I have no data to prove it, but when it comes to getting photos of the most colorful birds on my outings, I usually hear them before I see them. That’s true for cardinals, blue jays, Northern yellow warblers, indigo buntings, and blue grosbeaks.
At the Pole Farm this morning, I heard several indigo buntings plus a number of prairie warblers, none of which I was able to spot, let alone photograph. But I got lucky with the handsome blue grosbeak topping this post. I found him walking up the central trail from the Cold Soil Road parking lot, in the fields where I often hear them singing.
For once, however, I spotted the grosbeak without it making a sound. It was perhaps 15 yards to the left of me, at eye level, perched on a slender tree limb with leaves surrounding it and green grasses beyond. To my wonder, it sat still for a time, allowing me quietly to back into position to get as clear a shot as possible.
I crop most of my bird photos, putting the emphasis on the bird. It’s rare for me to post a full-frame shot, as I did with this one today. The blue bird with the rusty wing bars was nicely situated amid the greenery. So I stuck with the in situ composition I saw through the viewfinder. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 