Black-headed Grosbeak in the Garden
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Some friends of mine have a yard that is an absolute haven for birds. The morning I took this photograph I stood in their garden for a half-hour, not camouflaged, but also careful to remain relaxed and unobtrusive. I watched as the trees, bushes, and feeders came alive around me. Here are some of the birds I saw in that half-hour: Anna’s Hummingbirds, doves, robins, Steller’s Jays, Western Scrub-jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Western Tanagers, nuthatches, finches, and more. Pictured here is a male Black-headed Grosbeak.
I need to ask my friends directly how they’ve cultivated such an abundance of birds. There are some things I know already. Located just outside of town, their property backs up to a stand of trees that includes both deciduous and coniferous species. (I’m pretty sure Black-headed Grosbeaks prefer mature deciduous trees.) Their son, who is a landscape architect, helped fill their yard with native plants. My friends have also lived in this house for decades. Over the years, they’ve curated a place that is hospitable to birds and other wildlife, including filling feeders with black-oil sunflower seed. My friends mark time by the arrival of the brilliant yellow Evening Grosbeaks, which return each spring and stay all too briefly—two weeks? maybe a month?—on their way to some other hospitable place up the bird road.
Location: Silverton, Oregon
Date: May 18, 2021
Exposure: 1/800 second, f/9, ISO 4000
Focal Length: 850 mm
Gear:
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary with a 1.4x teleconverter