Pic of the Day

Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinals

Marshall County, Alabama; USA

Just North of Guntersville Dam

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/640 sec. @f/8

Pic of the Day

 Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinals (male): Horsecove, Alabama

Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinals (immature): Horsecove, Alabama

    This afternoon I spent a few hours in the blind photographing feeder birds.  I have a ton of cardinals at my feeders and these two were so close that I took headshots.  Most resident birds here in North Alabama have already raised their first brood and most have started their second.  Immature Cardinals out number the adults by more than
 2 to 1. 

     The top bird is an adult male and the bottom is an immature.  Note the gray eyes and horn colored beak on the immature.  By the end of the summer the immature bird’s beak will be quite orange, like the adult.  What I find most interesting is the immature bird’s full crest.  It seems to be fuller and larger than the adult male.

Top:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/60 second @ f/10

Bottom: Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/80 second @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Northen Cardinal, Cardnalis cardinalis: Horsecove; Gurley, Alabama

     Snow in North Alabama!  I awoke this morning to a snow covered landscape.  Overnight 2 ½ inches of snow fell and this morning our little world was shut down.  I enjoyed the morning photographing a few birds and watching all the activity at the bird feeders.  It will most likely be years before we get this much snow again, and that is all right with me!

Both Images:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/500 sec. @ f5.6

Pic of the Day

Northern Cardinal • Cardinalis cardinalis, male

Pyrrhuloxia • Cardinalis sinuatus, male

     Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus – Catalina State Park; Tucson, Arizona: Every one in North America is familiar with the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, but many easterners are unfamiliar with the Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus.  Both birds are members of the family cardinalidae, along with grosbeaks, buntings and the Dickcissel.

     The pyrrhouloxia ranges from the Rio Grande Valley on the Texas coast, west through the big bend, through southern New Mexico to eastern Arizona, and south.  This range overlaps the northern cardinal.  Some often mistake the male and female pyrrhuloxia with the female northern cardinal.  One easy way to tell the two apart is the pyrrhuloxias deeply down curved bill.  The pyrrhuloxia also has a grayer plumage than the cardinal.

     With every trip I take, I make a mental list of target birds to shoot.  This past summer I had the pyrrhuloxia on that list (for the fourth time).  I had taken shots on previous trips, but I was never happy with the results.  But, while visiting Catalina State Park in Tucson, Arizona this past June, I found this male singing on various perches in its territory.  After watching the bird make its rounds to its various sing perches I repositioned my self near the one with the best lighting.  

     Like clock work, the pyrrhuloxia moved from perch to perch until he arrived at the one my lens was trained.  Once he alighted and began to sing I had no problem getting the shot.  After numerous attempts over the years, I finally got a shot with which I was happy!

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 500mm f4,  1/1,250 @ f8

Pic of the Day

     Northern Cardinal – Gurley, Alabama: The Northern Cardinal is perhaps the most well known bird in North America. It was one of the first birds I learned to identify, and most likely the first bird you learned by name as well. While the cardinal is a common bird, it was a common bird, of which a good photo had eluded me. This Cardinal changed that.
This redbird was photographed from my bedroom window on a cloudy autumn day. The fall leaves provided the perfect modulated background, while the soft light saturated the colors. This opportunity occurred when I was photographing birds at a birdbath. In less than a few seconds the cardinal flew to a branch above the birdbath and briefly perched, giving me the opportunity to shoot two frames before flying off. The scenario was over almost as soon as it happened. After years of chasing cardinals I finally had an image that I was pleased with. Sometimes it is the common, everyday birds that present the greatest challenge.

Nikon F4, Nikkor 500mm f4, Kodachrome 64