Singing Townsend’s Solitaire and tiny flying bugs – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 800, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Yesterday I was thrilled to listen to and photograph a singing Townsend’s Solitaire as it perched on a juniper surrounded by tiny flying bugs. Townsend’s Solitaires sing year round and this one was certainly busting out in song. The notes of the song rang out in the mountain canyon where I heard this soft gray, perching bird before I saw it.
Townsend’s Solitaires belong to the thrush family along with American Robins, Eastern, Western, and Mountain Bluebirds. One study has shown that they eat between 42,000 and 84,000 juniper berries to survive a single winter. That is a lot of berries!
I have noticed that there are fewer than normal juniper berries on the junipers I pay attention to this year. Whether that was caused by the exceptional drought conditions we had during the growing season this year is a mystery to me.
Autumn Townsend’s Solitaire perched in a juniper – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 800, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I heard and saw at least a dozen Townsend’s Solitaires yesterday, this solitaire was the closest of them all and I still wish I had been able to get closer.
I have no idea what the tiny, flying insects were but I was amazed to see them, hoverflies, grasshoppers, and other insects on the wing since it is nearly the middle of November. It has been warmer than normal in northern Utah for this time of the year though. I have a feeling I will be using the phrase “warmer than normal” in my posts here on my blog and for the rest of my life.
This Townsend’s Solitaire sang and looked around for five minutes then it took off and flew into a low shrub. I wondered at the time if it saw a predator that I could not see.
One day I hope to photograph a Townsend’s Solitaire on a snowy fir or juniper branch during the winter. Those would be my dream photos of this mountain species.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Townsend’s Solitaire photos plus facts and information about this species.
That is a heap of juniper berries. It sounds as if they each require their own personal tree – and a tree which is able to produces such berries…
Which frightens me.
Warmer than warmer than natural.
Love this shot!