As I searched for the Yellow Warbler, a Ruddy Duck floats by on one of the ponds at Sweetwater.
Suddenly the chirp! Silent moment. CHIRP! Silent moment. CHIRP! And then quickly a yellow flash in the mesquite full of yellow fuzzy flowers grabs my attention. There are two of them flying around! But I can barely get a decent shot of them. They move much too quickly in and above the Mesquite. To make things worse, the Mesquite is full of yellow flowers adding to the confusion.
I stand for 30 or 40 minutes quietly waiting for them to come out into the open. And finally I get my break, but the bird is way up high. So I shoot away hoping that one shot will turn out.....
I become one of my cats as I silently stalk the bird with my camera. Any sudden movements and the bird flies off......but I am able to get close at times.
| The clearest shot of the Yellow Warbler |
As I do, the bird flies off........
.....and disappears to another spot.
I am never really meant to get too close to the Yellow Warbler, but I get excited that I could track this bird down. With Warblers, it can be tricky. On a post a while back, I told you that I had been tracking one in a Cottonwood Tree along a canyon stream but had almost stepped on a Rattlesnake. Warblers hide well in the brush and one needs to be careful trying to get a clear shot of these beautiful birds as there is a lot hiding in the shade during a hot summer day:)
As I leave, I hear the Harris Hawk squack at sunset. What a nice treat!
Up up and away!
But more tomorrow....:)