Kinglets are tiny birds, about 4 inches (10 cm) in length, and always seem to be in constant motion in heavily vegetated areas. As a result, they tend to be really hard to photograph. Last week at Occoquan Bay National Refuge I was thrilled to be able to capture images of both kinglet species in our area—the Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula).
It is not hard to guess that the bird in the first shot is a Golden-crowned Kinglet. I was never able to get close to the kinglet, but it did give me a clear view of its beauty when it perched momentarily on a small branch. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the second image has a more typical pose, surrounded by vines and branches. I shot over a dozen images of this little bird and this is the only one in which its head is up and visible.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
So cute and tiny!
Nice Mike! Always fun to photograph the smaller birds!
Thanks, Reed. They don’t get much smaller than these ones, except for the hummingbirds.
I love to find kinglets, they’re so acrobatic and energetic, they always make me smile. But photographing them, even spotting them, is difficult. Capturing the crown color is nearly impossible. Impressive camera work here, Mike.
Thanks, Jet. I did not count how many shots I took of these two kinglets, but it was a a lot. Most of the time the birds were completely hidden and even when they were visible, their heads were often down or turned away. “Acrobatic and energetic” is an understatement–perhaps frenetic and fast captures my feelings about them. Fortunately I tend to have an abundance of patience and persistence. 🙂
Beautiful photos, Mike.
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Nice shot of its crest and wings, Mike. I’ve been told that the spring migration in the south has already started. Feels like we barely had winter!
Yikes. We definitely have not had much of a winter yet, but it seems a bit early for spring migration to begin.
This was from a blogger in South Florida. She said that robins and gnatcatchers had already left.
I did spot a flock of robins last week, but don’t know if they were locals or were migrating.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen these (or if I have, I didn’t know what they were). Great captures, Mike.
Nice captures of these perpetual motion machines!
Thanks, Ellen. I think fellow photographers best appreciate the challenges associated with capturing images of the often elusive little birds.
That’s a really fine pose you’ve caught in the first shot. It’s such fun to see how their agility enables them to hold on to precarious perches.