Note—this is merely a simple statement of fact, purely an observation, and most definitely not a complaint…but it just took me an hour to finish my light lunch because of the goldfinches. They were working a patch of mixed coneflowers and what's left to the Oswego tea located about 20 yards from the deck. I constantly had to put my food down in favor of the binoculars. Sometimes, having just taken bite, I got so engrossed I forgot to chew.
What can I say—I just love goldfinches! Love their color, their acrobatic feeding behavior, and their constant musical chatter. How can you not? By any standards they're just gorgeous. Especially the males, with their brilliant yellow bodies, black caps, and shiny black wings with white trim.
If they were uncommon, they'd be a prize eagerly sought by birders across the nation. Yet the fact they're widespread and easy to locate makes them no less delightful. Life's riches are found in the ordinary. And in the end, I guess that's what so attracts me…for watching a handful of goldfinches is finding a bird treasure in your own backyard.
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10 comments:
Oh, this photograph, and Monday's one, are exquisite, Grizz! Superb.
Another fabulous shot, Grizz, and I love these backgrounds you're are getting. I, too, love the goldfinches, though I often find them more unapproachable than some other species. Out of curiosity, I would like to know what focal length you are using for these shots. As I recall, you often shoot with a 200mm.
Lovely, glad you took time to take the photo in between all those distractions.
Solitary…
Thank you, though I'm not sure it's possible to make a bad goldfinch photo. Perhaps you remember, a couple of winters back you and I had some confusion over our two "goldfinches"…different birds, same common name. This is a prime example of mine in full summer attire. Interestingly, the American Goldfinch is the only finch that molts its feather twice—once in late spring and again in late fall. Their winter dress is somewhat duller, but still colorful against the muted landscape.
BTW, I was reading and enjoying your Doddington Hall post this morning, and will be looking forward, in a not-too-distant post, to hearing how you like your new camera. Also, I keep meaning to tell you how much I like your lovely header pix.
so lovely lovely-I also would be in attention conflict-good sandwich versus good bird.I guess the only time it is a perfect combination is a turkey sandwich.
George…
Thank you, and especially for mentioning the backgrounds. I try to pay attention to what's behind my subjects, even if I'm shooting fairly wide open and know it will be rendered little more than a colorful smear.
Last year I purchased a used Nikkor 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6 ED IF lens. This is a good lens, though not expensive; as I recall, I paid about $350. It has pretty much replaced my 70-200. However, my 105 macro is a tad sharper. This particular shot was made at 400 ISO, at f5.6 and 1/90th of a sec. (handheld). The lens was extended to 220mm, which factoring in the digital crop factor, works out to about 330mm. The goldfinch was about between 8-9 feet from where I was sitting.
This shot has been slightly cropped (by me, not the digital/lens factor) from the original. I'm still shooting my 6MP D-70 (from the Pleistocene epoch) so I'm sorely limited as to my cropping capabilities. Even so, almost every shot I post is cropped, usually to "square" it up, but also to improve composition.
Long lenses aren't cheap; in fact, are unaffordable. I keep hoping to buy a seriously better (more megapixels) camera so I can crop and use a smaller portion of the image and not sacrifice too much quality. Every time I accumulate the cash, something comes up—the well pump goes out, medical bills, etc. Last year Moon-the-Dog had to have her surgery which, as would be the case for any family member, took precedence over a new camera. A couple of months later, I spent it again for Myladylove's Christmas gift iPod.
I'm not complaining, mind you. My old D-70 is still doing a pretty good job and one of these days I'll manage that new camera.
A couple of years ago, friend and fellow-father-in-law, Rich, who's a PhotoShop whiz, gave me a copy Elements as a Christmas gift. I began seriously fiddling with it last year. I'm now using it for most of my images, though I'm capable of only the most rudimentary skills. Here's exactly what I do on almost every photo I post:
I first crop the image (yes, the books say to crop last, but too many years of darkroom work has habituated me otherwise), then tweak the lighting, remove dust spots, and sharpen if possible (always missing those megapixels!) Though Rich has tried to walk me through layer masks and such, I have repeatedly forgotten the procedures and Rich has since moved to Florida. I do have manuals, and one of these days I must study them. It's quite possible I my learn a few things.
So that's it, essentially—other than a few minor tweaks—what you see is what I saw and tried to capture. But the truth is, on this shot, the bird was close and the setting colorful; all I had to do was point and shoot.
Penny…
Glad you like the shot. However, honesty compels me to say I actually made this image a week or so back—still in my yard, though a different flower bed than the one I was watching today. I know better than to shuffle food, drinks, and cameras…else I'd eventually end up with a glop of mayonnaise on my lens, or a glug of soda down my shutter.
AfromTO…
Oooeee…that's just awful! ;-)
Thank you, I think.
hey what's wrong with a good turkey sandwich?
AfromTO…
Not a thing. Couple inch-thick slices of whole wheat, a layer of sliced tomato, plenty of onion, lettuce, slather on some spicy brown mustard, add about 6-8 oz. of smoked turkey…pretty good eats to tide a feller over til suppertime.
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