American Goldfinch Staking His Claim

[canonloader]

Hey! You guys see this flower? ? ?
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/goldfinch/gallery/album1/large/goldfinch-sunflower-img_9131-071107.jpg

It's mine, all mine...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/goldfinch/gallery/album1/large/goldfinch-sunflower-img_9137-071107.jpg

I don't want you messing with my flower...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/goldfinch/gallery/album1/large/goldfinch-sunflower-img_9141-071107.jpg

I'll be watching...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/goldfinch/gallery/album1/large/goldfinch-sunflower-img_9143-071107.jpg

[downywp]

Very cute!:);) ...I don't have sunflowers anymore, the squirrels always trash them.:(

[canonloader]

Thanks Downy. I planted some, but they didn't come up or got choked out by weeds first. This one is from a seed one of the birds must have dropped and it grew. :)

[morehtml]

Nice flower and bird. A bit harsh light.

[Cooper911]

The light is exceptionally harsh but under the circumstances I think you have done well and conveyed a story through these cute captures. Sometimes we just can't pick our light can we? When the situation presents itself..."shoot first, and PP later". Nice work.

[canonloader]

Thanks Allen and Cooper. When I first saw the birds interested in this flower, I didn't have the camera set up. By the time I got it, they were gone and I waited another 3 hours for them to come back. By then, the whole thing was backlit. :)

Here's a couple more from this morning.
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/goldfinch/gallery/album1/large/goldfinch-sunflower-img_9479-071507.jpg

http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/goldfinch/gallery/album1/large/goldfinch-sunflower-img_9480-071507.jpg

[elfieh]

That is very cute and a great story. Great detail on flowers!
Thanks Mitch for sharing!:)

Elfie

[canonloader]

Thanks Elfie. Even in morning light it looks a bit harsh. I wish I had a filter to fit this Bigma. :)

[wlaramie]

Mitch, as always, the photography and the commentary are wonderful and a day brightener. :)

[canonloader]

Thanks Bill. These little yellow jobs are the hardest birds I know of to get good shots of. But I keep trying. :)

[Sindri Skulason]

Very good series. :-)

[Reyno]

Love the bright yellows....and a very good blue contrast on the last two. Excellent series Mitch.

[hTr]

Good Story Mitch

[canonloader]

Thanks Sindri, Reyno and Gary. We have a lot of these guys around all the time. It's fun to watch them but I've never seen them play on a flower like this before. :)

[EdV]

Those Goldfinches are really pieces of work, aren't they. Very nice images. Love the bold yellows in the second set as well.

[canonloader]

Thanks Ed, yes they are. I have been sitting out in the yard with them every night now, after the sun goes behind the hill. They are getting very use to me and flit around constantly. One of the few birds that seem to be happy all the time. :)

[Gary Fairhead]

The light is a bit harsh in the first shots but it still shows interesting behaviour . The light is excellent in the two follow up shots and the first of these two is my favourite image here. Nice!

[canonloader]

Thanks Gary. You can maybe image how many hours I have spent looking at that flower since those first shots. ;) I'm trying for more and better. Before I could get the camera set up for the first set, there were three finches on that flower checking it all over. Would have made some great shots but, it's the shot that got away. :lol: