After the sleet, ice, and snow from the recent winter storm, I was thrilled to have a Purple Finch in my viewfinder for a bit—even though it was bitter cold.
Male Purple Finch after a snowstorm – Canon R7, f8, 1/2000, ISO 800, +0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
I saw a low of 13°F yesterday morning, and when I went outside to watch or photograph birds, I wasn’t out there for long.
But I couldn’t resist trying to photograph the birds in the snow because, well, snow. It doesn’t happen here all that often, so when it does, I’m going to take full advantage of the snow.
Purple Finch male on a bright winter day – Canon R7, f8, 1/2500, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
The snow tempted quite a few Purple Finches to visit the seed feeders, and I was ready for them, camera in hand.
I’ve been waiting to have these gorgeous male Purple Finches in my viewfinder since I left Virginia in 2001. I never saw this species in Utah, Montana, and Idaho, but I did see Cassin’s Finches, which look a bit similar.
Male Purple Finch checking out the feeder – Canon R7, f8, 1/2500, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
Watching and photographing the male Purple Finches was fun yesterday, even though the temp was so low. I saw one male get into a squabble with an American Goldfinch that I wish I could have recorded on video, but by then, my fingers were going numb, and I had to get back inside to warm up.
Oh, by the way, the background of all these photos is snow, shaded by the long winter shadows of some of the pine trees in the yard.
Female Northern Cardinal and male Purple Finch face off – Canon R7, f8, 1/2000, ISO 800, +0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
But as my luck would have it, I did take photos of a female Northern Cardinal and a male Purple Finch facing off over the seed feeder! The female cardinal flew off before the finch, in case you were wondering.
Maybe I will get outside today to photograph more birds with snowy backgrounds. The temp is in the single digits here and with the windchill it feels like -2°F. That may need to warm up a bit!
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Purple Finch photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here to see more of my Northern Cardinal photos plus facts and information about this species.
Wonderful series of pics. I don’t recall seeing images of the Purple Finch before. What a beautiful bird. The detail in these shots is marvelous. Thanks Mia.