The Gracefulness Of Birds

I love watching the birds gather together at the bird feeder. The photographer in me will always keep moving, even if I have lower back spasms and sciatic nerve pain running down my leg. It will not slow me down. To photograph the moment where I can capture the gracefulness of bird wings in motion has always been a truly inspiring moment.

My bird photography in the wintertime is the most dramatic. The reason is that the birds are on a winter backdrop of snow, and the birds' colors and motions become more of the focal point of the photos. Since wintertime is when the backyard birds are always looking for a source of food.

We set up our bird feeders full of sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and millet. The bird feeders are set up under a Cherry Apple Tree that gives berries to the birds through the winter. We call it our natural backyard feeder as it draws not only birds but deer, raccoons, possums, and foxes.

All of my photos were taken with a Canon 60 D EOS with a Canon Telephoto Lens 100-400. It's a heavy lens that makes standing in one place to wait for that perfect photo to capture challenging.

As they are on the move. I have to stay entirely still to not scare the birds off. This is a test of my stillness and a challenge for my patience. And when the birds come, my motion is methodical and slow. I do not want to make any wild movements for fear the birds will fly away.

The Northern Cardinal is seen in this photo alongside two male House Sparrows, our regular visitors. If I stayed quiet enough, I could hear the flapping and whirring of their wings with the stillness of wintertime. A house sparrow has 15 wing beats per second. Cardinals are also known to fly up to 20 mph. To watch these birds descend on the bird is like watching a horse race, each jostling in for position. The frigid temperatures do not slow them down. The need is too great to have some food.

One year, my husband and I had a Holiday house made entirely of birdseed. A cute Black Cap Chickadee stopped by for a visit. Sadly, it wasn't the best focus I got, so when I went back to Photoshop later, I made significant edits in Photoshop to create a painted version of this photo to disguise the lack of sharp focus. With more of the magic of Photoshop, I added a holiday greeting to make this photo a fantastic Christmas card for bird lovers. My settings for this photo were f/13.0, 1/125 +1.67 and ISO 500

With this red Cardinal who was coming in for a landing in the snow, I was able to capture his majestic wings fanned out framed beautifully against the white of the snow. Taking photos that are full of motion is a challenge for the photographer because you need the right equipment, the correct shutter speed, and lighting. My camera setting for this was f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 320, +1.67. I did have to lighten this photo up in Photoshop.

With this Red Tail Hawk, the evening was drawing near. The shadows were increasing, and just as I put my camera away, this beautiful red Tail Hawk flew by. With the camera settings of ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/5000 I captured him against the tree line.

Birdwatching is a way to practice mindfulness. Birds in motion are akin to watching puppies fly through the air to catch a ball and a child dancing through a bunch of bubbles. It gives a sense of freedom and carefree playfulness. It will always be a force to drive me from my chair despite aches and pains and to strive for that excellent shot.

Part of this article was originally posted on Medium.