West Desert male Mountain Bluebird, Tooele County, UtahWest Desert male Mountain Bluebird – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

It is always lovely to have a male Mountain Bluebird like this one I found in the West Desert in my viewfinder because they rival the color of the sky overhead. The bright but soft morning light seemed to amplify his bright turquoise-blue color three days ago while I was wandering around the West Desert in my Jeep.

Yes, I know his feathers aren’t really blue. His brown feathers look blue because of the phenomenon called light scattering where light waves interact with the feathers and their arrangement of protein molecules, called keratin. In other words, blue is a structural color in blue birds.

That information is interesting but as a bird photographer it really isn’t important to me. I see a blue bird. My camera records a blue bird for each of the images I take of any blue birds. That is what matters to me.

This Mountain Bluebird was perched on a fence post near a cattle guard and road grading equipment when I photographed him. It was chilly that morning and that is probably why this male had his feathers puffed up. The bluebird did call softly as I photographed him.

I was surprised because I didn’t see or hear a female bluebird nearby. I rarely see male Mountain Bluebirds by themselves. It is their breeding season and I have been looking forward to photographing pairs of Mountain Bluebirds as they go about nesting and raising their young.

Just the thought of finding Mountain Bluebirds fledglings on the wing is enough to me smile. I think that Mountain Bluebirds are delightfully enchanting and I adore having them in my viewfinder.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Mountain Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.