Adult Sage Thrasher perched on top of a sumac – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Eleven days ago I photographed an adult Sage Thrasher regurgitating the seed of a sumac berry that was so close I could barely fit the thrasher in the frame. Earlier this month I shared a portrait of this same adult thrasher that was taken before it hopped up on top of the sumac. At first the thrasher just perched quietly on the shrub and I was delighted to take such frame filling images of the bird.
All of the images in this post are full frame and simply resized for web presentation.
Sage Thrasher with its bill open – Nikon D500, f10, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
When I saw the Sage Thrasher opening its bill through my viewfinder I hoped that I would be able to photograph it regurgitating a sumac seed so I locked on and started firing a long burst.
I have a 64GB XQD as my primary memory card in my Nikon D500 and with that I never have to worry about my camera buffer filling up when I take long bursts of images like I used to do with some of my previous camera bodies.
When I am this tight on the bird I do have to worry about any movement that might cause me to clip the feet of my subject. That did happen a few times with this thrasher. Fortunately while the Sage Thrasher was in the midst of bringing up the seed I was able keep my camera steady.
Sage Thrasher after regurgitating a sumac seed – Nikon D500, f10, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
For some reason the Sage Thrasher held the sumac seed at the tip of its bill for several seconds after regurgitating it.
I think it is interesting that sumac seeds are almost the same color of red that berries are, they might be a few shades darker.
Sage Thrasher with a Fragrant Sumac seed in its bill – Nikon D500, f10, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Fragrant Sumacs provide food for butterflies and bees when they are in bloom and during the fall when the berries are ripe they attract birds and small mammals. Sage Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds and Townsend’s Solitaires are among the birds that eat the berries. The foliage turns orange and red at this time of the year and I enjoy photographing birds among the brightly colored leaves.
After this last photo was taken the Sage Thrasher dropped the seed from its bill and flew off to join the other thrashers that were in the area that were congregating on another shrub.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Sage Thrasher photos plus facts and information about this species.
Another subtle charmer, exercising the better out and than principle. And no thanks to Marty for today’s first earworm.
Almost seems like the Sage Thrasher was checking out the seed. So interesting that he didn’t just “let it go.” (Apologies for the earworm.)