Black and White Warbler - May 2012

What a difference a week makes! With this beautiful bout of spring weather we have been having, I focused on my garden that badly needed some attention.  All the while, I have been thinking about the birds returning to us.  Finally, yesterday I put aside all else to enjoy a very hot day in the woods.

I was not disappointed. While the birds are not all back, there were certainly enough to heighten my senses. The Black and While Warblers were everywhere, when there were none to be seen last week. Just like that! They are back!

I decided to photograph the birds with manual settings yesterday.  It is a real challenge but adds another interesting dimension to the process. It really made me more aware of the available lighting.

Most of the time I found my images either over exposed or under exposed but, then again, this is only my first try at this. Birds do not stay in one spot very long and every time they move, there is the need for a different setting.

Back light requires one setting, dark undercover requires another setting and so on. Amidst all of the setting changes, the birds just keep moving.  I have been shooting with aperture priority to this point and the next time I am out, I will alternate between the manual and AV to see which yields the best results.

The joy of seeing the first wave of warblers return to us was priceless. The thrill of seeing the little familiar birds trumped all of the juggling with the camera.

Now, it is going to be harder to work away at the garden just knowing that the woods are filling up again. However, there are other things that must be done, unfortunately.

This will just sweeten the experience when I do get an opportunity to take my watch off and experience the freedom of the birds.