Happy Thanksgiving by chrishpetersen

For all those in the USA, I hope that you had a chance to gather your “flock” to enjoy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish everyone in the US a Happy Thanksgiving … and send a special note of thanks to all for supporting my work.

No turkeys were harmed in making this photo, or used in my Thanksgiving dinner.
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Last Hummer of Summer by chrishpetersen

A juvenile ruby-throated hummingbird is in search of mosquitoes to gain strength for the migration south. This one is catching bugs in midair, but everything is so fast you can’t capture it even with a fast shutter.

We associate hummingbirds with drinking nectar from flowers, but hummingbirds also need protein to survive. They catch insects in midair and eat bugs from spider webs.

These amazing little birds weighing only 0.1 oz can fledge in summer and migrate thousands of miles for winter.
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The Tree Darter – White breasted nuthatch by chrishpetersen

A white breasted nuthatch is a small elusive bird that darts up, down and sideways around tree trunks and branches probing the bark for food.

As I continue to practice for my African safari, it seems that I am blessed with the smallest and jumpiest of North American birds. This nuthatch measures 5 inches and is a bundle of raw energy that never seems to stop moving.

I’ve tried lowering ISO, but I get too much motion blur. I’m back to 3200 ISO on this one … with a lot of cropping even with 560mm new lens. Welcome any of your suggestions on capturing these small fidgety targets.

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