I saw this Blue Jay a few days ago. He was near the top of a tree, a long way from where I was standing. I took the photo anyway. For some reason Blue Jays shots are always difficult. They don’t set still for long. I injoy the challenge:).
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©2018 Rick Cartwright
I really love the bright color of the Baltimore Oriole. So, I read that the BO was given it’s name because the male’s colors resembeld the colors of the coat of Lord Baltimore. I don’t know. The bird is much more interesting.
~ Rick
Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.
©2018 Rick Cartwright
I saw this Eastern Bluebird chasing a large bug ... it was really fun to watch. It was an acrobatic show. I guess the Bluebird saw me, because he stoppped and landed on this tree. There was two American Goldfinch in the same area, playing tag, or at least that is what it looked like. Very funny.
~ Rick
Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.
©2018 Rick Cartwright
This is the first time I have photographed a male and female brown-headed cowbird together. I was surprised when I saw them. Teresa and I were setting in the parking lot at the Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary and I caught a glimpse of the male as he flew to this tree. When I focused in with my camera, I caught this view.
A herd of Brown-headed cowbirds
I am not suggesting this birds is rare, it’s just the 1st time I have photographed a pair. I have several photos of a herd of cowbirds, but never a male and female together. (Yes, a group of cowbirds is called a herd).
The cowbird is a brood parasite. They drop their eggs in the nest of other birds. “The cowbird eggs typically hatch earlier than their host’s eggs which gives them a competitive advantage over the other hatchlings. Some of the birds they parasitize remove the eggs from their nests or cover them with new nest material so that they are not incubated.” Amazing. (Reference to the iBird Pro Guide to Birds app)
~ Rick
Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.
©2018 Rick Cartwright
I took this photo yesterday morning. Lately, the photos have become more difficult. The spring migration is done, and the trees are well covered. Every so often, a bird will pause in a tree or on somewhere in the open. This Goldfinch was like that. I saw a pair of them flying across the trees, then across the bike path .. and they stopped where I could capture this photo. Yes, I was thrilled, but there are things, like this beautiful bird, that you can’t control.
I had a lens die today. How does a camera lens die? This lens is a 18mm to 200mm lens for my Nikon camera. It is good glass, and I have taken 100s of photos with it. Great photos. I was taking photos at an event in Dayton when it stopped focusing. I can manually focus, but only in a narrow range of focal length.
This is not the ‘long lens’ that I use for wildlife, but my favorite lens for general photos and portraits. I have used that lens for a long time. It is the first lens to die in years. I’m only sharing this to illustrate a point: you can’t control everything in life. If it’s not the bird or the deer .. it’s the equipment. Life goes on:).
~ Rick
Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.
©2018 Rick Cartwright