Monday, June 9, 2025

A little bird perched up high

On the third full day of our trip, Monday, May 26th, we traveled to a beautiful hiking and outdoor park (kind of like a State Park here) to see one bird in particular.  Of course, we saw more than just one bird, but the focus was on finding Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus).  Of course, we saw it.

The trails were a little muddy and slick secondary to a running event that had taken place the day before.  Any running event on such trails clearly demanded sure-footedness. 




These photos are tightly cropped.  We saw this bird well in the spotting scope and he was cooperative on a couple of high perches like this.  I included three similar photos because the bird's eye is visible in each.


This is how the Red-flanked Bluetail appeared through my camera viewfinder at maximum zoom.  

Later while standing around in the parking lot, I met up with a French birder/photographer, Bernard Raynaud, who was touring Finland and Norway and sleeping in his small van.  He had set-up really nice digs.  His bed was even made.  He showed me his photos of the Red-flanked Bluetail and was generous enough to share via email.  Wait for it!



It pays to talk with people in parking lots.  A true beauty!

Bernard had found the bird in good light and on a low perch. I emailed Bernard and received his permission to use his photos here and sent him the link to this post  I put the © on each photo and signed it as he did on another photo which I'll use elsewhere. My rule of thumb: never allow good photos to go unseen and unappreciated.  The deal was that I would send him a couple of my "good" photos.  I will, of course, but I don't have anything to match his.

This whole exchange reminds me of another topic which I have already written and and may take another stab at it at the very end of all this.

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