Close up Green-tailed Towhee framed by a blooming Serviceberry – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Two days ago I was up in the Wasatch Mountains photographing a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird on his favorite perch and while I kept my focus primarily on the little flying jewel I learned a long time ago to also look beyond the viewfinder because I just never know what else might show up that I might want to photograph. Sometimes it is a risk to take my eye away from the viewfinder and my primary subject since I might miss some great action or interesting behavior but there are times that I feel it is worth taking the chance.
While the hummingbird was on his perch I took my eye away from the viewfinder and looked at the currant bushes surrounding the serviceberry and then back at the lower part of the serviceberry and caught a bit of movement in the thick leaves. Then I caught sight of a Green-tailed Towhee’s head buried in the serviceberry, I held my breath and hoped it would move towards an open area of the shrub. At first when the towhee moved out in the open it had its back to me and I had to turn my camera vertically to fit the entire towhee into the frame. I knew even as I took those photos that I wasn’t going to like them because of the towhee’s head angle, it was facing too far away from me. So I hoped it would move again.
And it did. The Green-tailed Towhee moved to another branch of the serviceberry that was out in the open and even a bit closer to me than it had been on the previous perch. I liked the setting, how I had a few of the serviceberry blossoms in focus, the pose of the Green-tailed Towhee and the great view of its face and eye. What I didn’t notice at the time was how the towhee’s tail went through the fork of the branches of the shrub.
Looking beyond the viewfinder paid off for me because if I hadn’t done just that I would have missed seeing and photographing this Green-tailed Towhee.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Green-tailed Towhee photos plus facts and information about this species.
This is a wonderful shot,,,…everything works…it’s a real winner!!! I love it!!!
I am so grateful that you did look further. As I so often am.
Wonderful image Mia. Thanks!
Wow! What an incredibly beautiful pic! The composition, the colors and the astonishing detail…it’s all there; it’s all perfect. Thanks Mia.
Wonderful photo, I love the intense stare and the crest up.
Fabulous shot, Mia! Love the pose and those couple of blooms.
Love this picture – keep coming back to it today to have another look.
Excellent detail with a focus squarely on the eye of the bird. Nicely done.
This is another cute photo of a bird I have never seen before. He does have a red top knot and green tail!
Fantastic, 3-d type shot!
The tail through the branches gives the photo such a “popping” 3-d look. Nice.