Island NatureExploring nature on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond

There are several species of songbirds that are notoriously hard to photograph. Most of them are fairly small and constantly on the move. The Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) is one of these. Often it will respond to pishing and perch for a quick look at you, before heading back into the thicket or branches where it continues about its business of looking for small insects to eat.

This week we’ve had a few sunny days, and I’ve walked up the road during my lunch hour to a small group of  older Douglas-firs and Sitka Spruce. This area seems particularly active with Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and the occasional Golden-crowned Kinglet. There’s a trickle running through a ditch which provides a source of water and the tangle of shrubs which makes good habitat with plenty of food and shelter. Nearby hedgerows are always good for small songbirds.

The distinctive striping and golden crown make the diminutive Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) easy to identify. Constantly on the move, it is a challenge to photograph!

I spotted this Golden-crowned Kinglet feeding on the Sitka Spruce and managed to get a single good photograph of it. Fortunately the light was excellent and the bird cooperated briefly (I’ve got plenty of images where the kinglet isn’t visible due to body position or blocked by branches or blurred due to movement).

A little bit of luck resulted in this golden opportunity!

Responses

1. Ivan says:
   

   January 12th, 2012 at 6:21 pm (#)

   Very nice, Dave! Have you read Bernd Heinrich’s Winter World? Golden-crowned Kinglets are one the books primary stars. Cool little birds.

2. Dave Ingram says:
   

   January 15th, 2012 at 8:42 pm (#)

   I’ve read Mind of Raven but haven’t read Winter World – will check our library for a copy. Thanks for stopping in Ivan!

3. Abu Anka says:
   

   January 17th, 2012 at 9:36 am (#)

   Although they are the most numerous passerine on Vancouver Island by a fairly wide margin, they can be surprisngly tough to photograph, and even see well, at times.
   Great shot!

4. Dave Ingram Photography » Archive » Golden-crowned Kinglet says:
   

   January 23rd, 2012 at 8:04 pm (#)

   [...] A challenging bird to photograph, the Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) is common year-round in the forests on the west coast of British Columbia. Read more at Golden! [...]

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by Dave Ingram