Painted Bunting

[Canon_Bob]

I shot this series a couple weeks ago. This was a particularly difficult shoot as this is a very timid bird. I waited in a location I had spotted them in the previous week for several hours. They made very brief appearances....usually just enough for 2 or 3 frames at a time. I pushed my gear to it's max with this series. I really need a larger lens than the 100-400L for these types of shoots, and sure wish I'd had the 600L with a 1.4x TC on it. I'm probably going after that lens this year, just a bit tough to swallow that price tag. Anyway, thought you all might enjoy these. I'm satisfied with them, considering the way I pushed my gear to shoot them.





Female:

[big baldo]

Those colors are amazing!!! Wow, really nice shots. Its great that you found these.:thumbsup:

[Bevb]

As i pick my chin up off the floor!! i never new such a beautiful bird existed, what gorgeous colours, im sure you are satisfied with them #2 is amazing, id definately want that one framed.
Nice thought on the 600mm, a big gun to carry around.

[readingr]

Wow,

You sure someone just didn't paint this chap? Looks stunning and it looks like you did really well without the 600mm.

Great shots

Roger

[Lava Lamp]

Sweeet. So far, I've only photographed a female. I've seen a male a few times, but never long enough to snap a shot.

[mjs1973]

Very nice shots. I have never seen a painted bunting before, and you captured them very well.

[Loupey]

It's hard to imagine a species being that colorful.

Excellent images all. I especially like #4.

[payn817]

Nothing to add, just want to echo the previous comments. Beautiful shots, if you get the 600mm be sure to let us see what you can do with it. I'm certain it would be impressive.

[paulnj]

I remember my first painted bunting and these images bring back those great memories. These images are outstanding Bob!

[Knight]

Congrats on the Featured Photo Bob

[Canon_Bob]

Thanks for the honor! I'm glad you liked them!

[WesternGuy]

Canon_Bob...great pictures. I did not know there were such colourful birds in North America. Those of us (me, anyway) in the Great White North think such colourful birds are confined to the tropics, so maybe Florida is subtropical(?). Still waiting for a lot of the summer birds to return, although did see some Trumpeter Swans recently, as they migrated through our area to the even further northern part of Canada.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[paulnj]

not trying to hijack, but this is my forum

Painted Buntings winter in florida for the most part(only US state to have them commonly winter) and are best found in the Texas area. I have seen one in NJ at Cape May, but that was a young misguided male.

They are indeed one of the most beautiful species in NORTH AMERICA, if not the most beautiful

[Jaedon]

I had never heard of them until this post and now I am glad that I have. Great shots bob. Patience is a virtue and you obviously tested yours and the rewards paid off in spades. Nice work. Thanks for sharing.

[Bevb]

Congrats Bob on feature photo.

[quetzal]

Those are great shots and congrats on the featured photo!
I've always wanted to photograph one, of course that won't happen up here in PA.

[theking]

I saw a beautiful bird this week. I described it to my sister-in-law (a serious bird watcher). She said it could be a Painted Bunting. I entered "Painted Bunting" in search engine.

Many pictures varied from very fuzzy to brilliantly beautiful. Yours are the best I found. I wonder why yours was on page 3, not up front.

Only improvement I can see using more powerful lens would be actually being able to see the bands on banded birds.

Look close. Check search engines.

LeRoy

[Canon_Bob]

Thanks for the compliments! These images were actually featured photos on this site a couple weeks ago. Forum threads eventually drift to the back of the forum list with time. These are very timid birds, and were not easy to shoot. I think a bigger lens would have really helped with clarity at higher resolutions.

Sadly, I must report that the area I shot these images in was destroyed by one of the many wildfires currently burning in Florida right now. I was down there yesterday, and it's just one big charred mess. We really need rain.

[wposloski]

Excellent shots! I was at exactly the same location on April 4th, 2007, 10:24 am. and have some pics very similar to yours. I was troubled to learn of the fires in the area. Was that particular location affected by the fire or did the fire hit areas near by?
Bill

[Canon_Bob]

That location survived (I was there again last week), but the area just outside the entrance got hit pretty good (inside the sanctuary). The real travesty is the draught. There is not one drop of water left in the lakes!

[Loupey]

Cool (same place, same time)! What a small place this world has become.

[Canon_Bob]

These were taken on the Corkscrew Swamp Audubon Sanctuary. Probably one of the more famous birding locations in SW Florida (and rightfully so). As I'm sure Bill can attest, these fellows are not particularly easy to shoot. They would make very brief apprearances, with long lulls in between. my series was shot over several hours of waiting. I'd bet money that Bill and I probably spoke to each other that day.

[etrig]

excellent photo's!! canon bob....Wow! those colors are amazing. what a beautiful bird. Your Patience was well worth the results. sorry to hear of the destruction from the fires..what a shame.But at least Mother Nature has a way of healing it's self.

Eric

[scott-devon]

Absolutely beautiful bird, never seen one. Great shots too! Here in Alberta I get excited over the colours of a wood duck or mallard...

[Canon_Bob]

Just an FYI all -

The USGS has asked permission to use these images for their new Painted Bunting site. I have granted them permission. They found them here on this forum!

Here's a link I was sent of their "beta" site. They will be adding credit to me, and a link to my site:

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/point/pabu/