hover-glean: when prey is gleaned from a surface while the foraging bird is airborne
A Field Guide to Warblers of North America
I’ve been trying my hand at bird photography recently, and I’ve learned one major thing – it’s hard. Somehow, I don’t think that will come as a revelation to anyone. Many of the pictures I’ve taken are, at the very least, identifiable as to what species it depicts. But sharp focus is still a very elusive prey. And I still don’t know enough about the camera and photographic principles to make needed adjustments to the settings.
But even so, you can still get lucky sometimes. I was trying to capture a Magnolia Warbler at the end of a branch, when it started hover-gleaning. I was actually able to get several pictures in-flight, and even though they aren’t in perfect focus, I think they’re my favorite shots to date.
The funny thing is that I had no idea the warbler actually nabbed something until I was reviewing the pictures!
Tags: bird behavior, warblers
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September 26th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Photography is fun because few of us are ever happy with the photographs we take! It’s a constant learning curve.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:25 am
These are great action shots of the Magnolia Warbler Grant, especially that last one with the wings spread and the worm in its mouth! You will find many times that you have captured something on film that you didn’t see when shooting the picture. Like Mick said too, it is a constant learning curve. Your photographs will get better and better as you learn.
September 27th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Thanks Mick and Larry, I’m certainly looking forward to practicing it more!
September 28th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Lovely shots!
September 28th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
…pretty cool…great stop-action photography!
September 28th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Nice shots- and nice job by the warbler in finding that morsel and snatching it!
September 29th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Great captures for you AND for the warbler. Lucky to have the opportunity to observe and better yet to capture it. Thanks for sharing.
October 1st, 2010 at 6:53 am
Nice job, Grant! The light coming through the bird’s wings is particularly nice, but i really like the blur effect in the first one as well.
I can empathize with the PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS IS NOT FOR SISSIES feeling – if only the little critters would stand still!
October 1st, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Thanks, all. But judging from most of my results thus far, it’s definitely beginner’s luck!
October 2nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
A suspenseful series. Not sure why, but I really like the second photograph.
October 4th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Great photographs! The magic of photograph is the ability to freeze these amazing, fleeting moments. Without photography, such moments could never be fully examined, understood, or even appreciated. The verbal description of hover-gleaning is great, but the behavior is best described through your pictures (after all, a picture tells a thousand words…), thanks for sharing!