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| Kinglet Taking Wing |
I was catching nothing but grounders in the botanical garden this morning. Before I went there I'd stopped by Lloyd and Blue Heron lakes and watched the ducks without breaking out my camera, although a cute little eared grebe did tempt me.
I was a little disappointed that it only rained on me a little bit in the beginning of the ride. I was decked out in rain gear, ready and willing, but all I got was a sprinkle that just left droplets all over my glasses. No matter. I'm sure I'll get more chances over the next few days. In fact I ordered a new pair of rain pants (my current pair leaks) that are supposed to arrive tomorrow.
Anyway, almost as soon as I entered the garden a very cooperative little ruby-crowned kinglet bopped around over a semi-cleared area covered with wood chips, often coming so close that I couldn't fit the whole bird in the frame. The little Panasonic FZ80D still impresses me despite its limitations. All these shots were made at ISO 3200 and run through Lightroom's AI Denoise feature.
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| A fox sparrow pauses ever so briefly to make sure the coast is clear before resuming kicking in the duff to reveal a morsel of a meal. |
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| I hoped the song sparrow would pose on the mushroom, but it did something even more surprising when it nibbled a few pieces of the cap. |
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| Closer Crop |
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| Hermit Thrush |
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| Even at ISO 3200 I could only get a 1/200th sec. exposure here, a tad too slow for a bird that moves its head a lot, even when standing still. |
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