Warbling Vireo

Warbling Vireo ( Vireo gilvus)

Place: Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, AZ
Date: September 18, 2011, 8:49 am
Equipment: Nikon D300, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (2x), G1325, RRS BH-55, Sidekick
Exposure: ISO 800, aperture priority spot metered, 1/60th @ f/5.6, natural light
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, 93% of frame
No cloning, no noise reduction

One of the more common migrants in fall in AZ is the Warbling Vireo, and there were many of them visiting a water fountain at the arboretum when I was there last week. I took many shots of them on the basin but find those rather boring; I much prefer this shot I managed when one vireo staged in a shrub on my left.

Light was low and soft here and I decided to set the ISO to 800 and not use flash. Even then I could only manage 1/60th second wide open. I’ve lost a little sharpness from the high ISO, low shutter speed, and soft light, but I consider that an acceptable trade-off over the alternative of flash.

I’ve kept the color and look as close to the raw file as I could, although it also works with a bit more yellow and a bit more magenta added in to combat the shaded setting.

If possible please view the larger version before commenting. Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated.