This week I was treated to a photo shoot with a Gray Catbird. While these cropped pictures project an up close and personal feel, I was actually zooming in through a series of branches and leaves, working hard on the focus. But due to the plethora of berries to choose from, this bird was not in a hurry and didn’t spook easily. Almost at my leisure, I was able to catch a series of pictures over the course of about two minutes. In cat-casual attitude (above), the bird seemed to be assessing the level of competition for the ripe berries it had come upon. The coast clear, it grabs a beauty (below). Yes, your feathers are unruffled despite the effort!
Still clicking my shots, it raised its tail – giving a show of its rusty undertail coverts – as I imagine it wondered if it had bitten off more than it could chew.
(Click on the photo for best view of the orange color underside of the tail where it meets the body. Use your back arrow to return to the post.)
(Click on the photo for best view of the orange color underside of the tail where it meets the body. Use your back arrow to return to the post.)
Turning to face me (below), it poses in perfect profile, proud of its find. This is one cool cat!
Photo note: All my pictures are taken with the Nikon D40. Almost all, with the 200 lens. Generally, when I edit the photos, I make minimal changes to the pictures. Primarily, I crop to move in closer to the subject. However, I don’t crop too much as I like to show the subject in its environment. I also prefer the colors to be as they were when I first saw the subject with the naked eye. I have brightened the rust undertail shot above so that the color is more visible to the readers of this blog. Enjoy!
SilverLining 