While up in the high country of the Wasatch Mountains yesterday morning, I was delighted to photograph this immature Lazuli Bunting with ripe serviceberries.
Immature Lazuli Bunting with ripe serviceberries – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/400, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Because there was plenty of snow last winter combined with a wet spring, there are plenty of serviceberries this year. Last year due to the drought, there were very few. I’m very happy to see so many serviceberries this summer.
At this time of year, Lazuli Buntings and other migratory songbirds are gorging on ripe, juicy serviceberries to prepare for their fall migration.
This immature Lazuli Bunting perched on the lower serviceberry branch and reached up to grab berries from the branch above. At the time I was photographing the young bunting, I honestly didn’t realize how vivid the blue sky was until I went home and began to edit the image.
I saw other birds feasting on the ripened serviceberries yesterday morning and heard quite a few more hidden in the shrubs that I couldn’t see. These serviceberries are a natural bird attractant this time of the year.
It felt marvelous to get back into the mountains yesterday – to feel the cool morning air on my skin and to get away from the unnatural human-made noises I hear living in a city.
I’ve been feeling a bit out of sync with the seasons of nature here since my return to Utah. I know I just need to get out into it more, so I can feel and experience the natural rhythms and absorb the seasonal changes that occur. Perhaps by the time fall arrives, I will feel more in sync. I sure hope so.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Lazuli Bunting photos plus facts and information about this species.
The bunting is perfectly framed by all the service berries and leaves — and that blue, blue sky!
I am so glad, for the birds and for you, that the service berries are plentiful this year. And yes, that is an incredibly blue sky.
Wonderful you got out and so good to see so many berries. I might break a rental rule and go up next week but not go all the way through. I am trying to get Jon to look at buying a 4-runner, but they are so expensive.