muddled mixes chased each other mercilessly in the middle of the lake. (Yep, try saying that five times fast!). I think the birds know that spring is right around the corner!
Ruddy Duck
Often I find Ruddy Ducks here, but they often hang out in the middle of the lake. This one obligingly came close to the shore to say hello to me. Give it another month or two and his beak will be bright blue. I can’t wait!
Muscovy Duck in Flight
The light played with me all morning, alternating between cloudy and sunny. I rather liked the soft light on this Muscovy Duck.
Great Blue Heron
On the shore of the lake, this Great Blue Heron stood quietly. You can see a hint of his blue mandible for his breeding plumage. Often there’s a nest or two up in the cypress trees. You normally hear the babies long before you see them!
Ring-billed Duck
Ring-billed Gulls hung out on the lake shore as well. I loved the soft light and the muted blue tones of the lake behind him. Look at that red-lined eye! Yes, everybody is getting spiffy and ready for spring!
Ring-billed Duck
Ring-billed Ducks were everywhere! Males and females lazed in the water near the shore. As the sun rose, there was plenty of preening and lots of bathing. A good wing-flap almost always follows the bath!
Wood Duck
Several pairs of Wood Ducks swam by. It’s clear that they have paired up for nesting season. I can’t wait to go back and watch their little fuzzy chicks learn to swim! (well, actually, ducklings are born knowing how to swim…but they are adorable to watch as they swim in a row behind Mom.)
American White Pelican
Overall it was a gorgeous morning to be outside, even if the cold winds did keep me shivering! I’ll leave you with this image of an American White Pelican eating a lily pad. I’m always amused to see the inside of their giant pouches. Didn’t his mother tell him not to chew with his mouth open? :)
Sometimes making a good photograph is a matter of luck. Sometimes it’s a careful formula of knowing your subject, the lighting conditions, the time of year, and…luck! Luck was on my side this weekend when I visited a local lake and encountered a flock of American White Pelicans in magical golden light. These conditions lasted only a few minutes, but boy, it was worth the early morning wake-up call!
They call the early morning light “golden hour”, but the conditions here were very special. The rising sun reflected in the lake behind the birds. A strong wing made ripples in the water. The sun’s first rays illuminated my subject, who deigned to glance at my camera exactly once to allow me to make this shot.
American White Pelican Head Shot
Sunrise is apparently a good time to preen. Apparently this guy hadn’t quite opened his eyes yet. It was a cold windy morning and I don’t think he was ready to be awake yet!
American White Pelican Preening
The birds were lined up on a wall at the edge of the lake. Working quickly while the light conditions lasted, I zoomed out and tried to capture the movements of multiple birds. This shot doesn’t do justice to the general motion of a flock of birds at sunrise.
American White Pelican Flock
If you zoom in too much, you cut off the bill. If you zoom out, you get the neighbor’s wing or beak in the image. But when the bird looks at you, shoot first and think about composition later!
American White Pelican Head Shot
The gorgeous light was over in a heartbeat. Then the birds started to stretch their wings, hop down into the water, and begin to forage for their breakfasts.
American White Pelican
Do you think they were comparing notes about the crazy photographer who braved the cold winds that morning? Craziness sometimes has fun rewards! :)
