Brown Creeper blur – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/200, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I have a few nemesis bird species where I have taken images of them but the photos are flat out awful or just long distance documentary images that I wouldn’t post in my photo galleries or on my blog. They are the birds I dream about, sit and think about and work hard at getting better photos of them. I study their behaviors, take note of their habitat and try to learn as much about them as I can in an effort to finally get the photos of them that I want.
Yesterday I tried to take photos of a Brown Creeper I spotted in a mountain mahogany which are of one my my nemesis species and once again I failed. The Brown Creeper flew in and landed on the mahogany and oddly enough was chased up the small tree by a chipmunk which seemed to make this already speedy little bird even speedier. Trying to track the creeper moving that fast was a huge challenge made even more difficult because the creeper and the chipmunk were on the shady side of the tree. Adding to the challenge is the fact that Brown Creepers blend in so well with textures and colors of tree bark that even when they are right in front of you they can sometimes seem to disappear.
When the creeper reached the top of the small mahogany it left the ridiculously friendly chipmunk behind and flew to the base of another mahogany that was nearby. I thought that the speed demon creeper might slow down because it wasn’t being chased up the tree by a cute little rodent. I was wrong, if anything the creeper seemed to move up the second tree trunk even faster than the first.
I locked on, got a few horrible images of the Brown Creeper in the deep shadows of the tree and then it moved into better light. I held my breath and thought I was finally going to get a decent image of one of my nemesis birds.
What I got was a horrible blur because the creeper lifted off, my camera focused on the tree not the creeper and my shutter speed couldn’t match the speed of the incredibly fast little bird. This might be one of the worst photos I have ever shared here in the nine years I have been publishing my blog.
But…
Crappy images like this blurry Brown Creeper make me more determined to get the photos I want, that I salivate over and dream about. I am now more committed to getting quality images of Brown Creepers and if it takes me sitting with my camera at this spot from sunrise to sunset for days at a time… so be it. I’ve got this.
Life is good.
Mia
I have the same experience with the tiny Superb Fairy-wrens, but now they come to my balcony garden, I’m getting more and more practice without having to leave home and I win some (more than I lose).
We need a challenge once in a while to keep us fired up!
They are hard, they seem to always be on the shadow side of the tree. I can’t believe I actually got a good photo of one this summer at Silver Lake . It made me very happy!
Good luck.
Lots of good luck.
Mia, did just about the same thing this past Oct.18th. Was up our Mt Lemmon in the Santa Catalina’s, about 9000 ft. Flock of Chickadees in the Lodgepole Pines. Whoa, a Brown Creeper flew in low obviously hanging out with his flock buddies. I took about three steps towards the target tree, put my camera up, and bingo, he was gone. I hung in and waited, and waited, and waited. Never actually came into camera view again. It was like he was teasing me. Down, up, flit and hide! Little monkey. Even the Chickadees were trying to play that same game. I had to laugh. So I just privately enjoyed it all too. Ha ha! Luv K.
I agree with Tim Traver…..very artful! You WILL get that shot, I just know it.
Very artful…head shot. Found art! Frame this.
So sorry! Such a tough bird to get – had to delete the poor shots I got a few years back. Haven’t seen one since! I’m confident you will win this one!
Bummer — that’s got to be incredibly frustrating! I know you’ll get this one, Mia!
We all have ’em, Mia. Until recently, one mine was Say’s Phoebe. I have others. It can drive you nuts but it’s also what makes this game fun. I suspect that if it were easy we wouldn’t be doing it.