Now that spring has arrived, our winter visitors here in Calgary will soon be leaving and one particular bird that I will miss more than others is the humble Common Redpoll.
From a photographer’s point of view they are pretty much a dream subject: they are fairly common, like to perch in the open, will happily feed on sunflower seed & so are readily attractable, they but above all else their gorgeous crimson crowns and carmine breasts (on the males) are really striking against a wintry backgrounds such as snow, frost and even the brown of leafless shrubbery. Indeed, the Redpoll/winter combination is just begging to adorn a greeting card!
In terms of photography tips, I’d recommend shooting at no less than 1/400 shutter-speed with your lens wide open (lowest f-stop) to soften the background, and try & get an uncluttered background with as few branches as possible so that all eyes are focused on your subject.
If you can find a background that includes some complimenting red (there’s a common shrub around here in winter whose branches turn a bright red, but I forget the name) then that’s even better!
So all of that said, here’s a selection of my winter 2012/13 Redpoll shots that I hope you will enjoy!
Thanks Charlotte! Enjoy them while they stick around; all my visitors left last week 🙁
Thanks, Pierre – I understand this was a bumper year for CORE in Calgary as well. It’s nice to get spoiled!
Thanks, Heather – indeed it is Dogwood!
Beautiful photos, Tim! The very few Common Redpolls I have left at my feeders are getting very rosy in color!
Is Dogwood the shrub you are thinking of? Nice photos. I think they are an attractive bird because of their head shape and fine beak, not unlike chickadees. They are cute and entertaining in their feistiness at the feeder!
Wonderful essay, fantastic photos! We’ve seen quite a few of the CORE in the Vancouver area this winter, but I expect they are already on their trip north to reach their breeding grounds.