Red-breasted Nuthatch And Juniper Titmouse Photos

Male Red-breasted Nuthatch in early morning light – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

When I shared my Glacier Lily photos yesterday I mentioned that I also photographed some birds when I went on a journey out west to photograph the lilies. I’m sharing two of those birds today, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Juniper Titmouse.

I took my time going up into the mountains, I have found that going slow often allows me to see more birds than I would if I were moving faster.

In my rear view mirror I could see a dark pickup coming up behind me, I pulled over a few times hoping the pickup would pass me but they seemed to be going almost as slow as I was. I wondered if the driver might be a birder or bird photographer like me since they were going so slow. Finally when I got into a canyon I pulled over again and I waved at the driver as he passed me. It was a noisy diesel pickup and when I realized that my hopes were dashed for seeing any mammals near the road. That noise would scare all of them away.

I stopped and took the photos of the Glacier Lilies on my way up the canyon and had totally lost sight of the dark pickup. All I could hear was the water running in the creek and the birds overhead. The bright yellow wildflowers had my full attention.

Then I drove higher. When I arrived at the location where I wanted to sit, enjoy the view, and to wait and watch for birds I still didn’t see the pickup. I figured the driver might have taken one of the dirt tracks that branches off the main road or he might have taken the really narrow track that went up higher than where I was.

Then I got lost in the beauty of where I sat, listening for, and seeing birds and hoping some would come close enough for me to photograph. I heard Red-breasted Nuthatches, Northern Flickers, Pine Siskins, spotted a Townsend’s Solitaire flying by, and caught glimpses of Cassin’s Finches perched high up on distant trees.

When this Red-breasted Nuthatch flew in I was ready to photograph him perched in the early morning light near the top of a cone laden Douglas Fir.

Male Red-breasted Nuthatch in golden morning light – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I couldn’t decide whether a horizontal or vertical presentation so I decided to share them both. I loved the light, the eye contact I had with the male Red-breasted Nuthatch and the setting. It was worth the drive and the wait to photograph this little bird.

I didn’t know where the guy in the pickup had gone and I realized that it really didn’t matter. I was relaxed and enjoying the beauty that surrounded me.

Then in the distance I heard turkeys calling. And then I heard a reply to their calls but I laughed out loud because I realized that the guy in the pickup that passed by me was the one answering the turkeys. He didn’t fool me with his attempts to call the turkeys in and I am sure he didn’t fool the turkeys either.

About fifteen minutes later I heard the noisy pickup moving down the mountain canyon and then saw him head down to road. He didn’t get a turkey but I did get a laugh.

Juniper Titmouse perched at the top of a juniper – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

When I was ready to head down the canyon I took my time because I knew I still had good light behind me on the driver’s side of my Jeep. I like to go as slow going down as I do going up some or most canyons because I don’t want to miss seeing birds and I don’t want to have to back up to photograph them because more often than not that means missed shots. I say that from experience.

My approach worked out nicely for me two days ago because a Juniper Titmouse flew up to the top of a juniper where it called and sang excitedly and I was just barely in front of the bird. All I had to do was stop, turn off my Jeep and photograph the titmouse.

This recording is similar to what I heard.

West Desert Juniper Titmouse – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I was able to take 44 images of the Juniper Titmouse before it flew to another juniper where I couldn’t get a clear view of it. In most of my images the titmouse was looking away from me but I did get a few where it looked in my direction.

Had I been going down the road any faster than what I was I would have missed out on these photos altogether. Where I photograph Juniper Titmice they are very skittish so I was over the moon to take these photos of a species where I struggle to get any decent images of them.

These are the stories behind how I took these Red-breasted Nuthatch and Juniper Titmouse photos while relaxing and enjoying a lovely day in the West Desert.

Life is good. Stay safe.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Red-breasted Nuthatch photos or here for more of my Juniper Titmouse images.

Oops, I meant to share this scenic image of the mountains too and forgot because I was hurrying this morning.

Winding road in the West Desert mountains of Utah – Nikon D10, f13, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 18mm

Just looking at this gorgeous view relaxes me and I feel like I could step right into the photo.