No, I’m not talking about the KC Royals, although they are on most Missourian’s mind right now! As we move ahead of the Mets, 2 games to 0, we’re wishing the Royals continued success in their quest for the Crown!
I’m referring to the recent arrival of the Golden-crowned Kinglets (Regulus satrapa) who are now migrating to/thru the area near my Missouri home. While on the local prairie a few days ago, I was surprised and pleased to watch several of these small birds as they bounced around the trees at the edge of the prairie, looking for a quick meal:
And the tell-all sign this is a Golden-crowned Kinglet, the golden patch on the head:
In this next image, the kinglet has spotted a moving insect and is diving to quickly grab it before it gets away:
These very small birds are difficult to photograph. And to complicate things, I didn’t have my big lens along with me since I wasn’t expecting to see these little guys. But it looks like another trip to the prairie is warranted … with Big Bertha in tow! :o)
Photographic Equipment Used:
- Canon 7D body
- Canon EF 100mm-400mm f/4.5-f/5.6 IS lens
- Handheld, with IS “On”
- ISO 400
- Aperture f/5.6
- Shutter 1/2500 sec.
- Note: Images heavily cropped, due to the small bird size