JDW Photos and Life

We travel to many locations on this ranch looking for birds. We are watching tree-lines and listening to calls while looking for the right lighting. We spent 4 or 5 hours capturing these images and a fair portion of that was waiting and seeing nothing. That's OK and not so much different than fishing. The company is good and enjoying nature is part of the experience. Occasionally grabbing a few photos like these make for great memories. We found another painted bunting as he was foraging on the ground. He was probably looking for insects though we did not see him eat anything this day. Just like in the trees, they don't stay in one place for long. Those beautiful colors are likely a liability when it comes to evading a predator! In a blink of the eye, he is flying off again. Enjoy another double photo post today. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

You know me.... As we wait for another bird to show up, we look for anything to photograph. This little skipper butterfly landed on a thistle flower and made for a good capture. He's not a very colorful butterfly but you have to capture what nature give you. This guy was 20-30 feet away (best I remember) and I could still capture this level of detail. The technology is amazing. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

This guy dove back down into cover and provided another spectacular shot in good light. Something caught his attention as he was looking over his shoulder and about to leave once again. You see the light is getting a bit harsh. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

It is not often that you see a painted bunting not buried deep in the brush or tree. This guy made a trip to the treetop so his song could carry further I guess. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

After taking a ton of photos of the first painted bunting, we moved to another location and found another one not surrounded by smilax (a hated thorny, invasive vine). This guy was more hesitant to be in the full open as you see in the first picture. Just like all small birds, they don't stay in one place very long before taking flight. I lucked out with another decent in-flight photo in the second photo (too blurred to be called a good photo). I like the background bokeh in the second shot. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

Yes, another painted bunting photo. When you get lucky enough to find these guys and then get decent photos, you just have to accept that there will be many photos to share. It is hard to pick a favorite shot. This guy was checking us out with the sun catching his colors nicely. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

These guys are tough to photograph once you find them. They show themselves for a second and then disappear into the deep thicket. They then reappear quickly moving from branch to branch in and out of light. The camera exposure is entirely in manual mode as automatic settings get very confused with light and dark backgrounds. This is the typical shot where he is a bit obscured in the shadows. The light hit him for just a couple of seconds as he paused to sing his song reminding us that this was his territory. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/