I finally took a few photos of a perched male Painted Bunting that I am happy with at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge two days ago.
Perched male Painted Bunting at Tishomingo NWR – Nikon D500, f10, 1/250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Okay, maybe I am only moderately happy with them. I wish the bunting were perched on something not quite so distracting as the bright, dead branches seen in my image.
*For full disclosure, I did remove a bright, out of focus, branch tip at the bottom edge of this image to the right of the bunting’s tail because I found it distracting.
I have been focusing on getting images of this species since I arrived in Arkansas in April and then Oklahoma after I drove down here. So far, these Painted Buntings have been a little skittish and elusive for me.
Seeing them though? It is a visual delight.
They almost seem surreal. I can verify that these birds are real, living beings.
This wasn’t the only brightly colored bird I saw that morning. In the same area of the refuge where I photographed this handsome bunting, I found someone’s escaped budgie. That budgie was bright green and yellow. I wish I could have captured the parakeet, but it didn’t come close to me at all.
I took more images of this male Painted Bunting, and later on in the day, one that was down on the gravel road exhibiting some kind of mating behavior. When I get a chance to edit those images, I hope to share them here.
In the meantime, I hope to photograph more gorgeous Painted Buntings in the days to come.
Life is good.
Mia
I will add a gallery for this species when I have time. For now, check out my bird photo galleries here.
What an incredibly beautiful Bunting. Looks like a bird you might expect to find in a more exotic environment like the Amazon or some tropical island…but in good old Oklahoma? How cool is that? Wonderful pic. Thanks Mia.
What a delightful little bird! Beautiful colors.
She is a very lovely bird. I have seen a few of them at the foot of the mountains near water areas. They are just flying from one area to another, so never get to see them resting. With the cold winters in my area the budgie do not last in the wild so sad.
Nature is wonderful. You never get anyplace by playing it safe!
He’s so colorful! Imagine a flock of them and the bursts of color! So glad you were able to get this!
Breathtaking!
Gorgeous is the word for him. Looking forward to many more reminders of just how spectacular Nature is. Thanks!
What a glorious little bird. I am looking forward to seeing more of them.
I hope the budgie survives. I can remember seeing and delighting in a flock of wild budgies near one of our homes many years ago.