Offerings at Sunrise
You all certainly know by now that early morning is my favorite time of the entire day. One of my absolute favorite parts of the early morning is when the sun makes it first appearance and its rays cast bright brilliant low light across the land or water. It is the kind of light that if you look directly at it you feel like it will blind you. When this light occurs I know that I am going to see colors as rich as anything I will ever see throughout the rest of the day. I try to position myself to take the best advantage possible of where the light will hit. As you have seen often in my images the background will look dark as ink because the light hasn’t lit that area up yet. I love that contrast - the light meeting the dark. The promise of another day…
Recently I went to Bullitt again and had an incredible morning of beautiful intense early morning light with birds in the most precious spots.
Come along with me as I share with you the offerings of this sunrise…
Moments before sunrise this little Song Sparrow landed so close to me that I was startled by him. I love these sweet little birds - always belting out their songs to greet the day. I missed the shot of him singing but he hopped over and landed even closer to me for this shot.
The sun lit up this stand of trees along the upper field just in time for me to see this female American Redstart. I have tried all season to get a shot of a female or male - and now finally I had my chance with the female.
As I continued along the path in the field I spotted this spectacular male Indigo Bunting in a spot I have willed them to be in all summer long… and here he was just waiting for me. I set up and started firing away - I could not believe my good fortune.
He was so comfortable in his spot that each time he turned away I crept a little closer. I can’t tell you how excited I was that he was so content on this perch. He was singing his heart out!
Spectacular…
Right after I took this shot he flew across the field…
I continued on along the path until I was along the edge of the woods. Instantly this little Phoebe landed right in front of me.
And then guess who flew in right above me?
And then my dear friends he flew off the branch and right behind me! I have wanted the opportunity for this type of shot all summer long with these gorgeous birds… I moved as quietly as possible slightly to my right to find a window to shoot through as all of the grasses are so high now. I was shooting almost directly into the sun but because I was on higher ground than him … it all worked.
Not only was he not bothered by me he then belted out his song… this was all so amazing!
And he wasn’t done! He then flew to my left and landed a further down below and stopped right where I have also wanted to see and photograph one… absolutely incredible.
He flew further down below me yet again for this last one shot of him. I still cannot believe that it all happened… better than a dream.
I turned around to walk back down the path when I heard the unmistakable buzzing sound of Cedar Waxwings and then spotted a couple!
Two more -
A little further along the path I was at just the right angle to have that ink black background in another spot that the sun had not reached yet … I could not believe my good luck.
He then flew down into the tangled mess of grasses and bushes for breakfast and scored!
And then for my last shot of the morning - down the hatch! It was time to head back through the field into the woods -
I’ll end this post with you coming along with me for a portion of the wooded path…