Chipping Sparrows, Wild Turkeys and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds

Chipping Sparrow perched in front of snow-capped mountains – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The weather forecast for at least the next week looks pretty dismal for bird photography and knowing that I felt like I had to get out and take advantage of the sunshine yesterday morning to look for birds and I found some that were cooperative.

The first bird I photographed yesterday was a sharp-looking Chipping Sparrow in breeding plumage perched on top of a juniper with snow-capped mountains in the background. Although the sparrow is small in the frame I really like the simplicity of this photo and the lovely light I had when I took this image.

Wild Turkey hen peeking over tall grasses – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

A few minutes later I spotted a Wild Turkey hen making her way through a small meadow where she was mostly hidden by tall grasses. I took more photos of her where she wasn’t hidden but for some reason I liked this image the most and I find it very appealing.

Chipping Sparrow on a Juniper – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Then I was happy to have frame filling views of another Chipping Sparrow perched on a juniper where the grassy hillside and distant junipers gave me a lush green background in all of the photos I took of the bird. The sparrow even sang for a bit while I photographed it.

Being able to photograph these two bird species delighted and excited me and I would have been glad to go home with just the images I took of them but there was more birdy excitement to come yesterday morning.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird perched on a Wax Currant bush – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The gems of my photographic journey yesterday morning were Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that were hanging around a Wax Currant bush next to the dirt road where the sounds of their wings alerted me to their presence. Seeing and photographing them was a joy I hadn’t expected.

Hovering male Broad-tailed Hummingbird – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I was able to photograph them hovering over and near the currant bush…

Over the shoulder look from a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird – Nikon D500, f9, 1/800, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

And while they perched on it and other nearby shrubs. I had great views of these flying jewels from far away and close up.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird getting nectar from a Wax Currant bloom – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

At times the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were so close that I couldn’t fit their whole bodies in my viewfinder so I clipped the tips of their beaks or the bottom edges of their tails while trying to get images of them.

I got lucky when I took this image of the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird nectaring from the tubular blossoms of the currant. From top to bottom this image is full frame with some cropping of the sides for composition and really I had no room to spare vertically.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird up close – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The hummingbirds rested often by perching on a the bare branches of the currant bush and other nearby shrubs, sometimes there were there for minutes and other times just a few seconds and when they were close I could see the finest details in their feathers through my viewfinder.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds in an altercation – Nikon D500, f9, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

There were several times I took images of two of the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds interacting with each other. This altercation happened so close to me that I couldn’t fit both of the birds into the frame so I focused on the hovering hummingbird since it was looking in my direction.

I took a lot of hummingbird photos yesterday morning, some might even say too many, but I know from experience when I am in the field that I may never have the same opportunity again so I would rather take tons of images than to have regrets later that I didn’t take enough. Besides, the currants only have a short period of time when they are in bloom and by the time I get back to where this bush is the flowers and the hummingbirds may be gone.

I’ll share more images of the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds I photographed yesterday at a later time but for now these are enough.

Life is good.

Mia