Nothing beats getting close to the birds with a zoom lens

I debate myself on whether I more enjoy birding itself or my photography while doing so. I’ve come to realize that for me, those two aspects are the yin and yang of my excursions.

My enjoyment of birding increased considerably once I locked my Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary zoom lens onto my Canon SL2 camera. It brought me so much closer to the birds, a huge help in making in-the-field identifications of species. I revisit the joy of the day’s birding experiences when I return home and pull up the images on my computer screen.

This morning, I photographed exactly one bird: the pileated woodpecker that tops this post. I heard it hammering along the blue trail at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton. I took photos of the woodpecker from one side of a tree and then walked past it to shoot from the other side. The bird seemed unconcerned that I was nearby, likely because he’d found what he was looking for in a cavity in the tree.

On Saturday, I drove to the Dyson Tract area along the Delaware & Raritan Canal. Once I parked, I immediately spotted a red-tailed hawk perched in a tree at the edge of the lot. The sun was shining brightly, and I was able to get off several shots, one of which resulted in a tight headshot that I would never have been able to get without the zoom lens.

Earlier in the week, I was lucky to spot a Northern harrier perched on a bird box relatively close to one of the main trails. She was turning her head back and forth, and my best shot was one of her seemingly staring directly at me.

The unseasonably warm and sunny weather we’ve had recently is about to end, as a rainstorm coming up the East Coast is supposed to start dumping on us any hour now and last into the morning. I doubt I’ll be able to get out then before work, but at least I have these recent images to remind me how much I love birding and photography. As with one’s children, it’s impossible to pick a favorite.