I am always glad when a bird unexpectedly flies in so that I can take close up photos because close ups show so much fine detail in their plumage and that is what happened earlier this week with a Pine Siskin.

Pine Siskin close up, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, UtahPine Siskin close up – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I had been photographing a young bull Moose when I caught some movement with my peripheral vision and took my eye away from my viewfinder to find out what I was seeing and spotted this Pine Siskin on top of a Musk Thistle close to me and of course I had to photograph it! I focused on the siskin, hoped I had enough depth of field to get the face and front of the bird in focus and fired away.

Pine Siskin on a Musk Thistle, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, UtahPine Siskin on a Musk Thistle – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I was only able to take 24 photos of the Pine Siskin before it flew away but I had great eye contact with the bird the whole time because I believe it was very aware of the long lens pointed at it and was checking me out.

I am seeing quite a few Pine Siskins up in the canyons of the Wasatch Mountains right now and I am hoping to take more photos of this species. Most of the time they are either too far away or too flitty for me to take high quality images of them but that wasn’t the case with this bird!

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Pine Siskin photos plus facts and information about this species.