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Carol Keeler | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery:Perching Birds, Passerines > Bluebird Rumble
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24-APR-2009

Bluebird Rumble

I'm putting this image on for the behavior it captures and the story behind it. I was out gardening and it was late. The sun was close to setting, if not set, with clouds on the horizon. No sun, but you could still see well. I heard my resident bluebirds and noticed a rumble going on about a hundred feet away. I was concerned that the bluebird was having trouble with the house sparrows, so I went inside and grabbed my binoculars. I walked out to the bluebird houses to check things out when I realized there were 2 male bluebirds having a rather rough and tumble fight! I think there were 2 females cheering them on as well. This was no more than 5 feet from me. I ran inside and got my camera. I had to open the lens up all the away and crank the ISO up about as high as it would go to get and speed at all. I followed them around the yard. Finally, the two males were going at it as you see here. I was able to walk right up to 10 feet from them. One female was nearby watching the rumble. I was really afraid one was going to kill the other, so I walked over and told them to break it up which they did. One pair kept flying all over the yard with lots of wing waving and singing trying to verbally defend their territory. I knew I couldn't get any sharp shots, but you certainly get the feeling of the action, even though the shot looks rather impressionistic. It was a very cool experience. Now, why couldn't they have done it when there was some light.


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