Bunting Bonanza

Another fantastic day, surpassing yesterday due to brighter overcast conditions which allowed for faster shutter speeds. Buntings were the stars of the show.... amazingly cooperative, so I spent the entire day photographing them. I shot well over a thousand photos and ended up with a few that I'm very happy with!

Photo 1: Indigo Bunting fanning tail
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x TC; 580EX flash
ISO 400; 1/400s @ f/8; fill flash at -1 2/3


Photo 1: Painted Bunting on grass
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x TC; 580EX flash
ISO 640; 1/320s @ f/8; fill flash at -1 2/3

Photo 3: Common Yellowthroat
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x TC; 580EX flash
ISO 400; 1/50s @ f/8; fill flash at -1 2/3

Texas coast migrants

Indigo Bunting (male)

EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x TC
ISO 800; 1/250s @ f/5.6

The last few days rank among the best migrant shooting I've ever experienced. The most colorful characters - Indigo Buntings and Scarlet Tanagers - were so cooperative! The light was dreary, the color saturation rich, and the shutter speeds painfully slow. I shot at least a thousand images today. Most were blurry, but the few that worked out are gems..... best I've shot of these species. I'm crossing my fingers that the next few days are as half as good!

Warbling Vireo
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 1.4x TC
ISO 400; 1/640s @ f/5.6


Scarlet Tanager (male)
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x TC
ISO 800; 1/50s @ f/8


Scarlet Tanager (male)
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x TC
ISO 640; 1/40s @ f/8


Dickcissel (male)
EOS 1DsIII; 500/4IS & 2x TC
ISO 640; 1/100s @ f/8