Wilson's Warbler

Gallery: AvianPosted May 19, 2011171 views18 comments

First of this species for me..
A warbler of willow thickets in the West and across Canada, the Wilson's Warbler is easily identified by its yellow underparts and black cap.
F/11, 1/640th, ISO 640, 1D M3, 300mm f/2.8 + Kenko 2x ext & natural early morning light. Over 70% of the original.

FYI - I've researched a bit, and learned that the major draw for my warblers is simply the "sound" of the waterfall. I have trees near this water but also use props.. I take small branches/trees from the land and stick them in 5 gallon buckets filled with rocks. This way I can move them where I need them. I change them out regularly, but need to do it more a bit more often. So if you've seen this branch before, forgive me

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on May 19, 2011 at 10:36 AM

Nice alert pose and pleasing background. And did I mention the perch?

I would be delighted to have this image in my files Howard.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on May 19, 2011 at 10:43 AM

Howard,
Great perch with a creamy background. Nice exposure on the yellows and a great head turn with good eye contact and catchlight. Congrats on this first for you. Always a thrill.

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on May 19, 2011 at 11:20 AM

Really nice Howard. The eye on this species looks really big for its head size. Great detail in the head and body area. Well done.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on May 19, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Very nice imager of this warbler. Good detail and exposure; nice alert pose.

Wilson's have been abundant here in Phoenix this season and we're seeing as many as three at a time coming into out tiny water feature. They are definitely attracted by the sound of the running water and they often try to bathe but have trouble dealing with the small access point and heavy flow.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on May 19, 2011 at 2:22 PM

Howard, really nice image, and thank you especially for all the information on your setup.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on May 19, 2011 at 3:24 PM

Great shot Howard. I can never get these warblers in the open away from heavy leaf cover and your method may help. Thanks buddy.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on May 19, 2011 at 4:06 PM

Excellent shot and nice that you weren't using callers! How large is the pond/waterfall? Any chance you could post a wide angle of the area in the bird forum?

The detail is beautiful and the colors are nice with a pleasing background. I think I would prefer the bird a little lower in the frame though.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on May 19, 2011 at 5:41 PM

Good one ! Interesting info too. I do 90% of my work at 5 pools I have built with permanent hides. There is no doubt that the sound of running water attracts birds . Also birds bathing seem to have the same effect- attracting others - - often resulting in complete mayem !
I have even used a 5 gallon drum on top of a hide with a drip feed above the pool.
Good stuff.
JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on May 19, 2011 at 6:54 PM

Howard hes so cute, those little feet. Love the bg and perch. as well as the expression

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on May 19, 2011 at 7:25 PM

Good idea on the perches, Howard. I usually user wire zip ties and attach them to rebar pounded into the ground , but your system sounds more portable-and we have lots (and lots) of rocks. Nice job on the Wilson's Warbler. Good head turn and I like the lighting.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Heironymus on May 19, 2011 at 10:51 PM

I like it!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 36 Posts, 1110 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on May 20, 2011 at 7:43 AM

Nice clean shot of a pretty little warbler Howard. I especially like the light on the bird - slightly highlighting the head and seeming to fade slightly toward the tail.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on May 20, 2011 at 11:16 AM

Excellent alert pose in some very nice light, Howard. Very sharp and well composed. I like your "setup" and information.

Registered on April 19, 2008, 115 Posts, 1921 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on May 20, 2011 at 11:28 AM

A really nice Wilson's posting Howard. Please forgive me for posting one of my own that I got a couple of days ago. For some reason these handsome birds have eluded me and camera for years and it was a pleasure to finally capture one in a quality image such as yours. I like his pose and OOF BG... very well done!

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Jeff Loomis on May 20, 2011 at 8:28 PM

Great shot Howard and one to be proud of. Having some control over your perches sure does help in getting good separation, as this shows. Nice sharp image and a bird I don't get to see that often. I'm afraid you're not a very good influence though. My wife is already wincing at my photo gear purchases and now I have to tell her about my plans for a pond!

Registered on January 26, 2010, 68 Posts, 719 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on May 20, 2011 at 8:50 PM

Nice one Howard - really good detail, light and eye contact

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on May 21, 2011 at 9:44 AM

Excellent capture Howard. Nice clean background and the bird has an intense look.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on May 24, 2011 at 8:49 AM

Nicely done! I especially like the dark BG for the (mostly) yellow bird. Sharp, and the black cap shows up well.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments