I was not able to get close to this Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but was thrilled to get a shot that was good enough for me to identify the bird. As far as I know, this is the first time that I have photographed a Blue Grosbeak.
When I first spotted this bird, I thought that it was probably an Indigo Bunting. When I got home and looked more closely at the images, however, I noticed the reddish wing bars that are not found on an Indigo Bunting, so I scoured my bird identification book until I came across the Blue Grosbeak.
These two shots illustrate well the dilemma I have in photographing small birds at this time of the year. Many of them like to perch high in the trees and the leaves often hide them from view. When I hear a bird singing, I try to locate it, but am usually unsuccessful in doing so unless the bird moves. In a month or so, many of the leaves will be gone, but so will many of the birds that are now passing through our area.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 