May 8, 2016 - Texas - Northern Cardinal
Read MoreHere is a female Cardinal drinking from a pool of water. It was taken at a shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second. That speed allowed me to capture a stream of water as she lifted her head. Also, look closely at her eye. It’s half covered by her nictitating membrane, a second eyelid that most birds have. It moves vertically across the eye and is somewhat transparent. Birds use this membrane when they need eye protection but still want to see clearly.
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The Cardinals’ diet is varied but they eat mostly seeds, insects, and berries. Cardinals are permanent residents in almost all of the eastern United States and in southern Arizona. Here in Minnesota, their range has been slowly expanding to the north. They are regularly seen in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, only about 15 miles from our home. We are hoping that they will soon find us and we will be able to count them among our yard birds.
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Light can be so important when taking nature photos. We had a situation right before dusk that put the background in shadows but kept a shaft of light illuminating this cactus. The result was a photo that looks like it was taken in a studio with a black curtain in the back and a spotlight on the bird.
This photo of a male Cardinal, in the light I described above, is one of my favorites from the whole workshop.
I have more Cardinal photos in my “Texas Photography Workshop” gallery. Here's a link to that gallery. When you get there, click on the Cardinal photo. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Trips/Texas-Photo-Workshop-Feb-2016/n-4pq9dr
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