Life-Lister

In general, there are three types of photos I take: artistic pictures, reference plates, and desperation shots.

The artistic pictures are those that are composed (mostly) in the viewfinder. They bring together the bird—or birds—and the other elements surrounding the bird in a well-balanced whole.

The “reference plates” are those that focus on the bird itself, in hopes of crisply capturing all the elements that distinguish it from others of its kind. Possible candidates for a bird book.

Finally, the desperation shots are those I fire off as quickly as possible, in hopes of identifying a bird I don’t recognize. (Usually with the desperation shots, my pulse quickens and my adrenaline shoots up, so I’m doing whatever I can just to make sure the bird is in the frame.)

Today I took all three types of pictures. I’ll share the other two in the next couple of posts, but today I want to show a couple of desperation shots that turned out fairly well.

At this time of year I’m on the lookout for migrating warblers, and other birds. Today, while talking with one of my “pond buddies” I saw a yellow flash in a near-by oak. (Sorry, R., I got absorbed.) A quick check with my binoculars showed me this was something I had not seen before. I fired off a number of shots, following the bird as best as I could.

When I got home and downloaded the pictures, it truly was something I’d never seen before; it took a while to identify it: a Palm Warbler. A new bird for my life list.

Often desperation shots are something I reference, just to make an ID, but never plan on posting. But I thought these two were worthy of a post.

As I say, not quite the quality I usually post (not happy about the twig in front of the bird in the second picture), but I’m pleased enough to share these two.

I’m adding Palm Warbler to my list of birds seen around Seagroves Pond. If you have a few minutes, take a look at all the birds you can see in our corner of the world!