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pamelawinter

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

We have a bluebird box under the eaves of our house and mom & dad come back each year to build at least three nests (the new one on top of the last one) for...
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We have a bluebird box under the eaves of our house and mom & dad come back each year to build at least three nests (the new one on top of the last one) for each nesting. Each nest has probably 2-3 new hatchlings. I caught this picture of the male leaving the box after feeding the nestlings.
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NIKON D850

settings

Aperture 56/10 ISO 2000 Shutter 1/8000 Focal Length 2000/10

location

Ocala, Florida, US

upload_date

Apr, 2022

Views

610

Likes

+98

Awards

Chatter Award

Contender in the Visual Poetry Project

Winner in One Bird In Flight Photo Challenge

Winner in Birds In the Air Photo Challenge

Top Pick Award

Halfway22 Award

Peer Award

+38

Absolute Masterpiece

+21

Top Choice

+12

Magnificent Capture

Superb Composition

Superior Skill

All Star

Outstanding Creativity

Virtuoso

Emotions

Impressed

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Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken in my front courtyard. We have a blue bird box under the eaves near the front door and a mated pair will raise 2 to 3 nests full of babies during the warmer seasons.

Time

This was taken in early to mid morning while the bird box is in full sun. Since bluebirds are naturally wary and move swiftly, I wanted to take as much advantage of the light as possible in order to freeze the action.

Lighting

This was full morning Florida sun in order to capture and freeze the action. I don’t think this picture would have been quite as successful if it had been overcast. I carefully metered for the sun and the shutter speed, set the camera to continuous high and hoped for the best.

Equipment

I love my Nikon D850 as it always exceeds my expectations! My lens is a Nikon 18-200 zoom, set to 200 mm (someday I’ll be able to afford a full frame lens). I knew it might take a while to capture what I envisioned so I opted for my older, heavyweight tripod rather than my travel tripod. I pointed the camera at the bird box, set the camera to shoot on continuous high and used a remote shutter release to minimize my movements.

Inspiration

We moved to this house over four years ago and had been watching the bird box during this time, learning the habits of the bluebirds. The angle of the box wouldn’t allow for any good shots to be taken of the parents entering or exiting the box so I strategized for a different entry/exit from a straight on position. This photo is a result of MANY failed photos.

Editing

I always fine tune my images with Lightroom Classic, Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), or Photoshop camera raw filter for white balance, exposure, contrast and white and black points. In this image I also removed the edge of the bird box from the lower left hand corner of the picture and brightened up the male’s orange chest. The blue color is truly stunning and I did nothing to enhance it.

In my camera bag

My Nikon D850, extra storage cards, a Nikon 18-200 mm zoom lens, a Sigma prime 50mm 2.4 lens, first generation lens baby lens, and various accessories such as extra lens and body caps, microfiber cleaning cloths and filters.

Feedback

I planned this shot at least a year in advance by knowing where the sun is at this time of year and trying various camera positions. I knew how close I could set up without disturbing the birds and I was prepared with a ton of patience and time. I had a lookout scout the birds’ positions while I kept my eye on the bird box. My scout had to tell me when the birds launched from their secondary post towards the box and if the birds had a tidbit for the babies. It was a thorough mix of careful planning and luck!

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pamelawinter

pamelawinter

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

We have a bluebird box under the eaves of our house and mom & dad come back each year to build at least three nests (the new one on top of the last one) for... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow pamelawinter

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We have a bluebird box under the eaves of our house and mom & dad come back each year to build at least three nests (the new one on top of the last one) for...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.