As I was sitting in my backyard yesterday, as I often do, watching and photographing the birds, a blue jay flew into a tree at the edge of the yard. Blue jays are very intelligent birds. Did you know that they can mimic the calls of other birds? This particular blue jay made the call…

When our kids were young, it seemed that our yard was the place where all the neighborhood kids came to play. My wife was known as the “popsicle lady,” and our freezer was always filled with popsicles. Kids all over the neighborhood knew about it, so when they came to play at our house, they…

Yesterday, June 15th, I embarked on a birdtography adventure in Perry County, Ohio, where I encountered a fascinating bird: the willow flycatcher. Flycatchers can be quite challenging for me to identify, and I suspect many other birders find them difficult as well. This was certainly true for the pair of willow flycatchers that I was…

Have you ever said, “I didn’t get the shot because the light was bad”? I’m almost certain I’ve said that a time or two. However, there is no such thing as bad light—only misunderstood light. Instead of labeling light as bad light, perhaps we should refer to it as the wrong light for the shot…

Every year around this time, a little yellow bird pays a visit to my backyard. At first glance, you might think it’s an American goldfinch. However, take a closer look. Notice the black, pointed bill and the rounded body? The American goldfinch has a cone-shaped bill designed for eating seeds, so this bird is not…

During my birdtography adventure last week, I came across a pair of American black ducks swimming in a pool of water near the road. I used my car as a blind so not to scare them away. (for more on photographing from blinds, check out my birdtography column in the March/April 2025 issue of BWD…

This image of a tufted titmouse may appear natural, and in a way, it is. While the perch is real, the setup is completely staged. I found an interesting dead branch from a tree in my backyard and thought it would make a pleasing perch for bird photography. However, how can I entice a bird…

One of my guidelines for capturing birds in flight regarding wing position is: wings up or down, no “pancake” wings. The positions that usually look best are either wings up or wings down. The “pancake” or straight-out wing position does not add much depth to the image or showcase the intricate details of the wings.…