It isn’t often that I am able to get close enough to a Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay that my only option is to take closeup portraits of them yet that is precisely what happened to me two days ago. In fact this has never happened to me before.
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay portrait in junipers – Nikon D500, f10, 1/320, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I’m certain I could get a shot like this at a feeder but I very rarely photograph at feeders so this was a rare occurrence for me. I do wish that the bright, out of focus juniper branch at the left side of the frame hadn’t been there because I feel it draws my eye away from the scrub-jay momentarily and that the sun hadn’t been quite so high.
Still, I love looking at this Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay’s eye, feathers and even the rictal bristles near the bill. The out of focus juniper in the background does not bother me nor does the patch of blue sky at the upper left side of the frame.
This bird was so close that I thought my images of it might be not quite sharp because I thought it might be closer to me than the minimum focusing distance of my lens but I think it was just outside of that limit since the bird is quite sharp.
Who knows, maybe I will get luckier the next time I have a Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay fly in so close.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay photos plus facts and information about this species.
Magnificent. What a perfect shot! Thanks Mia.
Absolutely beautiful! I miss the scrub jay family that used to nest in my neighbor’s bamboo.
Your portraits always blow me away.
It’s a great shot. At first glance, I thought it was a carving or a metal mold. The light is glancing off the feathers and bringing out every detail. The extraneous things in the background are insignificant.
OMGosh…..no, the juniper branch did not draw my eyes away from this gorgeous portrait. I actually had to look at the photo again to see the branch you were talking about.
Excellent photo! Love the layering of the feathers and all the details!
Wow! It’s an amazing shot and your juniper bush was NOT a distraction.
WOW! Simply stunning!