MacGillivray’s Warbler peeking out from a thicket – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I’m seeing more MacGillivray’s Warblers this season than I have in previous years but I am still challenged by how quickly these warblers move and by how they can seem to disappear so quickly. From out of nowhere they appear, I focus on them and then they are gone. I’m always happy when I can get an image of one of these frenetic warblers where the bird isn’t just a messy, little blur because they move that fast.
I didn’t think I’d like this image of a female MacGillivray’s peeking out of a thicket because there is a shadow across her back from a very out of focus branch but the more I look at it the more I like it because this is the kind of view I get of these warblers most of the time. A brief, fleeting look. When I view this photo I feel that I am drawn into the warbler’s world and am for a moment a part of its life.
MacGillivray’s Warbler on a stick – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This MacGillivray’s Warbler actually stayed longer on this stick than I would have thought it would have yesterday and it gave me views of it looking left and right but I find myself wishing the warbler had perched on the top of the stick instead of behind it. These are wild birds though and they are going to perch where they want to perch and I like it that way even though that presents problems for me as a photographer.
At the end of the day I know that the MacGillivray’s Warblers in northern Utah will be migrating soon and I am flat out happy to get photos of them whenever I can.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my MacGillivray’s Warbler photos plus facts and information about this species.
Lovely! Thank you.
Many thanks.
They have a fierce look to them — the second one looks especially deep in concentration. 🙂
The “peeking” photo has it all: a beautiful bird, half-hidden in it’s habitat, and an evocative sense of the mysteries of nature.
Great photo!
You mentioned that they are a medium-sized warbler but in the first photo it looks tiny. I imagine they are hard to spot. this is the closest I have got to one of these and it is nice to see. I too, appreciate the stats on the birds.
Great shots, thanks for the stats, and thanks for sharing, much appreciated.