Dogwood and Grosbeak

Pine Hill, NJ

Bird photography is very difficult. Last fall I was upstairs reading and looked out at the neighbor's dogwood tree that hangs just off the roof of our porch and only 10 to 15 feet from the window I was looking out. There were all kinds of birds; robins and starlings and one rose-breasted grosbeak. They were all eating the dogwood berries. I called Bill and he tried to capture the robins but the light was to low. We were late afternoon and the sun was not shining on the berries very well. The next day at about 9am I brought my Canon F1 and teleconverter with my heavy tripod upstairs. Moving the couch I set up and began to watch the light and hope the birds would return. They did. But of all the images this one is I think the best and for a bird photographer not quite where I would have liked it. I cropped out some of the background until I had what I thought best showed the colors of the berries and leaves and the fall day that the grosbeak came to visit.