But, did you see birds?

Right about now, I can hear my birding friends saying, "Enough, already, with the tram ride and the boat ride and even the river. Didn't you take any bird photos while you were in the New River Gorge area?"

Here you are - the best of my bird pictures from last week:
Don't laugh and say, "It's just a robin." Good birders look at all the birds, even the common backyard ones. Nascent photographers like me appreciate robins because they are big enough, close enough, and patient enough to allow one to fiddle with the camera settings. This is my first bird portrait after attending Wil's 2 hour photography class, in Manual mode. Imagine what I could accomplish if I took one of his weekend workshops!

Studies in black, white, and shades of gray:

Carolina Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch

You all know whose hand this is.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

For my friend Lynne of Hasty Brook:

Turkey Vulture

an elusive singer, hiding in the bushes at Meadows House

Carolina Wren

How to photograph a flitty little bird:

Focus on the lichen-covered nest and wait.Set your camera on "continuous" mode and keep shooting.

Sooner or later, you get lucky.Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

At a bird banding, don't blink

or you'll miss the moment of release.

Good-bye to spring birding in the New River valley.

See you next year!

I'm already making plans for New River, 2011. Dates are May 2-7. Will you Flock with us?