I love to take photographs of large powerful raptors, like the Bald Eagle and the Red-tailed Hawk that I featured recently in blog postings. However, I am equally happy to capture images of the small birds that I often hear, but have trouble spotting. This past Monday I spotted these little birds as I wandered about at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. None of the shots are particularly spectacular, but I find that there is incredible beauty in the details of these little birds.
I can’t help but be reminded of some of the words of a hymn that we occasionally sing at church called “All Things Bright and Beautiful” that was written by Cecil Frances Alexander.
“All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.”
You may be familiar with some of these birds, but in case you need a reminder, they are an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis); a Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa); a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata); and a Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Oh we used to sing that hymn at church when I was small. I haven’t heard it in years. Thanks Mike.
Thanks. I never heard it growing up in a Baptist church, but have heard it several times in recent years in the Episcopal church that I am currently attending.
Small, hidden in bushes, overactive… In one word – hard to photograph. Every good photo of these beautiful creatures taken by myself, makes me happy.
Thanks. You described well the challenge of photographing the little birds. It definitely feels good to get a decent shot of one of them.