Beauty among the branches

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Beauty among the branches

March 10, 2021 by Mike Powell

When you look through the photos on my blog, you might get the mistaken impression that I have some magical power over birds, because your view of them is rarely obstructed by branches. I have a confession to make—those photos are not accurate representations of the way that I see birds most of the time. Today’s image of a beautiful little Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) provides a more typical view of the way that I see birds in the wild as they move about in the thickets and underbrush foraging for food, rarely providing me with a good look.

Despite all of the branches that blocked my view, I managed to capture quite a lot of the kinglet’s details in this shot, including a sliver of its golden “crown,” a close look at its legs and feet as the small bird was hanging from a leaf, and some of the texture of the layers of feathers. I highly encourage you to click on the image to get a better looks at these wonderful detail. As you look at this bird, keep in mind that it is one of the smallest songbirds in my area, with a length of 3.1-4.3 in (8-11 cm) and a weight of 0.1-0.3 oz (4-8 g), according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

I am fond of saying that beauty is everywhere, and I believe that to be true. Sometimes, though, you might not see it at first glance. If you slow down and look beyond those things that threaten to block your view, you may discover beauty hidden among the branches.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Canon 50D, Golden-crowned Kinglet, kinglet, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Regulus satrapa, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on March 10, 2021 at 7:06 am | Reply Johnny Jones

I stopped what I was doing for one minute, and took your advice of clicking on the photo, to see it enlarged and to be amazed at the details of this delicate creature.
Wow. Thanks
JJ
- on March 10, 2021 at 7:15 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Johnny. I deliberately leave my photos a bit larger than necessary, because so many of them have wonderful details that most folks will not see without the help of a telephoto or macro lens. Nature is truly amazing.
on March 10, 2021 at 2:47 pm | Reply Mitzy Bricker

Indeed so!

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on March 10, 2021 at 4:12 pm | Reply Reed Andariese

Nice Mike! great Detail!
on March 10, 2021 at 8:05 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

Superb details of this charming bird, despite all those tiny branches!!
- on March 11, 2021 at 7:35 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. It is always a challenge to try to focus on birds in situations like this. Most of my shots are blurred, but sometimes it works.
on March 16, 2021 at 7:11 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Great! And I love the true confession Mr. Bird Whisperer 🙂
- on March 16, 2021 at 8:26 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Molly. 🙂
on March 18, 2021 at 2:38 pm | Reply Ellen Jennings

A clear full bird shot here wouldn’t leave us wondering what is so enticing in that leaf clump. I do like these shots that include hints of behavior. Of course very soon the leaves, which happily say ‘spring,’ will change our photo options.