Male Mountain Bluebird perched on mullein – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I haven’t had many bluebirds in my viewfinder this spring so when this adult male Mountain Bluebird perched on mullein showed up last week I was happy to photograph it. I photographed this bluebird in the Wasatch Mountains not long after I photographed the baby Uinta Ground Squirrels I shared here yesterday. There was also an adult female bluebird in the area but I was never able to get focused on her.
Both Mountain Bluebirds appeared to be on the hunt for prey and hopefully that means they are feeding their young of the year somewhere near where I photographed this male. I’ve photographed Mountain Bluebird fledglings as early as the middle of June in the same general area which means I need to start looking for them to show up when I go back into the mountains.
While I had this male bluebird in my view he used several perches. This Common Mullein flower stalk was the closest perch he landed on. The dead flower stalks of Common Mullein last for several years and can be interesting natural perches for my birdy subjects. Some native birds feed on the seeds of this introduced wildflower while other birds look for insects on the leaves, flowers and stalks. Some birds, like this male Mountain Bluebird, simply use the tall flower stalks as handy perches.
As I photographed this male Mountain Blue I was also delighted to listen to him softly calling to his mate.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Mountain Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.
Nice shot!
Thank you. And thank you for that beautiful call too.
Beautiful color capture with your usual tack sharp detail!
We kids used to play with mullein stalks – they made perfect swords, staffs, and magic wands. For I while I firmly believed my mom’s story that fairies lived in the little flower capsules along the stalk. Glad to see the bluebird taking advantage of this wide-open perch.
It is amazing the colors birds come in!
That pop of blue is so striking. He looks like he’s been working hard to feed his young. I hope you get to see the fledglings!