June birds

It’s only the start of June, but I’ve spent a few hours out in the field glassing birds. Yes, I have over 1,100 backyard bird portraits, but now it’s time to photograph some new species out in the field. I’ve been on the hunt for indigo buntings, but these time birds are very elusive. However, using the Merlin e-bird app on my phone is a great way to call them in. They will usually flit about in a circle landing on tall perches for a second to see who’s calling. When possible I try to move into a field with a few low perches and a distant background to help isolate the bird and make for a more pleasing image.
All of the birds on this page were called in using Merlin. The waxwings were the most skittish and difficult to call in because their song is so soft. But, I think I got a pretty cool snap. And, if you look close at the goldfinch and bunting on the yellow weed, you’ll notice they are perched on the same exact spot – which was total luck.
Most images were shot between 1000-1600 ISO and f6.3 with variable shutter speeds at 1/250 and up.
The other thing I’m enjoying is making the background more of a part of the composition.
Some of the images will be in my Bird Gallery 4 and are available for purchase.